Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62203
Why Donors Give NOTRE DAME FACULTY Question Conventional Wisdom Foreign-source earnings of a U.S. based corporation are not subject to U.S. tax if the corporation's "domicile" is re-established in Bermuda or other tax-haven coun- tries. This strategy, called inversion, has brought intense media criticism and proposed legislation that threatens to eliminate tax benefits for post-autumn 2001 inversions, says Accounting Professor Jim Seida. The U.S. tax system should be reformed, says Seida, because failure to address inversion-related tax issues, while simultaneously limiting firms' ability to invert, could lead to increased foreign acquisi- tions or failures of U.S. firms. For more information, www.nd.edu/~ndbizmag Belief in school's values and mission Loyalty/desire to give back High regard for business school dean As a result of services provided 32% Other 18% (High regard for graduates or the economic opportunities the school provides the community) Survey respondents say that alumni, corporations, and individuals are more likely to give if they believe in the school's overall mission. This means that deans and faculty members must have a clear vision of their missions—and how they will attain future goals—and they must be able to communicate that vision to others. Donors are more likely to give if they see how their money will generate a return and move the college toward its goals, and if they see that the school has strong links to the community. Deans' Top Priorities Mean Now Endowed chairs/professorships Student scholarships Hiring and retaining faculty Centers of excellence Faculty development Dean's contingency Facility enhancements Faculty scholarships Information technology 3.99 3.97 3.96 3.54 3.40 3.41 3.37 3.36 3.35 Projected Mean in Five Years 4.33 3.99 4.34 3.89 3.77 3.67 3.69 3.77 3.53 Respondents rated their priorities for fund raising now and as they project them for the future, with 1 signifying not important at all and 5 signifying extremely high importance. Noting that they expect increasing emphasis on fund raising in the coming years, deans say that when they were hired, fund raising would have been given an average ranking of 3.06; today, some years after they were hired, they would give it a ranking of 4.04 in importance. Among the top priorities for both the current time period and five years from now are retaining and hiring the highest-caliber faculty and establishing endowed chairs and professorships. Although most deans give low priority to raising money for information technology systems, it seems logical to assume that new technology is paid for by internal funding sources; therefore, deans do not have to put as much of their energy on these projects. 55% High regard for business school faculty 54% 89% 82% 42 BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2003