Philanthropy at universities plays a vital role in enhancing the student experience through scholarships and bursaries, enriching campus infrastructure and supporting student programs. It also promotes research and innovation by funding laboratories, resources and research initiatives that push back the frontiers of knowledge. Beyond that, philanthropic support strengthens ties with the community and ensures that the University can continue to grow and adapt to changing educational needs.
Julien Sicard, the University of Ottawa’s new vice-president, advancement, embodies this transformation, offering a vision where venture philanthropy and technological innovation maximize the University’s strong potential for growth, propelling it towards new horizons. As Sicard begins his term, he calls on current and prospective partners to maximize the University’s potential.
Venture philanthropy: Investing in innovation
Sicard is clear about his approach to maximizing the University’s potential: “Venture philanthropy offers an innovative approach where donors become active partners in co-creating and exploring solutions. This approach has great potential for maximizing the University of Ottawa’s impact by accelerating projects and enabling us to achieve goals we might not otherwise have been able to envision.” Sicard’s vision is both relevant and promising.
Venture philanthropy—inspired by the principles of venture capital—focuses on developing ambitious projects with committed partners who play an active role in the institution’s growth. Philanthropists invest in solutions to broaden the scope of existing projects, programs or capabilities, and ultimately accelerate results. The aim is to build a relationship of trust and mutual commitment that intensifies over time. However, the new vice-president says there is more to it than that: “It doesn’t give philanthropists carte blanche or impose a restrictive framework on the University. Venture philanthropy involves agreeing on shared values to achieve goals with broad societal impact.” The intent is to develop a lasting relationship of trust.
Agility and data management: Instruments for university advancement
Sicard presents a vision that considers the complex context in which universities operate, and in which the University of Ottawa finds itself. In his view, the ever-present repercussions of the pandemic, economic fluctuations, the broader societal role of universities and paramount respect for the basic requirements of equity, diversity and inclusion are all realities that need to be connsidered when proposing an agile advancement approach that is attuned to the realities in our societies.
“The University of Ottawa faces the same challenges as most universities, with, of course, its own regional considerations. Increased competition for funding requires strategic differentiation of initiatives and persuasive arguments. Our proposition to invest in the University of Ottawa rather than elsewhere must be novel. Efforts are needed not only to broaden our target audiences in Canada and internationally, but also to engage them. Our challenges are clear: to find a balance between short-term fundraising objectives and long-term institutional vision, promote efficient data management, establish a team advancement plan and strengthen our ability to adapt to local demographic changes,” Sicard says.
The new vice-president, advancement, says the use of agile customer relationship management systems coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) will be a game-changer for advancement teams, simplifying data analysis and providing clear, useful information. AI can classify the vast data sets collected by the teams, allowing them to focus on data analysis and explore different angles of analysis. On the advancement front, AI can make information more accessible and enable faster, more agile and more informed decision-making in today’s changing environment.
Machine learning can also improve fundraising by analyzing donor data to predict giving patterns and identify potential donors. Furthermore, it can optimize fundraising strategies with targeted campaigns and personalized messages based on donors’ past behaviour and preferences.
In the coming years, AI and data science will become even more important for refining approaches and gaining more accurate insights into the make-up of the advancement ecosystem at the University.
The success of the reIMAGINE campaign: A milestone in the University of Ottawa’s potential
Sicard says the $500-million reIMAGINE campaign represents a major step in the University’s growth. Achieving this financial goal this year is a significant milestone, but it also provides an opportunity to take stock of the progress made and its many effects, and to recognize the commitment and generosity of our donors, graduates and community partners. Their impact is considerable and contributes to the growth of our university community.
“We always have to remember that every donation, whether of time, talent or money, has a positive and virtuous effect on the student experience, research and the well-being of our society. We look forward to celebrating the culmination of this campaign and building on its momentum.”