I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Ben Pendry, Executive Director of Advancement Services for Western Carolina University. This interview was conducted on June 10th, 2020.
- Please give a short introduction about yourself. What company do you work for and what is your current position title?
Ben Pendry, Executive Director of Advancement Services, Western Carolina University
- What are some of your responsibilities in your current role?
Oversee the following areas for the Advancement Division at WCU:
-donor relations
-prospect research & reporting
-database management
-accounting / gift processing
- Can you tell me a little about your donor investment background?
I took a job with a nonprofit directly out of college. One of my responsibilities was staff support for our 501c3 charitable foundation. I was trained in the basics of annual giving and philanthropy. After that first job I served as a major gifts officer for another nonprofit before moving to higher education. I worked at UNC Charlotte as a development director and then as Director of Prospect Strategy & Research before coming to Western Carolina as Executive Director. I attained the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) accreditation in 2014.
- How important is donor engagement to your current organization?
Engagement of our donor base and our PROSPECTIVE donor base is our lifeblood. We depend on a population of interested individuals who are committed and passionate about WCU – our mission and our students. The MORE engaged we can make our alumni, donors, stakeholders, prospects, etc. the MORE success we will have in philanthropy and then the more success our students will have.
- Can you describe your typical approach to engaging with a potential donor or with existing donors?
In my role today I am not as involved on the front end of conversations. I work closely with our Foundation board and a few key high capacity prospects. These are relationship based engagements and I am involved because of the seat I occupy in the organization. I find myself involved in scenarios when our normal process might have broken down and we need to do some damage control AND I find myself involved when we are in a really good place and we’re trying to really roll out the red carpet or celebrate the impact that a particular donor is having at WCU
- How do you go about identifying your target audiences for a specific project?
Its all about relationships and using what you know. If I want someone for a specific project or initiative then I’m either looking for those folks that I know care about WCU enough to hear me out on the goals and IMPACT -OR- I’m looking for those folks who care about the topical area but might not be as engaged with WCU. Either of those roads can get me to the right audience.
- What is one thing that most people don’t understand about donor engagement?
Leadership matters so very much. In most cases, a front line fundraiser is there as a facilitator to get the donor to the mission. We’re there to FACILITATE a process of showing the donor the impact they’re making in the lives of the student. We try to provide an experience which can sometimes be very difficult. As a fundraiser, I wish I could take a student with me on every donor visit. Or the key faculty researcher, or a Dean who is dreaming up the next great project. Those folks who are benefitting from the investment of the donor are the special people. I think there is a perception that we just ask for money from donors. Its true, we do ask for money, but the good ones are actually NOT asking for money – they’re SHOWING impact and the donor finds their way very easily to the gift
- What should a person, or a company, be looking for when seeking potential donors or investors?
Relationships matter. Look for people who are already bought in to the person or the company. These are the inner circle…bring the right people into that circle to let them feel like owners from the beginning. As the circle widens – go to those folks who are experts or who have shown interest in the same industry or area previously…they will know what success looks like and you want them in on the ground floor to help you be successful.
