The Etheral Vapors

I woke up this morning at 2 a.m.

I woke up this morning at 2 a.m. with a wonderful idea for an essay, or a Chapel talk, or a blog post.

However, since it was 2 a.m. and my sleep patterns are such that when I'm up, I'm up. In my mind if I opened my eyes and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand, its green glowing numbers would have kept me awake for the rest of the evening.

Instead I elected to roll over, keep my eyes close and wait for sleep to return. In the morning, the thought was gone.

That's really fucking annoying.

Where do we go from here?

I feel like this should have been harder. This transition that is.

Having our first child, moving 300 miles away and starting a new job. It's not to say that it's been easy for me and my family, but it just hasn't been the massive earth shattering event that friends and now former coworkers made it out to be.

I'd like to think the ease of this transition has a lot to do with how I've consciously approached it. Rather than focus on the potential for stress, I rather have focused on what I could change. My old swimming coach used to advise me, "There's shit you can change, and there shit you can't. What's the point of focusing on the shit you can't change? Focus on changing what you can."

That's how I've tried to approach this transition. Now in my third month here, I think I've handled it pretty well.

This really has been a refreshing experience. It's evident now that I needed to get out and refresh my perspective. Working for your alma matter can be like working for family - especially when it's a small place and especially if you care about it as much as I do. Coworkers become less like colleagues and more like family. This can be a great thing, but at the same time, it can get a little too informal for a professional setting.

Looking at the way that I've attacked this new position with some fresh ideas of my own and a renewed energy level, I realize now how worn down I was. I had gotten tired of fighting the same battles with the same people and was in need of some fresh perspective.

I'm not one to believe in fate or serendipity or any of that other crap, but I am struck at how things seem to have happened for the right reasons at the right time.

The right time, of course, being immediately after the birth of our first child, obviously. I can't believe I didn't see that one coming.

There are still a few things that I haven't adjusted to yet. I'm busier than I have been in a while. It's been hard to carve out time to write, at least that's my excuse for the piss poor posts lately. One of these posts will be coherent.

Because Writing is Exercise

I hate writing. I really do. I also have to do it.n It's how I communicate best and how I sort out all the stuff running around in my head. Much like when I don't exercise I feel lazy and unmotivated, when I haven't written in a while, i feel disorganized and uncentered.

The first paragraph is always the hardest for me. It's much like the first mile of a run. I just want to stop, turn around and walk back to where I started. Same thing with writing. The first paragraph always looks like crap to me, but I know I have to plug through it and get to the second paragraph. Once I get there, the worst is behind me and the words will flow much more easily.

I feel like I write one of these stupid posts every time I have an extended absence from posting to this blog. It's probably an accurate feeling too. First mile down, now time to start getting back into the habit.

Back from a break

I'm about to commit one of my pet peeves here and begin a blog post saying that it's been a while since I last wrote. I will not however, apologize for it. In the last two months, I've become a father, moved from Vermont to Massachusetts, and started a new job.

I've been busy.

Let's recap how this all happened.

You'll most likely remember a trilogy of Vermont posts that were embarrassingly melodramatic and nostalgic back in April. It was right around that time that I decided that I was leaving Vermont and my time at Saint Michael's was over. I had been looking for a change for a while. I had at least eight job interviews this past year and two offers. The only out of state interview I took seriously is the one I had here at Groton. It's got the right combination of community, rural location, and professional opportunity. Most importantly though, when Wife and I walked on campus the first week of June, it just felt right.

Of course, you can't leave a place without leaving something behind. Despite moving and hour from where I grew up, we've left many friends and family behind. This is an odd feeling for me. The last time I moved, it was from Mass to Vermont. I cut ties with just about everyone from high school and my hometown.

This move was a lot different. Maria and I have incredible friends in Vermont. They truly are amazing. All are unique in their own way, and we care about each of them deeply. This weekend I was reminded about how lucky Maria and I are to have friends who are so close they're almost like family.

