Working With the Office of Philanthropic Engagement
Learn how faculty and staff can work together with the Office of Philanthropic Engagement to support the alumni and giving efforts of the School of Liberal Arts.
Purpose of Philanthropy in the School of Liberal Arts
Philanthropy provides students with access to a world-class public education, expands scholarship and internship opportunities, enables experiential learning, and supports faculty research, creative activity, and community-engaged work. Donor support strengthens student success, faculty excellence, and the School’s mission in Indiana’s state capital.
Role of the Office of Philanthropic Engagement
The School of Liberal Arts Office of Philanthropic Engagement partners with the Indiana University Foundation (IUF) to cultivate philanthropic support from alumni, community partners, foundations, corporations, parents, and friends of the School.
Through the Foundation, the School benefits from robust infrastructure, including:
- Gift processing, tax-receipting, and donor stewardship services
- Endowment and fund management
- Data, prospect research, and donor history systems
- Legal and compliance support
- Annual giving, campaigns, and digital fundraising platforms
All charitable gifts benefiting the School should be processed through IUF.
Scope of work & responsibilities
The Office of Philanthropic Engagement:
- Leads philanthropic strategy, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
- Partners with the IU Foundation on campaigns, gift administration, and compliance
- Develops donor-facing messaging, proposals, stewardship, and impact reporting
- Facilitates changes to donor intent language, as needed
- Drafts and distributes solicitations (annual giving & campaigns)
- Secures major gifts of $50,000+ (Senior Director of Development + IUF)
- Provides donor/portfolio strategy and prospect guidance
- Provides access to alumni lists for engagement and communications
- Assists with giving pages, digital fundraising, and crowdfunding
- Provides event support in the form of sponsorship strategies and prospect suggestions
What the office does not do
To set expectations clearly, the Office of Philanthropic Engagement does not:
✘ Organize or manage event logistics for academic departments/programs (venue, catering, registration, etc.); please see Administrative Shared Services for guidance and support
✘ Serve as a full-service marketing/communications unit
✘ Provide unrestricted access to donors or prospects without coordination
✘ Execute sponsorship fulfillment for unit-run fundraising events
✘ Draft and submit grant proposals to granting organizations (However, our office should be consulted prior to submission)
✘ Process expenditures from current IUF accounts (this is done through the School’s Finance Team)
Role of faculty & staff in development
Faculty, deans, and administrative leaders play an essential role in relationship-building. You help connect donors to our mission by:
- Providing regular updates on academic programs and strategies, including experiential learning and research
- Sharing stories of student and faculty impact
- Helping identify potential donors or partners
- Participating in donor stewardship and recognition activities
- Engaging alumni through academic and programmatic experiences
- Assisting with potential changes to donor intents for current IUF accounts
Alumni engagement is a core component of the development strategy and a prerequisite for sustainable fundraising. Alumni engagement and development are interconnected; when alumni feel connected, informed, and valued, they are more likely to invest in the success of future students.
Coordination procedures
To ensure a unified donor experience and avoid competing solicitations, before fundraising or sponsorship outreach, faculty/staff should:
- Notify the Office of Philanthropic Engagement of fundraising concepts, sponsorship requests, or donor outreach
- Confirm donor status, portfolio assignments, and solicitation timing
- Align strategy, messaging, and purpose
The goal is coordination, not restriction; collaboration helps us secure the strongest philanthropic investment for the School.
Activities requiring pre-approval
The following activities require coordination with the Office of Philanthropic Engagement:
- Solicitation of philanthropic gifts from individuals, corporations, or foundations
- Event-based fundraising or sponsorship appeals
- Funding proposals to external partners or foundations
A short planning lead time (4–6 weeks) is recommended for events or proposals.
Documentation & transparency
Documenting donor/alumni interactions ensures continuity, transparency, and stewardship. Interactions should be entered into Crimson; if you do not have access, the Office of Philanthropic Engagement can assist.
Documentation ensures:
- Shared visibility into donor engagement
- Informed and coordinated outreach
- Reduced risk of duplication or conflicting asks
- Continuity during staff transitions
Stewardship expectations
Stewardship is everyone’s responsibility. Faculty and staff can support donor stewardship by:
- Providing impact updates, outcomes, or student stories
- Acknowledging donors with personalized notes or emails
- Sharing program successes that highlight the value of philanthropy
Consistent stewardship builds trust, supports renewals, and sustains long-term giving.
Development engagement checklist
Faculty & staff can support philanthropy by:
- Coordinating fundraising requests in advance
- Engaging alumni through programs and communications
- Documenting interactions (or submitting to the Office of Philanthropic Engagement)
- Sharing impact stories for stewardship
- Prioritizing relationships over one-time requests
- Expressing gratitude to donors and partners
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Please consult the Office of Philanthropic Engagement first to avoid conflicts and maximize outcomes.
Yes. If outreach goes through the Office of Philanthropic Engagement, alumni engagement can be tracked for reporting and stewardship. Fundraising-related outreach must be coordinated.
An example of a non-fundraising purpose is a request for an alum to come speak in a class. Another example would be inviting alumni back to campus for a department event/celebration. With IU having the largest living alumni, our office has been tasked with tracking alumni engagement, and this includes email correspondence. By sending email through our office, we are able to track the level of engagement.
Yes. Lists are provided in alignment with data and privacy policies. This means that we are not able to provide contact information, but we are able to provide alumni information, including city and employment information.
Major gifts ($50,000+) are secured by the Senior Director of Development in partnership with the IU Foundation.
Yes, the Office of Philanthropic Engagement assists with strategy, messaging, and platform support.
A sponsorship is a transactional agreement in which the “sponsor” provides support in exchange for a tangible benefit. Because sponsorships involve a direct benefit to the sponsor, they are generally not considered a charitable gift and may not be fully tax deductible. While a donation is a philanthropic gift made to support the mission, programs, or priorities of the School with no expectation of a direct benefit in return. Donations are typically tax deductible.
Yes, online fundraising pages can be converted from a ‘standard’ page to an ‘enhanced’ page featuring custom photos and content. A formal request including submission of content and media is handled through IUF’s Workfront system. Your development officer can help you navigate the request.
No, you need to contact the School's Finance Team.