Caitlin Croughan is director of foundation relations for the University of California, San Francisco, one of the nation's premier health sciences teaching, training, and research centers. In her position, Croughan helps create and facilitate strategic corporate partnerships and foundation support for UCSF. Her primary area of responsibility lies in advancing principal and capital gifts of at least $500,000 for the chancellor's priorities. Previously, Croughan worked for the University of California, Berkeley, where she led a $5 million campaign to establish the Center for Jewish Studies. A member of the CASE District VII Board of Directors, she can be reached at ccroughan@support.ucsf.edu.

What are some of the major fundraising challenges facing the University of California, San Francisco?
Fundraising is still relatively new in public education in California. To be successful, fundraising cannot just be "added on." It requires teamwork and collaboration among all sectors of the campus. In public schools in California today, fundraising expectations are high and capital needs are significant. But the mechanisms for receiving, formally accepting, spending, and reporting on funds are often very cumbersome. So part of my challenge is to help create a model of professionalism on the development side and a "team approach" with the balance of the campus, so that together, through leadership, good communications, and collaboration, we realize the vision of the university.

How do you convey to newer development professionals that a great deal of patience is required before achieving success?
Fundraising always takes time-whether one is raising endowment funds or major gifts for immediate needs. In my work at UCSF, I focus primarily on organizations: foundations and corporations. Even within organizational fundraising, however, one develops relationships with individuals-whether top executives, board members or program staff. It takes time to build relationships based on trust and shared values. A good fundraising strategy anticipates this requirement and will be successful because of it.

What are some of the major obstacles facing the advancement profession?
Advancement is a profession, and educational institutions will succeed as leaders (chancellors, presidents, provosts, chairs, deans, and key faculty) gain a better understanding of the talents the profession requires and the methods that generate results. Successful fundraising takes training and experience but continued success requires integrity. The CASE Donor Bill of Rights provides an important set of principles for any institution. We will be more successful if we create and maintain good practices-whether in cultivation and solicitation, stewardship or donor relations.

How does your participation on the CASE District VII Board of Directors complement your work at the university?
Service on the CASE District VII Board helps me make a contribution to the field by collaborating with peers and recognizing practices that model the best of our profession.

Through scholarships, district conferences and local workshops, we can manifest a commitment to diversity (whether in institutions or individuals) while recruiting and mentoring newcomers and those who seek additional opportunities for professional development. It is also fun to share time and experiences in common with my peers. I like the cross-training that's available through our regional conferences. And CASE offerings are of course tops in the profession.

Please describe some of the most successful and rewarding aspects to your development career at UCSF and other institutions.
I'm in a position in my career now to help raise major gifts that are of permanent help to the university: endowments for chairs, professorships, fellowships, scholarships and leadership/principal gifts for capital needs. It's a profound experience to walk on a campus where one's efforts have helped to build state-of-the-art facilities-where some of the world's top scientists are conducting research into the most challenging diseases of our day. The commitment of scientists and clinicians impresses me, and I know their work will lead to new medical treatments and even cures. I am deeply gratified knowing I have helped bring this possibility into being.

Overall, in my career in fundraising, it has been my pleasure and privilege to work with a wide variety of individuals and organizations and to help forward the values that I think build a better society. This is the "activist" side of me that finds real fulfillment in raising funds. It's not only about securing gifts, it's about helping to build institutions that in turn help humankind. This is where the real rewards can be found: in helping to cure diseases, raise awareness and opportunity, and forge a more thoughtful and compassionate world for the future.

This article is from the April 2007 issue of BriefCASE.
Please share your questions and comments with Pam Russell via e-mail at russell@case.org or by telephone at +1-202-478-5680.