Organizing the Dean’s Office for Development 65 Working with External Boards Virtually all colleges and many academic departments have some form of advisory board composed of alumni and “friends.” Advisory boards of any sort require an investment of time and attention; they may meet annually or sometimes more often, on campus or in a nearby city. Staff resources need to be deployed to maintain contact and meeting agendas must be carefully constructed. Board members wish to be useful and feel engaged; an agenda composed primarily of news items and “talking heads” will not be as effective as one that calls on members’ expertise and that capitalizes on the opportunity for discussion. A board meeting held on campus presents an excellent opportunity for members to meet students, perhaps over dinner or in a career networking event. The opportunity to meet with students, to offer advice, to hear about their goals and dreams, to appreciate their accomplishments, is an extraordi- narily powerful form of engagement for board members. (BSD) At my former institution, which had a limited history of philanthropy, the chair of the advisory board and I agreed to introduce a commitment to giving for new and reappointed board members. During their three year terms, board members would be expected to give $25,000 (cash or cash equivalent) or greater to the college personally, through their companies, or through individuals that they networked to the college. This resulted in a few endowments, but also gifts of major equipment, sponsored research, and internships. Over a five-year period and asking more than a dozen new individuals to join the board, only one individual declined to join the board due to this giving request. Not all advisory boards are formed with an eye toward fundraising, but given the time required to make a board meeting successful and the increased importance of development in the life of the college, some blending of the two should be considered. Every college has deeply committed alumni who have much to offer students, but who lack the financial capacity to make major gifts. You could find other roles for