Stewardship
Through careful stewardship of our resources and relationships, we strengthen DeSales University's foundation for continued growth and mission fulfillment. This pillar focuses on building and sustaining the human, financial, and physical assets that enable our Catholic, Salesian identity to flourish.
This pillar ensures responsible stewardship of the gifts entrusted to us. By investing wisely in our people, executing strategic fundraising initiatives, developing sustainable revenue sources, and building meaningful external partnerships, we create a strong foundation for continued mission fulfillment.
Our commitment to care for creation undergirds all stewardship activities, ensuring that our growth and development serve not only the University community but also our broader responsibility to environmental and social sustainability. Through these coordinated efforts, we position DeSales University for continued strength and faithful mission advancement.
Attract, Develop, and Retain Exceptional Faculty and Staff
We are building an outstanding community of faculty and staff who contribute to the University's overall excellence. Our comprehensive approach includes conducting equity studies to identify and address compensation outliers, expanding advertising reach to attract the widest applicant pools, and improving offer acceptance rates. We are tracking retention rates year over year while increasing professional development workshops for staff and administrators. These efforts, combined with revisions to our employee handbook, ensure we create an environment where exceptional people choose to build their careers at DeSales.
Execute and Achieve Goals of Our Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign
Our phased fundraising campaign will broaden alumni engagement while securing critical resources for University advancement. The quiet phase focuses on building momentum through leadership gifts of $100,000 or more, aiming to reach 50-60% of our campaign goal before public launch. The public phase broadens participation through prospect visits, committee recruitment, cultivation events, and expanded donor engagement, targeting annual increases in alumni participation and first-time major gifts. The closing phase will secure final contributions while deepening stewardship relationships and celebrating campaign achievements.
Develop New Revenue Sources and Leverage Assets for Sustainability
We are diversifying revenue streams while aligning resources with growth opportunities that foster both economic and environmental sustainability. This includes increasing annual revenue from new sources, launching revenue-generating initiatives, and growing net auxiliary income from housing, dining, and events. We are maximizing utilization of University facilities for revenue generation while measuring return on investment for major capital assets. Strategic partnerships with corporate, community, and government entities will expand our funding base, with particular emphasis on supporting veterans and promoting conference services to broader markets.
Execute Integrated External Partnerships
Our approach to external partnerships strategically aligns with University goals and mission. Key partnerships will be enhanced through student and graduate testimonials, increased facility visits, and internal strategy summits. We are growing our total partnerships by 45% while increasing partnership enrollment by 10%. New collaborations with the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce will expand our reach to over 250 organizations, with exploration of partnership expansion to additional academic programs including Master of Criminal Justice and Master of Science in Information Systems.
