LESSONS LEARNED IN 25 YEARS

Written by:
George C. Ruotolo, Jr., CFRE, Chairman and CEO

I have learned several poignant lessons running this company over the last 25 years, and what follows is an excerpt from my experiences. Hopefully, the items detailed in this article are applicable to volunteers, board members, religious leaders, directors of development and their staff, and CEOs of their own respective non-profits.

On the Work Itself
As consultants, we work each day with people, their institutions and their challenges. Ours is demanding, exciting and important work and, while the practice of philanthropy in and by itself may not be overly technical, it is the human factor that can create obstacles to success. The often unspoken fear of fundraising is something we all deal with routinely. Oftentimes, we encounter reluctance in volunteers, staff and CEOs, and, as consultants, we are not immune either. We possess an understandable fear of failing or of missing a great opportunity for the institution or even of losing the confidence of our clients.

There are many variables that impact successful campaigns or other projects. While we can foster “best practices” in fundraising efforts, sometimes there are occurrences beyond our control that can impact a project, including world events, economic trends, or the ever-present human factor. Additionally, factions within an institution can hold the process hostage primarily because of special interests within the organization. The challenge is to identify the issues, rally the parties involved, confront the topic, and advance the institution’s mission at the same time. While this is simple to articulate, again, the various personalities can make this undertaking quite challenging.

On the Power of Words
Things I say to staff and clients can have either a profoundly positive or negative effect. Counsel always needs to be positioned in a positive vein…building people up, affirming and sometimes even critiquing them in a constructive way. Difficult conversations, the ones we oftentimes agonize over, can be much more challenging in our own mind. In my experience, once the issue is addressed directly, the solution may become self evident or reached through open and candid dialogue.

On our People and Leadership
Of the five pedestals of successful philanthropy – viability of the organization, the case, constituency/prospects, plan of action/expertise, and leadership—leadership in our view can ameliorate faults in an institution’s reputation, plan, case and even expertise. We have a responsibility to supplement leadership’s inadequacies and provide the courage, wisdom, and vision to succeed.

The future success of Ruotolo Associates has a great deal to do with our ability to recruit, mentor, train and retain quality staff. Our goal is to continue to hire the most talented individuals with good development skills. However, a new associate must also work to fit into our company’s culture—a culture created by the executive leadership of RA which migrates to each and every associate. This process takes time…it doesn’t happen overnight.

Leadership from my standpoint needs to be demonstrated through words and actions. Ruotolo Associates’ executive team never asks anyone to execute tasks that they themselves have not already done or are not willing to do. At the same time, the most important thing that any leader can do is to express gratitude to staff. In my case, I also thank our clients, volunteers and donors.

I learned early on that if you work for Ruotolo Associates, you need to have some sort of support system in your life that will allow you to handle the demanding schedule and workload. That is why I also routinely thank spouses, significant others, parents, grandparents and children who support their family member and subsequently, the critical work of Ruotolo Associates.

I realize too that the success of this company is directly tied to our people that have worked here both yesterday and today and have served this company and our clients in such an exemplary fashion. One of the unique aspects of this firm is that our staff cares deeply not only about the success of fundraising efforts, but of the long-term prosperity of our clients. We believe that our success directly advances the mission of each non-profit we serve and that we are doing great things by doing good work.

On our Profession
The longer I spend in this profession with Ruotolo Associates' staff and members of other firms through the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, the more I recognize these individuals as very unique and special. My colleagues are individuals that could have been extremely successful in other professions or in the for-profit sector, yet they chose to serve the non-profit world and dedicate their time and talents to advancing the missions of the institutions they serve. Society often measures success by what a person amasses financially and, while many in this field have done well, what we have really advanced are the charities that we’ve served and changed. This is the defined measure of our work as a company and as a profession. Providing counsel to our clients and best practice can also sometimes require new ideas and innovations. We have to be looking for new solutions to old problems. Oftentimes what worked very well for one client may not work for the next. Even after 25 years it is important that the leadership of Ruotolo Associates always strive to improve the proficiency of our counsel and reach new levels of effectiveness in providing service. You have to be constantly looking for the next big idea and yet, oftentimes, it is the smaller ideas or strategies that pave the way for success.

To one and all, Happy New Year.

