Experts at the third Jacksonites Professional Development Series (JPDS) have called on Nigerians to set an agenda for the funding of universities in the country in the wake of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The focus of the JPDS third edition held virtually across the globe recently was on fundraising, capital campaigns and strategic communications which brought together many experts to examine the principles, strategies, and tactics for planning and executing effective campaigns in raising funds for educational institutions in Nigeria.
Pat Utomi, the chief host and president of Jacksonites Alumni Association Worldwide, in his welcome address, expressed excitement to all and sundry on the new modification to the JPDS by the Chinedu Mba-led steering committee as well as the topic of discourse and the rich lineup of speakers ready to do justice to the subject of fundraising.
“The JPDS has greatly helped our understanding of so many strategic issues in communication and performance. In this particular edition, we are getting into an area of great importance,” he said.
Making reference to Angus Deaton’s ‘The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality,’ Utomi opined that without education and healthcare, performance is challenged.
“It is evident that the society that has made a lot of progress is dependent on the investment in healthcare and education. But as a purely commercial venture, it will be limited to depending on just those who can pay to open the possibilities of education and healthcare. So, we need to find ways of funding education other than relying on what people can afford to pay.
“We live in a country where we are now in a prolonged crisis for higher education. ASUU is on strike again, which has become a pattern. In 1959, the report by Sir Eric Ashby who chaired the Higher Education Commission set up in Nigeria by Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa revealed that the quality of higher education was as good as the very best in the world.
“We now see a significant decline, driven majorly by the fact that from a strategic point of view, when the government opened up higher education in the late 70s, early 80s, it could not fund accordingly. So, we need to build models for funding universities.
“How can we fundraise in a way that will open access, yet ensure that we raise enough revenue to make the universities of high quality?
“This is what Chinedu and co have brought experts to discuss. These experts are people of practice and people who have lived as researchers in this area.
“It is so fundamental and critical to what has been referred to as the tripartite approach to development-where the public and private sectors, as well as the private development agencies, collaborate to drive development,’ he concluded.
Charles Okigbo, the professor emeritus of Strategic Communication at North Dakota State University and former executive coordinator of the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE) speaking on the topic, “Fundraising and Capital Campaigns as Strategic Communication,” explained that strategic communication is vital for fundraising campaigns from initiation to completion. He noted that there is no better time in Nigeria for fundraising and capital campaigns than now.
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Okigbo revealed that the historical rules and principles of Pareto and Gift Range Chart where 20 percent of people and institutions approached will donate 80 percent of the target still hold sway in sourcing for funding.
In yet another paper he presented titled “Inviting, Training and Developing Board Members for Fundraising Engagement,” Okigbo emphasised that fundraising is essentially about people.
In the paper he co-authored with Elizabeth Birmingham of Lakehead University, Canada and Kelly Sassi of the North Dakota University in the United States, Okigbo further revealed that the constitution of board members for fundraising is very strategic to achieving set fundraising targets, hence, the need to get the right people of honour and integrity and train them accordingly to be successful.
John Klocke, the advancement director/planned and major gifts at St. John Paul II Catholic schools presenting his paper titled, “Fundraising Not Asking for Money,” revealed that there is so much more to fundraising than asking for money.
He explained that from conceptualisation till after donation is made, the entire process of fundraising is basically about relationship building and maintenance, among other things.
One key takeaway he left participants with is, “Do not ask for a gift until you have thanked the donor at least two times and you have communicated the impact of their gift so that they are satisfied with that gift.”
Bartholomew Okolo, the former vice-chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), who presented a paper on “Fundraising for higher institutions is not random or left to chance, “The Art and Science of Resource Mobilisation for Higher Education,” revealed there is an art and science to it.
It is worthy of note that during Okolo’s tenure as the VC, UNN, he executed over 400 projects drawing from Tertiary Education Trust Fund and federal government capital allocations as well as internally generated revenue.
The webinar covered such areas as how to plan and execute a successful fundraiser, how to set up and run an advisory board for fundraising campaigns, why fundraising campaigns fail and how to avoid the pitfalls and what to do at the end of the fundraiser witness a huge turnout of participants for the free event including communication scholars and professionals, administrators in the education sector, alumni groups, fundraising volunteers and coordinators, marketing communication professionals and other public personalities from across the world.
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