|
 |
| A Publication of Ruotolo Associates Inc. |
RUOTOLO
ELECTED CHAIR OF GIVING INSTITUTE: LEADING CONSULTANTS TO NON-PROFITS When George founded the firm in 1979, his goal was to provide the highest quality consulting service to address the challenges of non-profit clients. He is committed to providing our staff members with the resources and enrichment opportunities that allow them to realize their own capacity and to succeed both personally and professionally. Additionally, George has volunteered his time with various non-profit organizations, including the American Red Cross, Bergen-Crossroads, NJ Chapter, and the Ridgewood Educational Foundation. Through his vision, RA has
successfully served more than 800 clients throughout the United States
and abroad. George C. Ruotolo, Jr., CFRE, chair and CEO of Ruotolo Associates Inc., Cresskill, NJ, has been elected chair of Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits. His two-year term continues through November 2008. The Institute is the former American Association of Fundraising Counsel. Ruotolo, a fundraising consultant and expert in the field of philanthropic giving, also previously served as chair of the Institute’s research arm, Giving USA FoundationTM. Ruotolo follows Ray C. Clements of The Clements Group in the role of chair. Richard T. Jolly, vice president of Marts & Lundy, Lyndhurst, NJ, was elected to another one-year term as chair of the Foundation. Also elected to the Giving Institute board, for one-year terms, were: Nancy L. Raybin, First Vice
Chairman Raybin is managing partner of Raybin Associates in New York City and also is a past chair of the Foundation. Mesaros, based in Seattle, is president and CEO of The Alford Group. King, of Atlanta, is managing partner and president of Alexander Haas Martin & Partners. Sweeney, also of Seattle, is CEO of The Collins Group. Officers were elected at a recent Board meeting in New York. “I am greatly honored to have been selected to lead this group, which has gone through tremendous change and growth in its 70-plus years of existence,” Ruotolo said. “It is my hope that through the collective leadership of the officers and directors, we will continue to serve well the philanthropic community through the wise counsel and standards of practice we developed long ago.” The former AAFRC changed its name after a historic 70 years in existence to more accurately reflect the scope and breadth of work its member firms provide to the philanthropic community. While fundraising still remains an integral part of the Institute and its firms, the services they provide are extremely diverse and expansive. Additionally, many member firms work extensively outside the United States. Giving Institute: Leading Consultants
to Non-Profits, an international association of leaders in the philanthropic
consulting field, is headquartered in Glenview, IL. Its 38 member firms
have specialties in all areas of philanthropic consulting, including fundraising,
executive search, capital campaigns, feasibility studies and marketing
communications. Its mission is to advance the practice of philanthropy
through research, education and best practices. For more information,
visit www.givinginstitute.org.
FIRM
APPOINTS DIRECTOR OF THE CHURCH DIVISION “We are very excited to announce the appointment of Todd, a uniquely talented individual who possesses the personal and professional characteristics that will provide the Church Division and our clients the necessary leadership to fulfill their diverse philanthropic and stewardship education needs,” said George C. Ruotolo, Jr., CFRE, chairman and chief executive officer of Ruotolo Associates. “Todd’s extensive fundraising and management experience, specifically with faith-based organizations, coupled with his educational background and ability to collaborate with staff, clients and volunteers alike, makes him ultimately qualified to serve as Director of the Church Division. In this position, Todd is charged with developing and implementing creative strategies and solutions to achieve the specific goals of our religious clients while setting the comprehensive direction for the continued growth of the Church Division.” For more than 27 years, Ruotolo Associates has served to propagate the faith and mission of more than 500 individual churches, dioceses, religious orders and affiliated organizations throughout the United States. As the needs of these faith communities have evolved, so too have the range and depth of the Church Division’s services. A highly experienced, credentialed and dedicated team, sensitive to the distinct charism of each faith community, forms working partnerships with our clients and provides the highest quality counsel in the areas of capital campaigns, stewardship, fund development, strategic planning, public relations and related management services. Todd, the 2006 recipient of the firm’s Tim Manning Culture of Excellence Award, joined Ruotolo Associates in September 2004 and has since worked with a diverse group of institutions and parishes on complex projects. He has provided distinguished counsel to clients in the areas of feasibility and planning studies, capital campaigns, major gifts, stewardship, development office operations, strategic planning, volunteer management, board development, special events and public relations. Todd recently completed a successful debt-reduction campaign for St. Mary’s Parish in Holliston, MA, and is providing comprehensive capital campaign counsel for St. Joseph Parish in North Plainfield, NJ; Grace Church in Millbrook, NY; First Congregational Church in Dudley, MA; and The Friendship Service Center in New Britain, CT. Todd also provides strategic development counsel to the Carmelite Nuns at Carmel