George C. Ruotolo, Jr., CFRE

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THE MOSAIC OF OUR FIRM

Written by:
Joseph (Jay) Caporale, CFRE
President and COO

If a corporation has a soul, then it's the reflection of its founder. George has lived the axiom of doing well by doing good. Under his vision, leadership and commitment, this firm has made a meaningful difference in the lives of so many.

Our clients, ranging from public libraries, that offer equal access to all, to educational institutions which empower, to houses of worship representing the guiding values and beliefs that shape our decision-making, to human service organizations that provide the very basic essentials such as shelter, food and clothing.

All of the firm’s associates, past and present, collectively comprise the mosaic of RA.

Margaret Meade wrote: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.

In our own small way, each of us has made a world of difference.

RA’s guiding principles are truly those of compassion and service. This compassion is not a vacuous phrase spoken by national politicians, but rather one that is centered on providing for those in need of the basic necessities to live their lives with the hope and promise that their children will have a better future. These core values have been directly articulated to every associate and lived by George.

We are celebrating Ruotolo Associates’ 25th anniversary, as well as George’s life’s work. Take time, George, to think about all that has happened during these years. Celebrate these accomplishments. Revel in this moment, but know how much more there is to be done. Regrettably, now more than ever, our cities—our nation need the services of the third sector. Those non-profits need Ruotolo Associates.

Thank you for your guidance—thank you for your mentoring. You’ve taught me the art of consulting, but, more significantly, you’ve given me an example for living my life.

I promise that 25 years from now your legacy will be imparted to another generation of associates and this firm will continue to help those who need it most.

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RA ACQUIRES WASHINGTON DC CONSULTING FIRM

Ruotolo Associates is proud to announce the acquisition of Strategic Development Solutions, a regional philanthropic consulting firm founded in 1997 by Ms. Joan Greback Clarke. During the past seven years, SDS and the SDS Fundraising Consortium have provided comprehensive development services to numerous nationally recognized non-profits throughout the greater Washington DC area.

A formal announcement of this acquisition will be emailed to each of our
NETLINKS subscribers in the coming weeks.

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2004 TAX DEDUCTIONS EXTENDED

President Bush has signed the bill that will allow taxpayers to deduct charitable contributions made for tsunami-related relief through the end of January 2005 on their 2004 tax return. This provision applies only to donations specifically earmarked for tsunami relief and only cash (i.e., check, credit card, etc. but not property) contributions qualify. The bill is drafted so that a taxpayer making a contribution in January could take the deduction in 2004 or 2005. Exactly what the IRS will require as proof the contributions are designated for tsunami relief is not clear. In the absence of guidance, it would be best to designate tsunami relief on your check or other documentation such as a letter. (It's likely the Service will be flexible, but you might consider gifts to charities that are heavily involved in the relief effort, rather than those that have more general objectives.)

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STAFF HIGHLIGHTS

2004 TIM MANNING CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER: MILISSA ELSE, ASSOCIATE

The 16th Tim Manning Culture of Excellence Award was presented to Associate Milissa Else of Rutherford, New Jersey. Milissa has been with the firm since 1997 and has worked with various clients in New Jersey including Morris Catholic High School in Denville, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Oakland, and St. Joseph’s Parish in East Millstone. She has also assisted St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Pennsylvania and St. John Villa Academy and St. Joseph by the Sea High School, both in Staten Island.

Milissa, a graduate of Mount Holyoke has worked in philanthropy since 1990. Milissa has demonstrated the capacity to work with clients in an efficient and professional manner while expressing her sincere warmth and dedication to the people and projects of each organization she serves. In presenting the award to Milissa, George Ruotolo spoke of her life long commitment to philanthropy and the exemplary manner in which she has served a wide variety of clients since joining our firm. She truly exemplifies the spirit of our late and dear friend, Tim Manning, and his commitment to philanthropy.

