Share these talks and lectures with your colleagues
Invite colleaguesPractice paper
Shared equity leadership: Working collaboratively to achieve DEI fundraising priorities
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
9
(2),
102-113
(2024)
Abstract
In 2023, the article ‘Shifting the donor landscape paradigm: Strategies for increasing philanthropy among donors of color’ described the steps Brown University took to work collaboratively, nurture engagement and philanthropy among donors of colour and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to the broader donor community during the dual national crises of the pandemic and anti-Black violence.1 At that time, more Brown constituents became aware of the University's DEI initiatives, and the Division of Advancement discovered that donors from all backgrounds were interested in learning more and supporting diversity priorities. This led to a shift in the donor landscape paradigm and enabled the division to collectively raise over US$30m for DEI priorities in one fiscal year. This paper will focus on the Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) study by the American Council on Education in collaboration with the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California.2 The study describes how broadly inclusive and collaborative approaches to leadership are necessary to achieve equitable outcomes in which equity becomes everyone's responsibility. Through this paper, readers will learn how Brown's Advancement Division, in hindsight, practised SEL to achieve its DEI goals.
Keywords: shared equity leadership; diversity plans; equity and inclusion; diverse alumni; alumni engagement
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Alyssia Coates is Senior Director of Development, Inclusive Philanthropic Engagement at Brown University. She oversees the Advancement DEI strategic plan and is responsible for the coordination and collaboration across various units within the division and with university campus partners. She is the Advancement Academic Liaison to administrative and faculty leadership for the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, the Centers for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and the Ruth J. Simmons Study of Slavery and Justice to advance the university's campaign priorities. Dr Coates formerly served 24 years at the University of Notre Dame in several leadership roles, including the regional director of development, senior leader for the enrollment management team and professor for the College of First Year of Studies. Dr Coates started a national early outreach recruitment model and established a Notre Dame presence across the USA to identify and recruit 7th–10th-grade students to cultivate a pipeline of highly talented students for selective colleges and universities. She received a BA and MA from Binghamton University, was a doctoral fellow at Eastern Michigan University, and received a Specialist in educational leadership. She earned her PhD in organisational leadership from Andrews University. She is a certified Maxwell Leadership coach and presents annually for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is a member of the National Consortium of Doctors, LTD and Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated.