of the Incarnation in Beacon, NY. Todd first worked with RA while serving as the associate director of development and director of alumni affairs at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, CT. At Holy Cross, Todd developed the school’s alumni program and worked closely with Ruotolo Associates to plan and execute the school’s first major capital initiative to construct a new arts and technology center. Todd was recruited by his alma mater, Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, where prior to joining Ruotolo Associates, he managed all aspects of the University’s 25,000 member alumni association and a parent program that served 6,500 families. Todd transcends Ruotolo Associates’ commitment to community service and volunteer activity. He is a member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Naugatuck, CT, and recently established a development program for the parish’s elementary school. He is a board member-elect for the independent St. Francis School Association Foundation, remains very active at his high school, LaSalle Institute in Troy, NY, and serves on the Board for Kangaroo’s Corner Children’s Learning Center. Todd graduated with honors
from Quinnipiac University, where he competed as a member of the men’s
basketball team. He lives in Oakville, CT, with his wife, Carrie, and
daughters, Taylor and Madison. RESHAPING THE FUTURE OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
IN BROOKLYN DIOCESE  One
of the largest challenges for any non-profit is to build and maintain a
strong board. While leaders of organizations know that boards are critical
to their long-term success, it can be daunting to find people who believe
in their mission, possess a variety of personal and professional skills
and are willing and able to contribute philanthropically to the cause.
That challenge was multiplied significantly when the Diocese of Brooklyn retained Ruotolo Associates to help establish boards that would provide governance for its approximately 120 elementary schools. Faced with changing demographics and accompanying budget pressures, Bishop DiMarzio convened a task force to recommend proactive solutions to ensure the continuation of Catholic elementary education in as many areas of the Diocese as possible. One key recommendation was for schools to recruit lay member expertise and assistance through the creation of a new governance model. Eighteen months ago, the Diocese engaged RA to work in concert with Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, Superintendent for Catholic Schools Support Services, and his staff to help recruit volunteer leadership and train and support boards through their initial development. To recruit prospective board members, RA and Dr. Chadzutko’s office helped pastors and principals identify potential volunteer leadership from the parishes, local business community and, most especially, alumni of the schools. Because the vision is that boards will provide oversight and actively support the schools’ missions through committee work, RA encouraged the seeking of professionals with experience in business, marketing, sales and education. Comprehensive training includes orientation detailing roles and responsibilities of new board members and in-services designed to help pastors and principals adapt to the new model. The Diocese also asked RA to include development programs within this initiative. Because most people are accustomed to thinking of their college and even high school alma maters in a philanthropic light, the firm has encouraged boards of these elementary schools to recognize that their alumni are also their most likely donors and prospective volunteer leadership. To this end, RA has helped new boards build alumni databases, begin communications and plan receptions with prominent, local graduates. Certainly a challenge inherent within this initiative has been how to manage a process so large in scope and ensure consistency. The neighborhoods and parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn are especially diverse in every respect, and what works in Canarsie might not be effective in Park Slope. RA helped the Superintendent’s Office design and then disseminate specific criteria of a fully operational board, including bylaws and record keeping, effective committees, board evaluation and written plans with annual goals. Not only does this support management efforts, it also provides pastors, principals and emerging boards a benchmark to strive towards. To communicate the progress and successes of the schools throughout the Brooklyn Diocese, RA also assisted in the creation of a quarterly newsletter, The Board Journal, which is distributed to all pastors, principals and lay board members. Regular sections include “Here and There,” which profiles a board success in Brooklyn and one elsewhere in the country; reviews and updates on training; best practices; a Principal’s Corner; an updated list of schools with boards; and a letter from the superintendent. Rather than simply engage in an effort to address immediate needs, boards are being asked to plan for the school’s growth and future through real business and development strategies and to work to ensure the delivery of Catholic education throughout the Diocese. In the first half of 2007, Ruotolo Associates, representatives from the Superintendent’s Office and select board members with related expertise will meet to develop the materials and training that will allow each board and school to craft their own business plan. This plan—to
grow the business of Catholic education—along with all the other
work RA has facilitated in the Diocese has been closely coordinated with
the superintendent and his field staff, as well as the pastors and principals.