We've also moved further from my family and my family's roots. It's an odd feeling. In my interview here, I quoted Calvin Coolidge's "Vermont is the state I love" speech. Like Coolidge, my kin were born there and my dead are buried there. Vermont is the state I love, and I'll look forward to returning there when I ever I can. I'm proud to say that my son was born in Vermont. I miss it.

I don't want this to be perceived as I'm not happy about my decision. I'm thrilled. I am so happy to be working here and excited at the opportunity to raise Parker on this campus. This evening I was watching a bunch of students on the Circle playing soccer with other faculty children picturing Parker out there some day.

I think it's a combination of turning 30, having a child, moving away out of my comfort zone and moving out of the state I love all within 3 months that have me feeling a bit nostalgic, and quite frankly, feeling old.

I know, I know, 30 is the new 20, but still...

Photos from the first week

Parker Murray Millikin

Social Media

Social Media
I
+--Social Networking

The Clue Train Manifesto (still need to read this)

• Enabling conversations hat simply weren't possible before.
• Markets are now conversations.
• Conversations sounds human.
• There are no secrets.
• The global conversation has begun

The feeling

http://flickrvision.com
http://twitterfeeling.com
http://monitter.com

Participation

Visits has become the new benchmark.

The recipe for participation:
1 part tool
2 parts creativity

The continued theme is letting go of control.

Social Media Tools in Development

Book read: Clue Train Manifesto. I still need to read it.

Fundraising products

• Convio
• Blackbaud
• iModules
• eTapestry

Some others

• orangeleap-holds data
  
• Dialog-microsites and push page and email provider (Drew, check 'em out)
  

(the two talk to each other)

Much like 10% of donors generate 90% of money, 10% of your website will amount in 90% of your traffic.

3 Markets in raising money

1. Those who give you 90% of the money.
2. The bigger group that gives 10% of the money.
3. The group that doesn't give you squat.

This reminds me of the Long Tail presentations of Brad Ward and BlueFuego.

Not worried about being spread too thin over too many social media sites, but rather worried about being strategic. Efficiency is important. Choose where you're going to be and having a strategy in place is the key.

Focus on the greatest connectors that are in the pool. This is the 1% creators.

So should Facebook be used to ask? Should it be used to raise money?

It seems to me that it could.

Jay's going to leave Facebook alone and let it be a place for people to connect with each other. They'll look at who's using the site and then apply that data to other data out there.

SnapPages for creating web pages.

Alumnae/i receive an email every 5 to 6 weeks. Parents, every 5 to six days.

Ping.fm

Taking your Annual Fund to new heights

Segment it.

• Current parents/senior/alumnae/i parents
• alumnae/i
• Trustees current/former
• Grandparents
• Faculty/staff
• Other - vendors, foundations, etc.

Why, b/c you can. No really though this is pretty obvious but it provides opportunities for short term and long term growth. It also allows you to break down information in spreadsheets so you can dig down into the numbers and see from your money is coming.

Malone foundation the give gifts of only $2 million.
Mary Mae Foundation

Generations

Civics

• Tend to give out of loyalty
• Respond to authority figures
• Direct mail responsive
• Reluctant to give over the phone
• Students make great solicitors
  

Boomers

• Respond with emotion
• Students make great solicitors
• Mail and Telemarketing responsive
• Respond to creating change

Gen X

• Pragmatic; cynical
• Think globally - they realize they cannot change the world only certain things
• Visual generation
• They'll answer the phone if you can find their number
• On-line baby.
• Direct mail not the best

Gen Y (millennials)

• Focus on community
• Diversity
• Cell phones
• Less likely to be direct mail responsive
• On-line baby.
• Values $ differently. Don't under ask.

Silly Facebook debate ensues. I was at one time on the Facebook is their space and they'll get offended if we're on it, etc side. That was before I understood it. Get on it. You have a cool product and one that has strong emotional ties with the user. Ask away, just don't spam.

Alumni & Annual Fund

We're all in this together - friendraisers and fundraisers alike. The message needs to be the same.

