Reimagining Donor Relations with Lynne Wester

As many of you are aware, the Donor Relations Guru, Lynne Wester, has been working with Queen’s Advancement since late September 2022, to overhaul the processes of our donor relations function and provide strategic advice on how we should move forward to improve the donor experience. It is important to note that Lynne is working on donor relations writ large at Queen’s, not just the Donor Relations Department. She is making recommendations about the way we work across Advancement and beyond. She will also recommend an appropriate structure for Donor Relations and will help in the selection process for a new director.

If you are not familiar with Lynne, here are a few things you should know: She is the principal and founder of the DRG Group. She holds a Master’s in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy and, my favourite, a DUCKtorate from the Disney Institute. For those of you who are fans of the show Scandal, she has been called the Olivia Pope of fundraising. Lynne is dedicated to creating the best donor experience and she is helping Queen’s move to a donor-centric approach to donor relations.

Working with a cross-functional team of Donor Relations, Gift Services, Development, and faculty staff, Lynne has already made good progress. Before the holiday closure, she and the Queen’s team recommended several significant process changes that will dramatically improve the way we work. I invite you to take a look at Lynne’s summary and findings from last summer’s review of donor relations at Queen’s. Also included are our progress to date and a summary of her work going forward. You will notice that Lynne does not mince words. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

A Happy Tale

A funny thing happened at our year-end gathering in December: Julia Bryan, Director of Digital Engagement and Special Projects in Marketing, Communications, and Donor Relations (MCDR), fell in love. 

Julia was part of the team that volunteered at the Kingston Humane Society. Before our volunteer day, the Queen’s team was told in no uncertain terms that they would not be interacting with the animals. (This was the reason I did not sign up for the Humane Society). They would be cleaning and helping in the facility but not directly with the dogs and cats waiting for adoption. But when they arrived, no one was expecting them as the volunteer coordinator had a sudden illness and was not able to brief staff. So, instead of working like the rest of us, the Humane Society volunteers were invited to spend the afternoon playing with the animals. Not exactly picking carrots on a cold December day.

Those of you who know Julia will be aware that she is not one for half-measures. It follows, then, that not only did she play with the animals, but she also did her best to organize their futures and ensure they all had forever homes – hers.

Fortunately for her longsuffering family, the Humane Society has seen her type before and she was only allowed to adopt one animal. 

Meet Victor. 

At 12, Victor’s chances of being adopted were not great. But Victor won the lottery. He will now have a loving family, including another older cat, Nualla, to care for him in his golden years. 

I spoke briefly to Julia’s partner to ask if this adoption was a mutual decision.

“You have to work with her, what do you think?” he said, adding, “I’m just grateful she didn’t volunteer at an orphanage.”

CCAE award submissions 

Over the last three years, Queen’s Advancement has won 17 CCAE Prix d’Excellence awards, and now it is time to add to that total.

The Canadian Council for the Advancement in Education (CCAE) is accepting submissions for the 2023 Prix d’Excellence from Jan. 23 to Feb. 6.
The awards recognize outstanding achievements in alumni affairs, public affairs, communications, marketing, development, advancement services, donor relations, and overall institutional advancement.

To make sure your outstanding work gets recognized this year, check out the CCAE website for the category list and entry forms. For more information about submissions, contact Bethany Mulder-Kelly.

Employee spotlight 

The Employee Spotlight celebrates the arrival of our new and existing staff by profiling responses they share through a fun and informal survey that will help us get to know them better. Be sure to review these profiles and use these fun facts and tidbits to find commonalities, embrace differences, and spark a conversation. 

Over the last two weeks, we welcomed three new members to Advancement.  

Lauren Kochanowski, in the position of Alumni Officer, International Programs. Learn more about Lauren and the best piece of professional advice she has ever received. 

Bianca Bruni, in the position of Executive Assistant, Officer of the VP. Learn more about Bianca and the story of her name. 

Noah Baum, in the position of Social Media Communications Specialist. Learn more about Noah and who he was in a movie with.

Jobs with Advancement

We need your recruitment help. Know great talent that would be a good addition to our team? If so, please promote the vacancies below with your networks and let’s find some amazing new team members.

Applications (including a cover letter and résumé) must be submitted through CareerQ. For additional information on this posting, please reach out to either Carla Ferreira Rodrigues or the hiring manager for the position you are interested in.