Lasseter was tapped by NHRMC CEO Jack Barto last year to take charge of the campaign. He chose her, among lesser reasons, because she was a seasoned fundraising veteran who had recently raised $7.7 million in 16 short months. She had organized that $10 million capital campaign for Savannah's St. Joseph's/Candler Hospitals' expansion plans. That campaign included a $3 million naming gift. Such proven success brought her to Jack's attention as a natural fit for Wilmington.
The job he had in mind for her was daunting, but Lasseter is no shrinking violet. She is, after all, a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). The requirements for this certification, as laid out by the international Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, are fairly steep and only the most successful practitioners can qualify. Candidate eligibility for examination must be preceded by meeting specific point totals for employment, education, performance and service. In other words, candidates must be active, engaged and consummately successful at what they do. Lasseter has been certified to be all these things. Naturally, she is a busy person, meeting with donors, making appearances, serving on multiple boards, attending events or simply taking care of the business of philanthropy. Thus, her position requires her to wear many hats. Among the most important are hats for:
- Fund Raising Strategy: How institutions approach fundraising.
- Donor Development: How donors are cultivated and moved through levels of giving.
- Donor Relations: How good relationships are maintained.
- Fund Raising Management: How the business of fund raising gets done.
- Fund Stewardship: Managing funds to satisfy donors and, most importantly, maintain the letter and spirit of the law.
A typical day for Lasseter is half-comprised of making contacts or, more precisely, making contacts of contacts. The technique might be aptly described as social snowballing. She relies upon her ample strength as a nouveau arrive. Since she is so new to the area, she has an "in." People want to meet her and donors often ride along. So far it seems to be working. Her new ideas and expansive vision have already had a positive impact on the Foundation's efforts. What is more, people seem to genuinely like her style which is thoroughly professional, yet always warm and accessible.
What does it take to be successful in such a highly competitive business? Lasseter lists fund raising experience at the top. To gain fund raising street cred, she says, one has to come up through the ranks and "pay your dues." Most times that means starting out small, like she did, and working the way up. Her bacherlor's degree in marketing laid her career's foundation. After that, she credits her experience in "fast food marketing," working for the likes of Wendy's International and McDonald's Corporation. Those experiences helped her to build her marketing savvy. Raising $1 million for the Savannah-based Children's Miracle Network in the mid-Nineties demonstrated her uncanny ability to form lucrative donor relationships. She later cultivated a $5 million gift for the Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute campaign. That is the kind of donor cultivation success that gets one noticed.
Is it marketing savvy, donor cultivation or is it salesmanship? Perhaps it is all three, she suggests. A little PR experience doesn't hurt either. For her fund raising is all about the relationships she forms with people, which, if early returns are any guide, seem to be strong. In the managed care competition for healthcare dollars, relationships are what make the difference. Just as patients want to feel good about the institution or their physician, hospital donors want to feel good about not just the cause, but the most visible representative of it as well. The two are inextricably tied together. If one loses face, so does the other.
At the same time, she believes that a fund raiser's main job is to keep the cause uppermost in the mind of the donor. The more obsessive the cause, the bigger the gift. Eventually, one gets to mega-gift territory where the sky can be the limit.
Of course, it doesn't hurt to have the right personality. She recommends going into fund raising only if one is outgoing and has a LOT of energy. It is a relentless search for support that only the brave dare undertake. Just like the U.S. Mail, the search never stops. Of course, it doesn't hurt to be smart, upbeat and genuinely funny like Lasseter. Those kinds of traits can only serve one well when it comes to the merely impossible, which fund raisers must frequently contend with. A good sense of humor, in particular, can save one's sanity. True to form, she downplays the more difficult aspects of her job (and there are many.) Nevertheless, she has little patience for people who are not team players or who think nothing of wasting her precious time. She is too busy to put up much with that sort. Then there is the well-known pressure of working with CEOs and boards. That can be nerve-wracking for those without the stomach for it. To be a success, a fund raiser must thrive on it.
Would she still recommend a career in fund raising? You bet. Though it can be a real high wire act, there are many personal and professional rewards to be had. Fund raisers help connect donors to their passion. They are like the bodhisattvas of giving. The best ones can lead whole communities to enlightenment. What is more, they are legacy builders. They are instrumental to capital building and a force for positive change. They can help take a blueprint and turn it into an institution that will change lives forever and long after they are gone.
What could be more rewarding than that?
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