“The assistance of RA has been invaluable in our efforts these past
few years,” said Rev. Msgr. Michael Hardiman, Vicar for Education
for the Diocese of Brooklyn. “The sage advice and sound guidance
from all those involved, but especially from [Chairman and CEO] George
Ruotolo and [Senior Vice President] Theresa Shubeck, along with the hands-on
work of [Associate] Doug Held have made my life as a Vicar so much easier.”  The
New Jersey SEEDS Scholars Program recently received the Mutual of America
2006 Community Partnership Award. The award honors the contributions that
non-profits—working in partnership with public, private and other
social service organizations—make to society. In cooperation with
more than 100 independent secondary schools, the New Jersey SEEDS Scholars
Program provides a private school education for academically talented but
economically disadvantaged students. Ruotolo Associates conducted SEEDS’
first campaign, which raised $6 million, and is currently supplying strategic
counsel for a $7 million campaign. Additionally, the firm has provided interim
director of development services and conducted a search for a new director
of development. With the explosion of information available through both electronic and print publications, it can be difficult to keep up with all that is going on in the philanthropic community. In this new section of Netlinks, we will provide links to some articles that we have found informative and useful in our work. If you come across any information you would like to share with our readers, please e-mail them to info@ruotoloassoc.com.
TODD GIBBS RECEIVES TIM MANNING CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD Each year, Ruotolo Associates bestows upon one of its employees the Tim Manning Culture of Excellence Award for outstanding professional practice on behalf of the firm. The award is named for our late and dear friend, Tim Manning, who demonstrated an outstanding commitment to philanthropy. At the firm’s December 2006 holiday party, President and Chief Executive Officer George C. Ruotolo, Jr., CFRE, presented the 18th annual award to Todd Gibbs, who joined the firm in 2004. “I am pleased to present this award to Todd, who has helped a variety of non-profits exceed their goals during his tenure with RA,” said Mr. Ruotolo. When presenting the award,
Mr. Ruotolo also announced Todd’s appointment as head of the firm’s
Church Division. See article above for more details. WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST ASSOCIATE Jason Etheridge has joined the firm's New England Division. His fundraising experience includes directing capital campaigns, developing strategic plans, coordinating events and working with fundraising software and analyzing complex databases to define appropriate fundraising practices. He has managed and participated in numerous feasibility studies and several multi-million dollar fundraising efforts. His experience includes educational institutions, hospitals, churches, shelters and historical societies. Jason attended St. John's Seminary and Boston College. He resides in East Boston. PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS BY RUOTOLO ASSOCIATES' STAFF MEMBERS An article about strategic planning, penned by Senior Associate Audrey DeLoffi, was published in the December 2006 Dimensions, a publication of the National Catholic Development Conference.
Association
for Healthcare Philanthropy Giving
Institute National
Catholic Development Conference International
Catholic Stewardship Council
Netlinks
is published quarterly by George C. Ruotolo, Jr., CFRE, chairman and chief
executive officer of Ruotolo Associates Inc. The newsletter is written
and edited by Liz Campbell, associate. Reproduction
of Netlinks is permitted only with attribution to Netlinks,
a publication of Ruotolo Associates Inc. Ruotolo Associates Inc. Headquarters For
more information about our services to religious organizations, For
a complete listing of services to all non-profits, Contact one of our regional offices: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright 2007, Ruotolo
Associates Inc. |
I am pleased to
announce that 
Ruotolo
Associates Inc. is pleased to announce that 
Senior
Vice President 
Last
year, Senior Associate 
Gift
Planning Conference of New Jersey