# Oxford and Cambridge streamline their fundraising message

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/07/25/oxford-and-cambridge-streamline-their-fundraising-message/
- Published: 2005-07-25T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Writing in the International Herald Tribune, Thomas Crampton points to a shift in
fundraising focus by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
Until now, Cambridge
and Oxford Universities have not utilised their brands for fundraising as effectively
as they could. So argues John Birnsteel, a London-based consulting director at brand
consultancy Enterprise IG, in the International Herald Tribune (IHT). “While they
are both among the most prestigious educational establishments in the world, their
amateur communications efforts give totally mixed messages to alumni,” he said.

He receives fundraising appeals from his college, the university and from individual
faculties. He recommends that the institutions develop a ‘masterbrand’.

This complicated fundraising approach is due in large part to the federal, collegiate
administrative setup at the two universities. Colleges have considerable autonomy
in many areas including the ability to fundraise directly from their alumni. Birnsteel
says: “there is no streamlined message or economy of scale in this setup.”

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Cambridge, which launches its largest fundraising campaign to date later this year
for its 800th anniversary in 2009, appears to be addressing this situation. Aniela
Shuckburgh, fundraising campaign manager at the University, told the IHT that the
University and colleges have co-operated to simplify their messages down to four
key areas – money for investing in students, investing in staff, investing in discovering
creativity and investing in the University’s great collections.

Meanwhile Oxford University has given fundraising a higher priority and status by
transferring responsibility for it to a pro vice chancellor who reports directly
to the University’s vice chancellor. Jon Dellandrea will take up this new post in
October 2005, having occupied a similar position at the University of Toronto.

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