Rebecca Pennington is the assistant vice president for development and university relations at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., about 50 miles southwest of New Orleans. She has been with the university since 2001 and in her present position since 2006. Rebecca oversees a staff of four professionals and two support personnel in her role handling fundraising and public relations for the institution. She is also associate professor of mass communication. Rebecca received her doctorate in mass communication from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master's degree from Louisiana State University, and a bachelor's degree from Nicholls State. She has been an active CASE member for many years and currently serves as director for Louisiana on the CASE District IV Board of Directors. Rebecca can be reached at rebeccatucker@nicholls.edu.

What are some of the fundraising challenges faced by Nicholls State following the hurricane devastation in 2005?
Nicholls faced several fundraising challenges in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. A week before Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, we mailed the first in a series of direct mail appeals for the annual fund. Not surprisingly, response was low, especially from alumni living in Greater New Orleans and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

In the second appeal, which we mailed in October, we specifically asked for donations to assist displaced students. The response to this appeal was overwhelming. We received substantial gifts from first-time donors in large part because Nicholls served as a shelter for more than 1,000 displaced persons following the storm. Additionally, 600 New Orleans-area college students transferred to Nicholls.

Subsequent to Katrina, Hurricane Rita made landfall in late September and directly impacted Nicholls when neighboring Terrebonne Parish suffered substantial flooding. Unfortu-
nately, the displacement that ensued forced many Nicholls students, who lived in that parish, to withdraw from school.

From a fundraising standpoint, the massive relocation that occurred affected the accurateness of our database. During Nicholls' annual fund phonathon in March 2006, only about 16,000 alumni were reachable from more than 30,000 on record. Despite the fact that so many alumni were affected, existing donors continue to be generous and the number of new donors-1,600-is substantial. Thus giving to Nicholls has not been adversely affected.

You are a Nicholls graduate and have held positions with the university since 1986. What are some of the changes you have seen take place with respect to fundraising?
The changes during the past 20 years are tremendous. In 1986, there really were no organized fundraising activities. State colleges and universities in Louisiana did not need to raise money because the state provided what was necessary.

However, the oil bust hit in the late 1980s and the situation changed dramatically. Since then, Louisiana colleges have always been under-funded. Thus, a need for fundraising developed.

Nicholls now has an actively involved foundation with more than 140 members who each pay $1,000 a year for membership. The university has also established annual and planned giving programs, which are both in their third year. These efforts raise funds for seven $1 million endowed chairs, 34 $100,000 professorships, and hundreds of newly endowed scholarships. University and foundation leadership are proud that the Nicholls State University Foundation endowment has grown from under $1 million in 1996 to about $10.2 million today.

Nicholl's first capital campaign, "Investing in Education for the Bayou Region," was conducted in 2004, successfully raising more than $34 million for targeted priorities. The goal for that campaign was $16 million so more than twice the targeted amount was achieved.

New initiatives, such as e-mail-based fundraising, are also in the planning stages. These initiatives are designed to improve communication with alumni and donors through the use of electronic and e-mail messaging. The university also hopes to formalize its online giving program to complement the existing annual and planned giving programs. Use of electronic newsletters and announcements should increase communication to alumni and donors, reduce costs, and thus lower the amount of money spent per dollar raised.

What are some of the most successful programs or projects that your department initiated during the past year?
Our first phonathon was completed last year as part of the annual fund and it exceeded expectations, attracting 638 new donors with average gifts of $176.52 each. The money raised was about $10,000 above our goal. We implemented the phonathon to add a personal component to the annual giving program. Student callers were trained and used as solicitors. The first year was so successful that plans for the second year are basically the same, with the exception that we've increased the goal by 5 percent.

We also held the first President's Scholarship Luncheon on Feb. 7, 2007. Attendance was better than expected with 175 recipients and donors. Donors seemed delighted to have the opportunity to meet their recipients and hear how the scholarships have made a difference in students' lives. Several donors gave additional donations at the event, and several more said they would increase the amount of their scholarships in the near future.

Student recipients were also eager to meet their donors and express appreciation for the scholarships. Two student recipients spoke during the program, providing testimonials about how the scholarships had impacted their lives. Changes for next year include moving the event from a luncheon to a late afternoon reception as many student recipients were in class during the luncheon and were unable to attend.

You have been an active member of CASE and serve on the board of directors for CASE District IV. How has this involvement helped you in your professional career?
Since 1993, I have served on the district board several times as well as on the alumni relations commission. I have also chaired several committees. Interaction with colleagues from different areas of the profession and from different parts of the country and the world has been the most rewarding. It is always refreshing to share experiences and challenges with my colleagues. I find myself leaving meetings with new perspectives, ones I might otherwise never consider.

As chair of the communication planning committee at Nicholls, for instance, I am in charge of implementing the new brand identity adopted by Nicholls two years ago. CASE conferences, professional meetings, and discussions regarding brand identity have prepared me well for this challenge. The knowledge I have gained on branding is incredible.

This article is from the March 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.