Annual Fund & Major gifts

• Separate but interdependent programs
• Clearly define a major gift. Major to you isn't necessarily major to me.
• Clear donor strategies
• Remember: Annual Fund feeds the pipeline

Another read: Penelope Burk Donor Centered Fundraising

Annual fund and the Campaign

• Will you include annual fund dollars?
• Will you treat them serparately?
• Will you use the annual fund only during the final year(s)
• Challenge Grants
• No whining...everyone is in this together

The family of funds

• where it's needed most/unrestricted
• faculty
• financial aid
• academic programs
• athletics
• arts
• this tells you more about your donor

Appeal Development

• Don't over think. Simple themes and common sense
• Tailor the message but don't go overboard.
• People give to people.
• Write well and proof read.
  

Annual Fund Basics

What is the annual fund?

• Basis for growth
• The first gift given
• The Gap b/n tuition and the cost of running
• The "A" in T.E.A.M. (Tuition Endowment Annual Fund and Misc.)
  
• Public face of fund raising
• Source of potential major donors
• The 90% of people
• The most democratic fund of fund raising
  

Goals of the Annual Fund

• Participation -
• Major gift cultivation
• Revenue
• Trained volunteer pool

CFO's are being more conservative than before and many Annual fund goals are flat for this year.

Have a plan and know that a calendar is not a strategy.

Where do you start?

• analyze the last 3 year's funds - benchmark with competitor schools
  
• set a goal
• decide on strategy.case.focus for the upcoming year
• take the economy into account?

Board should give 25% of the annual fund. Get the major gifts in in the fall. The Board Chair should give the first gift.

LYBUNT's (Last year but unfortunately not this) and SYBUNT (Some year but unfortunately not this)

Send something out in the summer explaining what it means to be a parent of your institution.

*Over 50% of tuitions to independent schools are paid for by grandparents.

Reunion giving should be 30% of total annual fund.

Reunion classes should increase their giving by 60% and participation should increase by 40%.

Online gifts are larger mail in gifts.

Give now button on the home page.

How effective are phone-a-thons? Tough one with caller id's.

3 goals for next year:

Be the sponge.
Maintain/increase participation.
Maintain/increase visits.

Live Blogging from CASE SIIS - School finances & today's economy

Questions you need to know the answers to:

• Size of the endowment and how it's preformed in the last two years?
• Investment policy?
• Total operating budget?
• Tuition?
• How tuition increases are announced?
• Size of the last campaign?

4 W's for Trustees

• Wealth
• Wisdom
• Working
• Wiring (netowrking)
  

4 T's for Trustees

• Treasure
• Talent
• Time
• Tenticles

3 G's for Trustees

• Give money
• Get money
  
• or Get off
  

Evolution of schools

Reading lists:

Book to read: John McPhee's the Headmaster

Good to Great by Jim Collins monograph for non-profitsGood to Great by Jim Collins monograph for non-profits

Schools over the years have become more complex in their infrastructure. In the past, a headmaster was the head teacher and wore many hats. Now the headmaster's role is more of a CEO role.

The legends on campus. Visit their classes. Get to know them.

Budgets should be shared with everyone in the office.

Dartmouth's Wacky Business Model:


Boards of Trustees:

Inappropriate people: not having the the 4W's or the 4T's

In most cases, the boards at day schools are made up of parents whereas boarding schools tend to be made up of alumni.

The 2008-09 Economy

Shit hit the fan.

"Flat is the new up."

Stewardship became the "in" word and planned giving increase as well.

School Budgets and Development Offices

Sources of revenue:

• Tuition
• Endowment (typical draw is less than 5%. Exeter has $1Billion)
  
• Annual Fund
  
• Misc. (schools are thinking about how to increase this area)
  

Budgets were more or less affected in similar ways that colleges were affected.

Underwater fund: an endowment fund that goes below what the donor gave to the fund.

Under pressure: Everyone is under pressure.

What's to come?
Flat budgets.
More evaluations and more accountability?

$0.20 per dollar raised

I've got news

So the word is now out. Family has been notified. Employers have been informed. Friends have been asked to mark their calendars.

We're moving and I've got a new job.

