What's the Difference?

     We may know the difference between fundraising, development and advancement.  Fundraising is anything done or sold to generate a revenue stream for a non-profit group or organization.  It’s non-threatening since “Everybody” fundraises.  Development is the meaningful engagement of individuals with the mission and vision of your organization.  Individuals will contribute to your organization, but only if they are in relationship with your organization; in other words, they “care” about what you do.  Advancement is inclusive of all those processes that advance the mission of your organization, or, as I like to put it, advance your organization toward the vision.  It includes not only Development, but Enrollment, Retention, Asset Management and Marketing.

     Development can be distinguished from fundraising in the following way.  Anything that's done from year-to-year for survival (the book fair, the Sarris candy sale, the cookie dough sale, the craft show, etc.) is fundraising.  Anything that's a concerted effort to assure the continued long-term existence of the organization (planned giving, annual appeals, grant writing, capital campaigns, and endowment funds) is development.  Constant and consistent development plans will help you reach long and short term goals; constant and consistent fundraising is akin to crisis management - it takes consistent effort, which can lead to burn out, and it will not sustain you in the long run.

     So what is Marketing?

     Marketing is getting the message "out there” to a targeted audience.  In business, it's Marketing's job to get the people into the store – not all people, but only those that would be interested in buying what’s for sale; it's the salesperson's job to sell the product.  In this respect, advertising is marketing, but marketing is not advertising.  Marketing is much more: it's advertising (portraying particular aspects of the whole product in a positive manner to attract a consumer); it's public relations (getting the message out into the public); it's media relations (getting the media to present the desired message); it's promotion (just what the word means - "moving forward" or "advancing" the planned action as spelled out in the marketing plan).  "Publicity" is the message that gets out there - which is why it's said, "Any publicity is good publicity."  Publicity is the message that eventually appears in print, on a billboard, on the radio or TV...it may be negative or positive.  If it's negative, it gives you the opportunity to present the positive side through public relations, media relations or promotion.  Therefore, Marketing is a targeted approach to get the desired message to the desired audience.

     Some schools have asked if they really need a Development Director.  The short answer is no.  But if you don’t have a Development Director, you should have an Advancement Director.  You need someone to coordinate the business side of your school, just as you need someone to coordinate the “product” side of the school, even if they’re part-time.  If you’re not covering all your costs from tuition and require additional development dollars to not just supplement but complete your school revenue, then someone needs to be responsible for ensuring the processes involved with advancement are successful.