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Summer 2003

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To further guarantee the success of Transforming Minds and Hearts: The Campaign for Villanova, the University is capitalizing upon renewed energy and building increased momentum among its supporters, while engaging even broader constituencies. Enhanced outreach efforts and opportunities for involvement throughout campus will allow alumni, parents, friends of Villanova, and academic and program leaders of the University, to align their interest in individual programmatic areas with Campaign priorities.

Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A. ’58, University president, explained that very early in his presidency, one of his major priorities was to reach out to alumni, parents, and friends to create new opportunities for partnership with Villanova. He understood that with all that needed to be accomplished to grow and strengthen the University, it would be necessary to engage those beyond the immediate campus community.

“Our alumni, parents, and friends have established corporate partnerships, advised colleges on curriculum enhancements, and taken part in the strategic planning process, in addition to supporting our funding objectives,” he said. “This desire to support all aspects of Villanova has proven to be one of our greatest assets and is what we are capitalizing on as we seek to match this involvement with specific areas and programs of the University.”

Engaging Broader Constituencies

To meet the expressed interests of its alumni and other supporters, the University decided to broaden its reach by establishing a distributive development organization to more directly support and integrate the colleges and programs of the University in the fundraising process.

John M. Elizandro, vice president for Institutional Advancement, explained that the focus of fundraising at the University has shifted from a geographic or regional model to a distributive one, where fundraising responsibilities are shared among academic and program leaders through a centrally managed fundraising organization. “In the early stages of development activity at Villanova, there was a geographic focus on fundraising, identifying who our alumni are, where they are, and what they do,” Elizandro said. “Now, the Development program has matured beyond its original regional design. Alumni, parents, and friends want to link their involvement with the University to their specific, well-defined interests, and distributive fundraising allows us to meet the needs of our supporters.”

Through a more coordinated and integrated approach to fundraising, the University becomes better positioned to extend its outreach, broadly communicate its priorities, and secure the high-level gifts necessary for it to achieve its strategic goals.

“The new distributive fundraising model will involve other areas of the University more directly with donors,” said Fr. Dobbin. “It will improve our access to more and more alumni and help us build those relationships. Distributive fundraising opens up many doors to us.”

The addition of new staff to fully implement and execute the fundraising model and the engagement of academic and program leaders in the process are having an immediate and positive impact on Campaign-related efforts, Elizandro explained. “By refocusing our fundraising efforts and redeploying staff resources, we are taking Villanova to the next level of fundraising, which will allow us to better advance the mission of the University well into the future.”

Capitalizing on Campus Enthusiasm to Generate Support
John R. Johannes, Ph.D., vice president for Academic Affairs, explained that the newly implemented distributive fundraising model presents numerous opportunities to the University. “We are pleased that Villanova has shifted its focus and resources to include more members of the University community in actively shaping the future of Villanova. Involving the deans and, at times, faculty, more directly in this effort allows our donors and prospects to hear first-hand what is going on in the University’s academic programs and capitalize on the enthusiasm that exists throughout campus.”

Furthermore, Johannes said that the combination of new potential donors and committed, enthusiastic academic leaders is bound to have a positive effect on fundraising efforts, and, in turn, the ongoing vitality and growth of the University. “We believe that the enhanced direct contact can convey our academic message in a more vibrant fashion,” he said. “That message and the people developing and projecting it will be attractive and should yield not only more donations, but also other forms of partnership: research projects, internships, placements of students, and the like. With this support, we will be able to make Villanova even better than it is, establishing a firm place among the nation's handful of elite Catholic universities.”

Stephen A. Stumpf, Ph.D., dean of the College of Commerce and Finance, explained that through the distributive fundraising model, more fundraising opportunities will be created because more people are becoming involved in identifying and meeting potential donors. “The involvement will help people to become engaged in the process,” he said. “Rather than it being something that ‘they’ do, it is now something that ‘we’ do.” Ownership of the process is shared among all participants.”

Vincent P. Nicastro, director of Athletics, said that the Department of Athletics understands and fully supports the potential of the distributive fundraising model to broaden the University’s base of support and increase overall contributions. “I believe that this model offers the best of both worlds – the infrastructure, knowledge, and skill set of the Office of Development combined with significant involvement in the fundraising process by the leaders of each operating unit, including the academic colleges and athletics,” Nicastro said.

Nicastro added that the Department of Athletics is looking to build on its past fundraising successes through the full implementation of the distributive fundraising model. “Now that this model is formalized, I believe that we will have even greater success cultivating and securing major gifts for capital projects and the building of the University’s endowment.”

Volunteer Involvement is Crucial to Campaign Success
Critical to the success of The Campaign for Villanova is the continued and ongoing support of volunteers dedicated to the University’s mission and the fulfillment of Villanova’s strategic goals. Volunteer committees of University alumni, parents, and friends currently are actively involved in cultivating support for The Campaign.

“Villanova already is one of the premier Catholic universities in the nation, and we have all benefited from that standing,” said Patrick G. LePore ’77, a member of the Major Gifts Committee. “What’s critical for us is to continue to grow and to continue to improve in all areas without losing the essence of who we are as a school and as a student body. Our students and alumni are our legacy and our best promoters. If we stay focused on our core values, good things will happen.”

As an alumnus and a parent of a current sophomore, LePore added that his personal involvement in The Campaign to date has been particularly positive. “The Development staff, the organization, the planning process, the strategic thinking, the identification of needs, and the budgeting have all been superb,” he said. “Most important, adherence to our ethics and mission has never wavered.”

It is critical at this time, LePore said, that the University continues to build on the great strides made and momentum generated over the past 15 years under the leadership of Fr. Dobbin. “The benefits of the last campaign, The Villanova Campaign, are evident at every turn – the campus, the academics, the resources for our students are all first class,” LePore said. “And yet there is still much to be done to stay competitive and maintain the leadership position we’ve established. In many ways, the challenges we face as a university today are more difficult because we’ve come so far and have accomplished so much. To get to the next level while maintaining our reputation and core values will require tremendous effort. That’s why The Campaign for Villanova is so critical and compelling. I’m honored to be able to use some of my experience to help in this endeavor.”

Investing in the Future
Charles P. Connolly, Jr. ’70, echoed LePore’s sentiments, noting that the improvements made to the University during the last 15 years have been nothing short of remarkable. He explained that The Campaign for Villanova will allow the University to make even more substantive enhancements, taking Villanova to new levels of excellence.

“I view this campaign as an investment in the future,” said Connolly, a member of the Major Gifts Committee whose three children attend the University. “The Campaign for Villanova allows alumni, parents, and friends of the University to play a vital role in building the endowment, securing additional scholarship money, and attracting a more diverse student body.”

Fellow Major Gifts Committee member William P. Melchionni ’66 explained that the improvements made to the University within the last 15 years – the development of its physical plant and ability to attract top-level students – are a tribute to the vision of Fr. Dobbin and the many other University leaders who have successfully seen that vision become a reality. “Keeping this momentum going requires significant more assets,” he said. “Our ability to get the support needed is crucial.”

Melchionni noted that a school is judged primarily by the quality of its “product” . “Not just our alumni, but people with no connection to the school are looking at the students graduating from Villanova and recognizing our high caliber graduates,” he said. “That’s the real judge of whether you’re doing a good job.”

By demonstrating and communicating the increased momentum and energy for the attainment of Villanova’s strategic objectives, the University will motivate its diverse constituencies through Transforming Minds and Hearts: The Campaign for Villanova to work cooperatively toward securing its promising future.