Delivering Results and Finding Reward in Advancement Leadership: Julie Lucas

Julie Lucas, Vice President of Resource Development at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, believes these two objectives define her work in advancement for more than 25 years and should be guiding principles for anyone who works in the field. Results are critical, of course, for any philanthropic leader, but creating community, unity, and enthusiasm around an institution's mission and vision are also imperative.

In this conversation with WittKieffer Senior Partner and Advancement Practice Leader Greg Duyck, Lucas shares the story of becoming enamored with the potential of advancement and development to make a difference in society. Today, Lucas has overseen some of the largest and most successful campaigns in higher education, including MIT's current Campaign for a Better World. Her success can also be traced to an interdisciplinary approach to fundraising, much like the traditional interdisciplinary framework of universities. "Everybody is working together" to generate the capital to keep the institution's mission-critical activities going. Lucas uses weekly "huddles" to get leadership and advancement team members on the same page by:

1. Setting goals and priorities aligned with the organizational mission
2. Ensuring role clarity
3. Encouraging partnerships and collaboration within advancement and across the university

Lucas is still driven by the same things that led her to advancement in the first place – to make a "meaningful and tangible" difference in the lives of others. She states: "What drives so many of us in higher education is a deep connection to the people we're working with and a shared dedication to the mission."