The new position is the Director of Recent Graduate Relations at the Groton School in Groton, MA. Maria and I visited campus a week and a half ago and we both loved it. As she noted, it was similar to the feeling that you get when you're touring colleges and you find that one campus that just feels right.

I've met great people. I've learned a ton and have appreciated the opportunity to work for my Alma mater. We'll, of course, miss the friends we've made in Vermont, but we'll be back to visit for sure. I've really enjoyed the last five years at Saint Michael's. We're very excited about this new chapter in our lives.

We've left my last day at Saint Michael's open with the idea that we'll get as close to Maria's due date (July 21st) as possible. I'm guessing that I'll start at Groton in the beginning of August.

We'll be living on campus. Here's the house:

View Larger Map

Own that s@#t!!

I recently gave a presentation ("Your Mom Reads My Blog") at NEACAC with Brad J. Ward from BlueFuego. We spoke about social media and it's uses in college admission recruitment, and it went great. We had a packed house an the audience was engaged and interested.

After the presentation, I got some of the best feedback and advice from my good friend. She had moderated that session and came up to me afterward and said, "You need to stop with that self-depreciating crap and own that shit!"

Great advice! If you don't take credit for it, you won't get credit for it. When it comes to this Web 2.0 stuff, if you don't say, "Hey, here's what I know, I've worked really hard to get where I am, and I am a rock star." you're missing out on a huge opportunity take get credit for doing something awesome.

It's easy to take your own knowledge for granted. Needless to say, when I gave a version of the presentation to our staff, I made sure that I owned it.

I am a rock star.

*trying not to laugh at my dorkiness*

Vermont is the state I love: A multi-part series (concluded)

Well, If I have to choose one or the other,
I choose to be a plain New Hampshire farmer
With an income in cash of, say, a thousand
(From, say, a publisher in New York City).
It's restful to arrive at a decision,
Andrew restful just to think about New Hampshire.
At present I am living in Vermont.

-Robert Frost, New Hampshire

I started this now ridiculous melancholy, melodramatic and regrettable trilogy a week ago and I guess it's now time to finish it.

The impetus for these posts came upon the news that friends of ours would be leaving the "State I Love" to pursue a job opportunity in Massachusetts. Normally that wouldn't have been a big deal, but tken on a whole, it was enough for me.

I've watched couple after couple leave the Green Mountains each year.

Jim and Gretchen were the first. They moved to NH because Gretchen could find work in her field (working with autistic kids) in Vermont.

Ben and Sarah were next. They both left to pursue career opportunities with a large grocery chain in MA.

Then there was Victor and Cara. They both hit dead ends in their careers and moved to NY.

Mark and Elisa hit the same road blocks and took jobs in Boston.

Mike and Michelle, same deal. They're now in Florida.

And the list goes on.....

For a state that has the oldest population in the country, we're not doing much to keep the young under 30 couples in this state.

Essentially they each hit dead ends in their careers and had to move out to find more opportunities. Now if we lived in Massachusetts or Connecticut would it matter? I doubt it. Vermont is, of course, the state I love. And for those of us who have either grown up here or gone to school here or lived here for some time, you realize that it is a special place.

Now, 30 is less than a month away from me. One more couple has announced they're leaving the state. I look around and am left with two questions:

Who's next?

Is it me?

Vermont is the state I love: A multi-part series (cont'd)

"I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and invigorating climate, but most of all because of her indomitable people." - President Calvin Coolidge, 1927

Born in Glens Falls, New York I guess I'm a New Yorker by birth. That always sounds weird because I don't associate myself with anything New York. I remember more about the farmhouse that I spent my first four years in than the other two house I would spend the next four.

My earliest memories outside of the farmhouse take place in what's called the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in a town called Morgan Center on Seymour Lake. My grandparents had owned a summer house (we call them camps in Vermont) since the 50's. At one time, my family had four camps on this lake. I vaguely remember my great grandmother four camps down the road. My parents owned the camp across the street until I was eight. Two houses down were my grandparents friends the Cargills. Their front porch was also the post office.

