Rocket Fuel for Fundraising: Giving Development Officers the Communications Power They Deserve-Recording

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Video Summary

Eric Peters, Vice President of Marketing and Chief Communications Officer at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Foundation, presented "Rocket Fuel for Fundraising," focusing on empowering development officers with enhanced communication resources. The MCV Foundation supports six health sciences schools and affiliated health systems at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Eric highlighted a common challenge: fundraisers often have impactful ideas but limited access to tailored communications support. Traditional university communications offices are typically focused on broad branding or major campaigns, leaving individual fundraisers underserved.<br /><br />To address this, MCV implemented a centralized communications model dedicated to development professionals, providing free access to creative services—including video production, design, writing, and photography—using a “hours as currency” system to manage workload and set boundaries. Each unit receives a yearly allotment of hours to strategically plan projects. This model emphasizes listening to fundraisers’ specific needs rather than pushing generic content.<br /><br />Examples showcased included successful campaigns involving videos and print materials for donor stewardship, major gift solicitations, alumni events, and legislative advocacy. Notably, a video for a scholarship donor family helped secure an additional multimillion-dollar gift, demonstrating real fundraising impact. Eric stressed the cost savings of in-house production, with comparable professional videos valued at $20,000-$30,000 when outsourced.<br /><br />The model also fosters collaboration among units and encourages creative resource-sharing approaches, adaptable to different institutional sizes. Impact is measured through feedback surveys and tracking fundraising outcomes linked to communication projects. Eric concluded by urging institutions to seek inventive solutions to provide essential communications support that elevates fundraising effectiveness and donor engagement.

Keywords

MCV Foundation

fundraising communications

development officers

centralized communications model

creative services

video production

donor stewardship

fundraising impact

resource sharing

fundraising effectiveness