Backstory
The Foundation’s mission is to gather, manage and distribute assets for the benefit of The University of Montana (see Figure 1). The Foundation was established in 1951 on the belief that higher education would be greatly enhanced through the infusion of private gifts. It serves the University as a charitable nonprofit organization under Internal Revenue Service 501 (c)(3) designations. The volunteer Board of Trustees maintains fiduciary responsibility for the Foundation and embraces its goals: to work with the University; to raise private funds to meet those needs, and to promote sound stewardship of private assets.
Ambition
Previous annual reports on campaign progress for the years 2005 and 2006 had been written, designed and printed in–house. This year, the Foundation decided to turn outside for production, to a firm the staff felt would still reflect the values, character and substance of the University and the Foundation, but appear more professional and sophisticated. The delivery deadline was September 27, the date the Foundation Board was to meet.
Action
The University of Montana Foundation contracted with Peterson Ray & Co. to create and produce three institutional–advancement publications: two annual reports and one president’s report (see Figure 2).
Senior designer Dorit Suffness and Ann, the writer, spent two days on campus in early July. Ann interviewed donors and representatives of donors. Both participated in discussions with the Foundation president and her staff, as well as the University president. Dorit also met with the manager of the University printing plant, toured campus and took reference photographs. Later, from her home office, Ann interviewed several more donors.
The UMF theme Invest in Discovery had been used in annual reports and other fund–solicitation material. The challenge for the writer was to create a sub–theme that Dorit could use to unite the text with the design. Ann chose the letters “In,” drawn from the word “Invest.” The cover heads were: Inform the Future. Invest in Discovery. Heads that ran from the front of the book to the beginning of the donors lists were: Insightful leadership; Individual commitment; Incalculable results; Invaluable connections; Influencing generations; Increasingly far–reaching; Inspired presence; Innovative collaborations; Involving others; Integral to science; ending on the back cover In conclusion.
In addition to developing the “In” theme, Ann created profiles, describing campaign accomplishments, from on–site and phone discussions. Dorit and Ann cautioned the Foundation staff that in previous reports the profiles overwhelmed the reader with their length. This time, the profiles range from 250 to 350 words. They appear on pp. 3 – 19, plus essays on pp. 1 and 20.
Ann gave the text to Dorit in early August. Dorit, in the meantime, had sent sample cover designs and spreads to the Foundation for approval. The donor lists arrived late in August, and the financials and related statements arrived September 10. Much of the photography came from University files. But due to lack of availability, Dorit also incorporated a number of her campus shots, as well as some she shot on a subsequent Montana vacation. In addition, at Dorit’s request, the University photographer recreated for the cover one of her campus images that was too low resolution to be used at cover size.
In late August, the University printing plant manager informed the Foundation’s public relations manager, who was overseeing Peterson Ray & Company’s work, that his shop was unable to handle the printing of the report, due to a work overload. In the end, the printing and bindery were completed in Dallas.
Impact
After the report was delivered, the University’s Public Relations Office conducted interviews with Board of Trustees members, institutional advancement officers, and public relations staff members to assess the publication’s effectiveness. Feedback from the University was both constructive and highly positive. This summary will provide guideposts as we prepare to develop an end–of–the–campaign piece and the 2008 annual report.
