I can never be as knowledgeable as she is, but she can help to equip me with a serviceable set of philanthropic skills. She must know the institution and the nature of its expectations of me. She then must be able to draw from her knowledge of our philanthropic supporters and goals and develop proposals for involving me in productive endeavors. She must be willing to make me hear her reasonable requests for my involvement in institutional advancement, lest I get swallowed by the campus tyranny of the urgent. Finally, I also want the CAO to create a visible presence for her department on the campus.
Philanthropic activity is often of necessity an outwardly directed endeavor.
I believe that the most effective CAOs can remain actively integrated into campus life and can find ways to make their departments visible to faculty, staff, and students. What to Expect from Your President or Chief Executive Officer by Karen J. Johnson, CFRE Working in philanthropy for the last 13 years has given me some insight in regard to how money is raised. One might think that the chief fund raising officer carries the entire responsibility to make sure that the necessary funds are acquired. I have learned, however, that there are many people in an organization or institution who play key roles in making philanthropy successful. Certainly, the chief fund raising officer carries a heavy responsibility, but a large piece of that responsibility rests with the CEO as well.