Setting Department Funding Priorities

Development directors can best represent a department, school or college’s needs if the department has set its funding priorities.

One way to determine whether a project fits a department’s priorities is to establish a process that involves all key players, from individual faculty members to the dean.

1. A faculty member submits a 1-5 page project proposal to the department chair or center director. It includes a description of the project how it relates to school and campus priorities a detailed budget or funding goal with justification and potential donors if known.
2. The department chair or center director prioritizes and ranks the proposal in terms of importance to strategic goals of the department or center.
3. The chair or center director forwards the endorsed proposal to the dean or appropriate associate dean.
4. The dean’s office explores with the Foundation the feasibility of funding through available sources.
5. The dean or associate dean discusses the endorsed proposal with the Academic Planning Council, which determines
   1. if it meets the strategic priorities of the school
   2. if it will adversely affect other philanthropic efforts.
6. The dean asks for more information from the original faculty member as needed.
7. When the project is considered fundable and fitting for the department, the dean presents it formally to the Foundation.
8. The project is ranked among other school or college’s other funding priorities.

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