Reaching a $500-million fundraising goal in a challenging economic market is going to take vision and footwork, something the new Vice-President, External is ready to tackle.
Kevin Goldthorp steps into his new role as Vice-President (External) charged with helping the university reinvigorate its $500-million fundraising campaign.
Kevin Goldthorp is two weeks into his new position at The University of Western Ontario and is already hitting the ground running to set the pieces in motion to meet the university’s fundraising goal by 2014.
“It’s never a good time for fundraising. There is always a reason for ‘can’t do it now,'” he says. “It simply means you have to redouble efforts; you have to work harder. And what triumphs is vision.
Figuring out exactly what that vision is will be Goldthorp’s first hurdle.
The university will be working with a branding agency that specializes in boiling organizations down to their essence and forming a statement – not a slogan – of a few words that capture what Western stands for. This will become the basis of campaign communications.
“So much of the reinvigoration (of the campaign) is putting in place the story – telling the compelling story – not a set of numbers and facts, but rather telling a story of where Western is, where Western can be and how Western can both be acting globally and impact globally. That’s the excitement for me in my role.”
Part of this exercise will be defining more clearly the ideas of university leaders, such as explaining what internationalization and globalization mean, and how these objectives will benefit society.
Peeling back the layers to get to the heart of an organization is not unfamiliar territory to Goldthorp.
Coming to Western from Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Foundation, which provides financial support for Toronto’s largest hospital and where he served as Chief Executive Officer, he has been through the complex branding process before.
He sees parallels at Western in sifting through the university’s various research and teaching strengths to find a unifying idea that can become the focus of the campaign and in the future, frame the idea of what Western stands for.
“Going from a university to a hospital and back again allows you to think about the relationship our donors have with the university and what value and what motivation a donor has or alumni have to the university.”
At Sunnybrook, the connection between donors and the hospital was often emotional as physicians sometimes hold a person’s life in their hands. A university has the capacity to change a person’s life at the intellectual level. Every alumnus or alumna is a living, walking representation of Western’s brand and what the university does, he says.
“Our job is to ensure that experience is the best possible experience, first of all – that should be a given – but, then to have it clear both to the student as she is here and then as she evolves in her career and her life, the value that Western gave to her, the differential value Western gave to her. Why her life, her trajectory, her impact on society was better because she spent time at this university.”
Although not an alumnus, Western has made a significant impact on Goldthorp’s career trajectory.
He spent seven years at the university between 1997 and 2004, progressively serving as Campaign Director, Director of Development, and Associate Vice-President, Development.
“The advantage is that I’ve spent seven years already getting to know the physical place, getting to understand the history up until 2004, and many of the people,” he says. “The challenge is not to be limited by any preconceptions that have formed. Much happens in a six-year absence; many of the people have changed.”
Thriving on a high-energy environment, his role now extends beyond fundraising.
Under his charge are more than 90 people involved with Alumni Relations & Development, Advancement Services, and Communications & Public Affairs.
Part of the attraction to Western was the opportunity to work with President Amit Chakma, whom he knew by reputation as being someone who encourages the people around him to take risks and think outside the box.
“His way of going about business isn’t ordinary. He doesn’t accept ordinary. He is pushing you always.”
On a personal level, Goldthorp saw the External portfolio as an opportunity to flex his muscles in the areas of marketing and communications and public affairs, as well as building on his experiences in alumni relations and development.
“The opportunity to and responsibility of thinking about an entire university, not just developmentally, (and) the positioning of an image of an entire great university, all its achievements, all of its challenges and the opportunities, is very attractive,” he says.
“The opportunity of being able to sum up in a few ideas what Western stands for is a profound career opportunity.”
At a young age, fundraising proved to be one of Goldthorp’s strengths.
As treasurer of orientation in his second year at Trinity College at the University of Toronto, Goldthorp managed to turn a profit for the first time in the school’s history. The extra funds resulted in new accessibility ramps for the residence libraries and a computer for the library study room.
He holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto (’99) and a Bachelor of Commerce from Trinity College at the University of Toronto (’90).
He began his position at Western on April 1.
On the personal side
Tell us about your family.
I’ve been married for almost 19 years. I have three children – a daughter who is 13, and a twin daughter and son who are eight. The twins were actually born in London before we left last time around.
We are staying in Toronto. A very large base of alumni is in Toronto, so I view the External part of my title very importantly. I’ll be in London as much as one needs to be. I understand the relationship and value of being in London. It’s my job to sell Western and London to Toronto and the rest of the world.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Huntsville, Ont. – small-town Ontario boy. I have an immense respect for the city, but I chose very deliberately to be in major urban centres. I grew up in what was largely a homogenous population. Small-town Ontario in the 1970s was very inwardly focused, very non-international, very much a local perspective. I was the first member of my family to go to university, so for me, university was in fact a very deliberately sought-after path to change where I would be. I have a very deeply felt belief and passion for the importance of a university education and what it does to change your life.
What was your first fundraising job?
Probably my first amateur fundraising role was selling oranges and grapefruits at my high school, so my high school band could go to the band competition in Vancouver for Expo ’86. We met and exceeded our goal.
What would get people at a dinner party to say, ‘wow, I didn’t know that about you?’
I think most people are surprised with the shift between me on the job and me with my family. My kids and my wife keep me completely in line and humble. There is no false anything with them. I am fair game for any comments. They are the first to point out any ever-declining hair count, first to tell me when I am being silly, stupid, distracted. They keep me wonderfully grounded.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
The great activity in my spare time is my children. I’m either at work or I’m with my family. It’s really a priority to be with them. So, it’s taking my son to basketball or going out for walks with them, doing various family things, exciting and non-exciting; just being with them.
Most recent song downloaded to your iPod?
I have to admit I don’t have an iPod. My daughter has an iPod and she uses my computer. We do pay for all our iTunes downloads; we are teaching her the ethics of intellectual property. Once in a while she burns CDs for me to listen to in the car. I have everything from Elton John,s Bennie and The Jets, to the Black Eyed Peas and some opera.
What are you currently reading?
I am reading right now the book on philanthropy by (Charles) Bronfman. I’m just starting to tackle the book.
Anything else you would like to share?
I have a tremendous commitment to Western, obviously to return. The second time around, for me, it’s clearly a passion. The institution and being part of the institution is very important to me. I made this choice and decision with a desire to be part of a wide group of people and have a very long-lasting impact on the direction of this institution.