Across the street, I went to church every Sunday. Yes it's true. I went to church every Sunday. To this day, I don't know what denomination that church was, and I often wish I could just write "Morgan Center Church" when asked religious preferences on documents. I took swimming lessons on the Gray's beach in July. I went to bible school (yup did that too) up the hill at the other, "winter" church.

We spent every summer up there. The best weeks were those when my parents left us alone with our grandparents. Those were weeks in which we were spoiled with candy and movies that my parents wouldn't let us watch, and early morning fishing trips.

The Kingdom is special place. It's a hard working people that live there. To say they are down to earth, doesn't give them credit enough. My sister classified it perfectly when she said, "You know how in some parts of the country people are just nice to you because it's polite? In the Kingdom, people are nice to you when you earn it."

There's something refreshing to me about that honesty.

My parents sold their camp when we moved to Massachusetts. We moved to Massachusetts in December when I was in the third grade. I remember this because I remember this because we even packed our Christmas tree in a garment box. I don't know that I was able to put two and two together, but I never really liked living in Massachusetts. I just never felt like I fit in for one reason or another. I think I was in middle school when I started thinking about colleges and I saw that as an opportunity to get out of Massachusetts.

Both of my parents went to UVM, and for as long as I can remember understanding what college is, that's where I was headed. When I graduated I was staying in Vermont - preferably the Northeast Kingdom.

Well, I did get to Vermont and I got into UVM. I found a school in Saint Michael's College that fit me and my needs better and enrolled and graduated from there in 2001.

Vermont was everything I had hoped it to be. By coincidence, the very first people I met at Saint Michael's were from St. Johnsbury, VT - my mother's hometown in the Kingdom. College life in Vermont was all I had hoped it would be.

After graduating, there was nowhere else besides Vermont I wanted to be.

(Part II of III)

Vermont is the state I love: A multi-part series.

"Vermont is the state I love. I could not look upon the hills of Ascutney, Killington, Mansfield and Equinox without being moved in a way that no other scene could move me. It is here that I saw the first light of day, here that I received my bride; here my dead lie, pillowed on the breast of our everlasting hills." - President Calvin Coolidge, 1927

I love Vermont.

I've been in love with Vermont for as long as I can remember, and I began thinking about this particular blog driving home one night on a dark Interstate 89 somewhere between the Colchester and Georgia exits. I was contemplating the recent announcement of a friend of mine was preparing to announce that she and her finance were preparing to leave the state.

I've lived in Vermont since graduating from college in 2001. Each year since, I've watched friends move out of state to either find work or for more opportunities in their career. All this despite efforts by state government to minimize such "brain drain."

I've found this particularly frustrating as Vermont is the place I've wanted to live for a long time. It's a special place where many of my childhood memories were formed. It's a place where I wanted to and went to college. It's a place where I want to raise my family. Yet, As I watch more and more of my peers leave the state, I can't help but wonder, "What am I missing out on, and when will that day come when I have to decide between career and the state I love?"

It bothers me that that question should exist.

Why do I feel like I've made a decision and a commitment to live in Vermont? Why do I feel as though I have made some sacrifice? Why do I feel that my out of state friends assume that I'm making a sacrifice by living here?

I think we'll need to start from the beginning of this relationship...

(Part I of III)

Say nice things, get good results

I've been off the map here for a while. I apologize. It's been a long winter, but if finally looks like spring has arrived here in Vermont.

I had a meeting the other day with our Director of Marketing. I had asked to meet with her she really understands Web 2.0 and I needed a sounding board with some ideas that I had for the future. We talked for a while, and then she told me that I was doing a good job and had done some great work this year.

That felt good. It had been a while since someone had said, "Drew, you're doing a good job. Keep it up."

It also got me thinking. It's easy to brush off the work that people do without passing a compliment. It's usually easier to criticize rather than praise, and it's easy to take coworkers for granted.

I think I've written about this before, but I see a lot of similarity between managing and coaching. I have much more experience with the latter and little with the former, but I have bee a leader on sports teams in high school and college, and I consider myself a leader in our office. So perhaps I should be writing more about leading rather than managing.

