Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Genius.

You Wouldn't Run A Business This Way. Here's Why Dartmouth Does.

Genius. I don't describe YouTube videos with that word very often, but a recent video produced by Dartmouth deserves that accolade. I'm just disappointed I didn't think of this concept first! This short explanation of the Dartmouth business model does an amazing job of educating the viewer about a variety of issues, not the least of which is why their support is important and valuable. It's sneaky that way.

There are some things in life that are inefficient, ridiculously overpriced, and/or somehow seem (and maybe are) worth the inflated price tag. You'll have hard time convincing me that a $100,000 luxury automobile is really better than my Hyundai at delivering me to and from work every day. But plenty of energy has gone into convincing a lot folks out there that the luxury, prestige, and other intangibles are worth the extra cash. They happily commute five miles across town on heated leather seats listening to Green Day on their 58-speaker stereo.

I think Dartmouth has done just that in less than three minutes. If I had a Dartmouth degree and watched this video, I'd be proud of my alma mater. The whole idea that a university is inherently inefficient in some areas would finally make sense to me. And I might just send them a check to spend in a wacky, but not frivolous, manner.

View the Dartmouth Video Here


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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

To Blog or Not?

I’ve spent quite a bit of time deciding if I wanted to enter the world of blogs. Between my full-time job, part-time consulting and a very active family (I have two young children) the last thing I need is another responsibility. And yet here I am. I’m a geek at heart, so perhaps the lure of yet another technology-driven forum is too powerful to overcome. Or maybe it’s just because I have stuff to say, and this is a place I can say it.

To be honest, I don’t know if anyone will read this and if they don’t I can live with that. It’s more of an exercise in ‘thinking out loud’ as I find it helpful to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) when thinking about various topics. It helps me digest my thoughts, decide if I agree with myself, and further clarify the issues. It will be interesting to see if anyone does read the blog, if they have additional comments or questions, and how often I will blog.

I have made the following commitment to myself and the blog:

1. I will write at least one original entry each week for a period of one year. If it’s going well and I enjoy the process, I’ll continue until it becomes too much work and not enough fun;

2. Between my entries, I will occasionally post links to stories, information or other blogs that I feel are interesting and worthy of discussion. I may or may not agree with what has been written, and I may or may not comment on these external readings;

3. At least 90% of the blog will be related to the fundraising profession. It may be nearly 100%, but I’m not making any promises. It’s my blog, it’s free, and I’ll post whatever I want! Sometimes I may just need to rant about a subject that isn’t related to the profession, and I admit to having some outside hobbies that might come into play occasionally. If the readers aren’t interested in those posts, they can simply skip forward to whatever comes next;

4. If anyone is crazy enough to read what I’ve written and make comments or ask questions, I will read and respond to as many as I can, and take all points and dissenting opinions as an opportunity to learn from others and share information to the best of my abilities;

5. I consider fundraising to be a serious business, but don’t want to write just another stuffy blog. I think work is fun, this profession is fun, and I like to have fun with it. If you don’t enjoy a bit of irreverent humor, this may not be the blog for you. There are plenty of great blogs and resources out there to enjoy, so I decided if I’m going to write, I should at least have some fun with it occasionally. If you want something else, I might recommend my book ‘Conducting a Successful Annual Giving Campaign’ which is published by Jossey-Bass and available on Amazon.com. It is a great introduction to annual giving, but not exactly an exciting read. And for the record, I make exactly zero dollars for every copy sold;

6. I will continue to remind everyone that while gainfully employed, my blog and the content of my blog are my opinions and experiences – they do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of my employer. I hope that bit of legalese will satisfy the ‘electronic communications and blogging’ language in our code of conduct;

7. Finally, I have promised myself that I won’t obsess about proofreading. I know myself well enough that if I do, a 15-minute blog entry will become a 2-hour ordeal. I’ll write, re-write, edit, re-edit, and eventually start over several times. I just don’t have that kind of time. If you see a typo, just know that I do know how to use spell-check - I was probably in a hurry.

Now on to the obligatory ‘Meet The Blogger’ portion of the first entry. . . .

My name is Jeff Lindauer, I have the pleasure of serving Indiana University as Associate Vice President for Development at the Indiana University Foundation. I’m an Indiana grad with a degree in Public Administration, and also am adjunct faculty at the University. Occasionally I teach a fundraising class which really pays almost nothing but I like that whole ‘adjunct faculty’ thing – has a nice ring to it.

I have a wife (Angie), almost-five-year-old daughter (Chelsie) and just-turned-two son (Josh). Not to mention a dog who sheds too much and a cat who really doesn’t like anyone. I really need to introduce the dog to some shears soon. As for the cat. . . . .

I am a true Hoosier, having grown up in the southern part of the state. I decided IU was in my future at a very young age, came to Bloomington as a freshman and decided it was a great place to live. I think it may be true that ANY college campus is a great place to live, especially as an undergrad with no morning classes.

That’s enough about me. I’d guess you’ll learn more about me if you continue to read the blog. I don’t want to provide too much up front, then there would be no incentive to continue.

Until next time. . .
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