UI Foundation/UI Advancement Weekly Update 04.02.21

Dear Team:

It’s hard to believe the first three months of 2021 are in the history books. At the beginning of this pandemic we were hopeful a return to normal would occur within months, and here we are in the second year of disruption and change. Over the past year, I have certainly found myself watching the calendar a bit more closely and thinking about the “good old days” when things were “normal.” More recently, I have been spending time thinking about where we are going and less about the way things used to be. While it would be nice to think that when the pandemic ends, we will simply return to the way things were, I think we can agree that the scenario is not likely to occur. So, if you haven’t already, stop peeking in the rear-view mirror and focus your eyes on the horizon.

I would also suggest we don’t get too comfortable with the “NOW” normal either. You have done an amazing job of attacking the pandemic head-on, pivoting and staying focused on the constantly changing conditions.  Thank YOU for that!!! However, what we are experiencing today is not likely to be the “NEW” normal. The virus will subside and will not be the driving force in our lives it has been for the past year.  As such, your NOW normal, will be in the rear-view mirror and the opportunities of the future will become our new reality. 

When you look to what tomorrow may bring, do lean on the lessons of the past year. If we have learned anything throughout this pandemic, it may be that we have the capacity to grow, innovate and evolve incredibly fast.  Embrace that skill and put it to good use to further elevate our performance and our impact on the University of Illinois. 

Recently, I have been thinking about what the Foundation’s top leadership priorities should be as we emerge from the pandemic and the now normal, to begin a new normal. Growing our team to be in a position to connect with more donors and prospective donors is an obvious priority. Since hiring hundreds of new gift officers is not a reasonable strategy, I have asked myself the following question:  “how we can better utilize our critical campus partners (deans, directors, administrators, and perhaps students) so they become investors in our advancement program in the new normal, and not just consumers of the funds we raise or beneficiaries of the work we do?”  If you have thoughts and ideas, please send them along. Growing our team does not simply mean hiring more gift officers. We have resources and people who can be better engaged and whose contributions will lead to our collective capacity to grow and improve. 

Thank you all again for your nimbleness and ability to embrace change. Enjoy this first weekend of April and the prospect of warmer weather on the horizon. I hope you can get outside and take advantage of the nice days and remember to stay focused on the future and look sparingly in the rear-view mirror.

Cheers,

Jim