Case Study

University of California, Davis

Our staff, here in University of California, Davis’ Development and Alumni Relations (DEVAR) Division, have benefited from the active and engaging training sessions that Kathy Drucquer Duff, of KDD Philanthropy, has provided for us over the past two years. From her webinars on Academic Impressions to her in- person sessions, we are very happy with the resources, tools, and strategies she has provided to help our staff engage with our donors effectively.

This is a sampling of our staff’s own impressions of the 2-day KDD trainings this past spring:

  • “Definitely time well spent. I always come away with some new nuggets and things to focus on and also build relationships across DEVAR from these meetings.”
  • “Sessions like this are a good reminder to get back on our discipline. It’s easy to get caught up in email and events. Getting back to the fundamentals is crucial. I need a reminder from time to time.”
  • “Good energy and group dynamics. KDD knows her stuff and gets us to think. Doesn’t accept average answers.”
  • “I found the strategy exercise on day 2 very valuable and appreciated the opportunity to get to know my colleagues and their work better. I endorse and support the suggestion to incorporate these strategy sessions into our DEVAR meetings.”
  • “Kathy is a great presenter and clearly an expert in the field. She was able to present several options to hurdles that arise in our day-to-day interactions with donors. I liked having the training spanning 2 days. It allowed us to digest the information from the first day and come back refreshed rather than try to fit all the content in one day.”

Kathy, as you can see, our staff appreciate your time, talent, and effort. Thank you for your partnership with our team!

Shaun B. Keister, PhD.
Vice Chancellor, Development and Alumni Relations University of California, Davis