Career Path: Stay and Deliver

By Brian Lee

I am something of an anomaly in the development field. The average time a development professional spends at one institution is now reported to be only about two years. There are more jobs than proven people to fill them, and competition for talent is fierce. Recruitment is aggressive, and attractive offers abound. Yet, this month I am beginning my 22nd year at Tufts Univer­sity in Medford, Massachusetts.

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with two forms of cancer, and I abruptly found myself reflecting on what is truly important. I asked myself if what I am doing is meaningful. Am I making a difference?

Being a senior officer of a university can be very consuming. Seventy-hour work weeks are not uncommon. Duties and challenges are rarely left at the office, and my work has often taken me away from my family at inconvenient times. So when I asked myself if I were fortunate enough to recover, would I do anything differently, this wasn't something I thought about for just 10 minutes. My powerful realization was this: If I could do it all over again, I would not change my career or the institution for which I work.

So why have I stayed? There are several ingredients that come together: a mission that resonates with me; the institution's strong sense of community and commitment to having real impact on the world; an ability, always, to see a connection between my efforts and the benefits the institution derives; and, far more important, the benefits that society obtains from my institution delivering on its worthy mission.

How I got here

After working as a high school teacher and executive director of a human services agency, in 1986 I found my way to higher education development, about which I knew very little. My first position was at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, which at that time had graduated only two classes and thus had few alumni. But it was an entrepreneurial organization passionate about the health and welfare of animals, the role of animals in society, and excellence in biomedical research. Early on the veterinary school conducted a capital campaign that raised $26 million, less than $25,000 of which came from alumni. The rest came from satisfied, committed clients of our hospitals or from others who embraced the unique mission of the school.

I spent 10 years there, and now when I stroll the campus I experience not only the magnificent New England countryside, but also the knowledge that building by building, program by program, this institution is doing extraordinary things that have been made possible largely by philanthropy.

To provide a little historical perspective, prior to 1980 Tufts had no professional fundraising organization in place. Between 1980 and 2002 the university con­ducted three highly successful capital campaigns that raised more than $1 billion from private sources. Over the years, Tufts has been increasingly doing creative, entrepreneurial fundraising with very positive results.

I was asked to assume responsibility for university-wide fundraising in 1995, and four years later, I was appointed vice president for university advancement, which includes responsibility for development and alumni relations. In November 2006 we launched the $1.2 billion "Beyond Boundaries" campaign, which is enjoying unprecedented support. I am very proud to have played a role in strengthening Tufts and its impact in the world.

Why it's worth it

I frequently speak before groups of fundraisers and students preparing to enter the field. When I do, I like to make the provocative statement that we are not in the fundraising business. Rather, we connect at a deeper level and build partnerships with people by discovering shared values. It's not about asking for money. It's about enabling our donors-our partners-to discover the joy of being part of an effort that makes a difference.

For me fundraising is about people. It is a privilege to work with people who believe strongly in the ability of partnerships to achieve mutually beneficial goals. When we work with donors who are committed and generous, we're enriched personally, and wonderful things are accomplished.

While most of us want to find ourselves in a position in which we're doing important work in service to a worthy organization, another reason I have remained at Tufts is because the institution is truly and deeply committed to its people. One time I seriously considered leaving because ano­ther institution offered me more money and a more important title. However, it was Tufts' culture of collegiality and engaged citizenship that compelled me to stay. Sen­ior university leaders demonstrated their commitment to me and shared their vision of my role in streng­thening the institution. I'm not surprised that my career and the institution evolved and grew more or less exactly as they predicted.

Giving back

I believe we all share a duty to nurture and strengthen our chosen profession. I'll share a secret: I've never said no to someone who has requested an informational interview with me (although I might reserve the right to do so in the future now that the secret is out). I probably conduct four or five a month, and I always discuss how to derive satisfaction and purpose from our work.

There are a lot of temptations in building a career in advancement; there is an easy path you can follow. You just need to answer the phone when a colleague or recruiter calls and send in a résumé when asked. I tell people, before you do that, pause and think about the nature and meaning of the work you are doing. And if you are serious about creating a meaningful career you'll look back on with pride, you will align yourself with those few institutions for which you can engender sincere passion.

There is the issue of authenticity in fundraising; this work we do has to be real. In my moment, when I had to evaluate whether or not it was real for me, it passed the test.

About the Author Brian Lee

Brian Lee is the senior executive leading Caltech's institutional advancement efforts, creating and implementing strategies to elevate the institute's profile and influence. He will lead Caltech's development, marketing, and institute-relations efforts, as well as the alumni and associates programs.

Prior to Caltech, Lee was the senior vice president for university advancement at Tufts University where he was responsible for all fundraising, alumni relations, advancement communications and advancement services across the university's eight schools and colleges. He was responsible for planning, launching and leading Tufts' successful "Beyond Boundaries" campaign, the most ambitious fundraising initiative in Tufts' history, which concluded in June 2011. The campaign exceeded its $1.2 billion goal and raised $1.212 billion in support for students, faculty, programs and facilities at the university.

Lee is a veteran of several successful capital campaigns at Tufts. He joined the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1986 as associate director of development and became the school's director of development the following year. In 1992 he assumed the additional title of assistant dean for resources. In 1995 he was appointed director of development for the entire university. In 1999 he was named vice president for development, and in 2002 he was named vice president for university advancement. Under his leadership, the "Tufts Tomorrow" campaign concluded in 2002 having raised $609 million, surpassing its original goal by a significant margin.

Lee is chair-elect of the Board of Trustees for CASE. He chaired CASE's 2010 Summit for Advancement Leaders. He was elected to the CASE Board of Trustees in 2008.

He received a bachelor's degree in English magna cum laude from Assumption College.