Advancement Report to Faculty Council
Date: November 28, 2014
Prepared by: Robin Kester, Senior Development Officer
iSchool Strategic Plan 2012-2017
Priority 5: Enrich
Enrich our environment and culture for study, research and work:
Goal 4: Improving our Advancement approaches.
Strategies and Actions
a. Support the continued development of our Advancement Program.
b. Focus on refining and achieving our Advancement targets.
c. Engage all faculty, librarians, staff and students in the Advancement process.
d. Create opportunities for alumni to support the Advancement process.
Advancement Highlights:
Annual Fund:
Reminder: Make your tax-deductible donation by December 31, 2014
Charitable donation tax credit calculator
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/dnrs/svngs/clmng1b2-eng.html
PhD Enhancement Fund deadline December 31, 2014
Gift Planning:
 Gift Planning has been identified as an area with strong future revenue potential for the Faculty
and will become a stronger area of focus in the coming years
 Visit to Ottawa January 15/16 2015. 30 Gift Planning prospects live in the region and an alumni
event will also be held in conjunction with Museum Studies Students.
Community Engagement:

PwC event for UofT alumni working at PwC November 24 by invitation

Museum Mixer and TIFF Stanley Kubrick Exhibit for alumni, MMSt students and members of
the cultural sector November 26, 2014
46 in attendance
46% alumni
30% community members
9% students
7% faculty and staff
Survey in progress. Asked what they would be interested in the future. Importance of links with
the museum and cultural heritage sector.
Advancement Report to Faculty Council
Date: November 28, 2014
Prepared by: Robin Kester, Senior Development Officer
I.P. Sharp Lecture Irina Bokova Director-General of UNESCO
Safeguarding the Past, Shaping a Better Future: UNESCO Soft Power in the Digital Age
Lecture held on November 18, 2014 was a success with 302 attendees at the evening lecture.
23 individuals (by invitation) attended a Cultural Roundtable ‘Protecting our Heritage and
Fostering Creativity’ and special presentation in the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library of the
collection on the discovery of insulin at the University of Toronto.
“The event was excellent. The speaker was very engaging and though provoking. One of the best
I have attended so far. As well, the food at the event was amazing. Keep up the great work!”
“I very much enjoyed this speaker – it was not a dry lecture but, passionate and relevant to life
as a whole, not just narrow professional interests. I found it be much more enjoyable than last
year’s lecture”
“Thank you for a stimulating evening”
“I was very impressed with the attentiveness of the audience and also the high turnout”
“I found the Toronto Reference Library to be a lovely location for the talk”
“I particularly liked the global perspective that Irina Bokova brought to the question of
preservation of documentary heritage”
302 in attendance
32% community members
30% alumni
26% students
12% faculty and staff
Post- event survey highlights:
18% response rate (March - 35%)
100% very satisfied or satisfied with the venue (March - 95%)
100% very satisfied or satisfied with organization of event (March - 95%)
62% heard about the event by receiving an email notice (March - 67%)
11 suggestions for speakers or topics of interest for future events
 Guy Berthiaume LAC
 The Memory Project (Veterans of WWII and Korea)
 Intellectual Property
 Ann Kavoukian on privacy by design
 Former Nobel Prize Winners
 Professor Sayed Hossein Nasr
 Tariq Ramadan
Advancement Report to Faculty Council
Date: November 28, 2014
Prepared by: Robin Kester, Senior Development Officer
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Multiculturalism in the GTA and perhaps how Museums play a key role
Vatican Library
World Genome Project
Convergence of libraries, archives and museums
Improvements from March:
 Venue 95% very satisfied or satisfied with location, however, some open-ended
comments (6) about Innis Town Hall and reception venue not being the best choice on
campus for the number of people in attendance/being a bit run-down. 100% thought the
Toronto Reference Library was a fantastic venue for the event.
 Food: 65% happier with the food than in March
Areas for improvement:
Visual presentation
French translation
Upcoming:
 Continuing to meet with organizations, corporations and associations. Upcoming meeting with
ISACA on December 1, 2014.

President’s Circle Event December 8 recognizing annual donors at the $1,827+ level by
invitation

Bertha Bassam Lecture March 11, 2015 6:30 p.m. at Innis College featuring R. David Lankes
U of T in your Neighbourhood (UTN):
Regional Alumni Events – open to all U of T Alumni
Looking for faculty speakers for the spring and next fall
The Greater Toronto Area is home to 78% of the University’s Canada-based alumni. Launched
last year, UTN is designed to bring the excitement of the University’s extraordinary teaching and
research closer to home. (Each UTN presentation is hosted off-campus, in a key GTA
neighbourhood.) Through the series we are delivering on Alumni Relations’ commitment to
provide alumni and friends with meaningful and enriching experiences with the University and
with each other.
Recent and upcoming talks:
 Thursday, Nov. 20: Jennifer Drake’s “Water Security in Toronto” – Annette Library
 Friday, Nov. 21: Mike Reid’s “Misconceptions on the Big Bang” – Port Credit Arena
 Tuesday, Nov. 25: Raquel Urtasun’s “The Car That Drives Itself” – Northern District Library
 Wednesday, Nov. 26: Scott Schieman and Sarah Reid’s “Balancing Work and Life Commitments” –
Toronto Stock Exchange (lunchtime lecture)
 Tuesday, Dec. 2: Faculty of Music’s “Songs of the Season” – William Lea Room
 Thursday, Dec. 4: Karen Devon’s “The Doctor Will Tweet You Now” – Annette Library
Advancement Report to Faculty Council
Date: November 28, 2014
Prepared by: Robin Kester, Senior Development Officer