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OUR FIRM'S HISTORY

1979

• McCarthy Ruotolo Associates founded
• George Ruotolo forms Ruotolo Associates
• First client: St. Anne’s Hospital, Fall River, MA
• David E. Boaz, first Associate

1980

• First capital campaign: St. Mark’s Parish, Vienna, VA
• RA establishes office in NYC
• First increased income campaign: St. Patrick Cathedral, Norwich, CT
• First college client: Christian Brothers University, Memphis, TN
• First college campaign: Anna Maria College, Paxton, MA

1981

• First diocesan client: Diocese of Hartford, CT
• RA moves office to Englewood, NJ
• RA establishes office in Providence, RI
• J.K. Mullen High School, Denver, CO becomes RA’s first high school client

1985

• George Ruotolo receives his CFRE
• Joyce Rothschild, CPA, retained by RA

1986 - RA joins the American Association of Fundraising Counsel (AAFRC)

1987

• RA conducts its first international campaign at Saints Peter and Paul Schools, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
• RA establishes Washington, DC office
• Richard Blain named Vice President
• Christine Naylor becomes Vice President, Washington, DC area

1989

• Company incorporates
• RA institutes its Culture of Excellence Award
• RA conducts its first national program for Catholic Charities USA
• Joseph J. Caporale joins RA
• RA establishes office in Andover, MA
• RA acquires Radford Associates; Jim Radford relocates to
  Wisconsin to head RA’s Midwest Division
• Diane Corigliano joins RA
  

1990 - Tim Manning named Mid-Atlantic Regional Executive

1991 - Gene Aug, Ph.D., joins RA

1992 - First million dollar gift for Summit Speech School

1993 - RA retained by United States Olympic Committee

1994 - Jay Caporale becomes Vice President

1995

• RA moves office to Cresskill, NJ
• Jay Caporale becomes Executive Vice President
• Theresa Shubeck joins RA
• Gene Aug becomes Vice President
• Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY, retains RA to provide development program counsel for all seven New York high schools

1997

• RA is retained by Nazareth Regional High School, Brooklyn, NY, currently in its seventh year of continuous service
• RA raises $5.5 million at St. James Parish, Basking Ridge, NJ, the most any parish has raised

1998

• RA retained by the Archdiocese of New York
• RA conducts capital campaign for the Carmelite Sisters
• Saint John Villa Academy, Staten Island, NY, hires RA, currently in its sixth year of continuous service
  

1999

• RA conducts its first Annual Appeal for the Diocese of Burlington, VT
  
• RA acquires Catholic Church Campaigns: John Flanagan appointed Senior Counsel
  
• Theresa Shubeck becomes Vice President
  
• George Ruotolo elected Chair of the AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy
  

2000

• RA conducts its first Diocesan Stewardship
  Program with CSC for the Archdiocese of Washington

2001

• RA renames its Culture of Excellence Award to the Tim Manning Culture of Excellence Award
  
• RA retained by St. Mary’s Monastery, Helfta, Germany
  
• RA is lead sponsor for AFP-NJ Chapter’s Conference on Philanthropy
  
• Audrey DeLoffi named Senior Associate

2002

• Jay Caporale becomes President and Chief Operating Officer
  
• RA successfully completes NJ Seeds campaign, raises $6 million
  
• RA conducts its first national survey with The NonProfit Times on giving to 9/11 charities
  
• RA is lead sponsor for AFP-NJ Chapter’s Conference on Philanthropy
  
• RA retained by Xavier University to provide counsel on $75 million campaign
  
• George Ruotolo elected Vice Chair of the AAFRC

2003

• Theresa Shubeck becomes Senior Vice President
• RA establishes Church Division, names James S. Friend, Jr. Director
• RA's client, Diocese of Camden, wins first place for a Total Diocesan Stewardship Effort from the International Catholic Stewardship Council
  
• Pam DeLuca named Senior Associate
  
• RA institutes NETLINKS, electronic newsletter

2004

• RA retained by Niagara University
  
• Joan Greback Clarke joins RA as Regional Director, Washington, DC Division

...with more to come

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please visit our booth at these upcoming events:

January 28-29, 2005
Diocese of Newark Episcopal Convention
Hilton Parsippany Hotel
Parsippany, NJ

March 4-5, 2005
Diocese of New Jersey Episcopal Convention
Cherry Hill Hilton
Cherry Hill, NJ

April 3-6, 2005
AFP International Conference on Fundraising
"Advance Your Career -- Enrich Your Spirit"
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland

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CURRENT CLIENT LISTING

Ruotolo Associates Inc. Headquarters
Horizon Square * 29 Broadway, Suite 210 * Cresskill NJ 07626 * 201-568-3898

For more information about our services to religious organizations,
visit us at www.churchdivision.com

For a complete listing of services to all non-profits,
visit our main site at www.ruotoloassoc.com

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