It is not easy to keep a fresh perspective and give a "good job" to those that you work with, but spreading the love like that keeps the workplace a happy place.

P.S. These posts will get better. I need to get back in blogging shape.

Field of 65

So Twitter is booming, and in the spirit of March Madness, I'm cutting down who I follow to a field of 65. Sorry, but I have to do it.

About a month and a half ago, I started feeling guilty that I had like a 150 followers, but was following less than half. So I started following most of the people that were following me - about 150. I also started another account for work and I follow a few people of the same people on both.

What happened?

I found that I was missing Tweets from the people I was most interested in, and being overloaded by Tweets by people I could care less about.

Twitter began to lose it's value to me, because it started to get too noisy. So I made the decision this weekend to start cutting. I think for me, a manageable size is about 65 or so.

So who will I follow?

Well, there are the originals:
@bradjward
@andrewcareaga
@rachelreuben
@nextsteph
@KarlynM
@kylejames
@tsand
and @fjgaylor

Then of course there are the locals,
@johncvermont
@sweetsega
@magichat
@buckyfelloni
@cbernier

And then of course @The_Real_Shaq

The rest, I don't know. I figure I've got a bout 50 slots available. We'll see how it goes. I just want to get more value out of this and getting more value, surprisingly, doesn't mean getting more followers.

Back on my soap box

Watch CBS Videos Online

Change your perspective

Dust of Snow

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
-Robert Frost

Twitter

I've had a bunch of questions and conversations about Twitter recently, and I've struggled each time to explain it. Here's another shot at it.

Twitter is like your Facebook status, email, and texting all at the same time.

My swimmers give me a hard time when I update my Facebook status more than once a day. My argument is that it's asking me what I'm doing, so I keep telling it what I'm doing.

But it's more than that. It's a community. It's being able to bounce ideas off of other people. It's connecting to people you otherwise wouldn't.

I can give you examples, but you're better off doing it for yourself.

Here's 5 steps to a success Twitter experience.

Step 1: Follow me: DrewSMC. Not because I'm special, just because you need to start somewhere.

Step 2: Follow the people I follow. There aren't a ton. I follow about 75 people, but if you're interested in Web 2.0, and higher education, I follow some hot shit people. Of course, I also follow somebody pretending to be Shaq, Zappos, Burlington Boatyards, IOweYouABeer, a really odd guy from Wisconsin, and plenty of others. The point is, they all update and soon, you'll start picking up on the conversations.

Step 3: Wait and listen. Try using an application like Twitkit or Tweetdeck. Relax. Grab a coffee. Grab a beer. Just chill.

Step 4: Participate. If you can contribute to a conversation, do so. One thing I always do is say, "Good morning Twitter." You'd be surprised how many people will say good morning back.

Step 5: Be a positive contributer to the community. I have learned an absolute ton from being on Twitter. Give back. Whether it be provide a light hearted comment, a useful peice of info, etc. Just be a good citizen and give back to the Twitter community.


As you can see. It took me a while to figure this whole thing out. I think these 5 steps will help. Twitter me with any questions.

Baby it's cold outside

Winner!

"For The Upcoming Late Nights and Early Mornings"

This is the best Secret Santa gift. If you can't tell from the photo, the beer, baby bottle and the ear plugs, the word is out.


Wife is pregnant.

*Disclaimer here. I've been sitting on this post for a few weeks in part because I wanted to get
through the first trimester before I broke the news to the blog readers. I'm using that as an excuse for my totaly lack of creativity and writer's block.

Maria and I of course are very excited. The family is very excited as this will be the first grandchild for my parents.

The swimmers seem to be the most excited though. I told them a few weeks ago and they haven't stopped asking me about it. This is mostly coming from the women's team, of course, but the guys have asked their questions in a "I don't want to appear uncool while showing a real and honest interest in your life and the most uncool thing of all for a college guy, babies."

Anyway, the due date is 7/21. 3 days before our anniversary and 3 days after our friends Dan and Kim wedding date. This July could be interesting.