Jack Miller, founder of The Miller Group, a Colorado-based fund-raising consulting firm, suggests that the renewed campaign could be hurt by the art sale.
“If you sell off art, it begins to raise questions,” says Miller, who has worked in higher education development for more than 40 years. “It begins to raise questions in the minds of some donors about why they aren’t raising money [the traditional way.] An O’Keeffe original is priceless. If you sell those, you have no reason to go to people and say ‘will you pitch in?’ Pretty soon you’ve sold all the art and now what do you do to go forward?”
Miller and others say the success of any fund-raising effort will hinge on the work of the school’s trustees and president. Both will need to step up their games, they say.
Clark echoes those opinions. He emphasizes he is not a one-man-band and is confident that O’Leary, the Fisk trustees, faculty and staff will buy into and participate in a well thought out fund-raising plan.
“This is a team sport,” Clark says.
There are currently 0 comments on this story.
Click here to post a comment.
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
