Michael J. Ebner ’70, Andover’s Protestant Chaplain and Director of Alumni Affairs, will serve on a new team of Principal Gifts Officers starting May 1. The Principal Gifts Officers is a group recently developed by the Office of Academy Resources (OAR). The primary purpose of OAR is to bring resources to Phillips Academy to support the school’s mission statement of educating “youth from every quarter.” The office deals with alumni affairs, gift planning, annual funds, and stewardship. Mr. Ebner is the third person to join the Principal Gift Officers team. Other members include Bill Leahy, who is presently the Dean of Admissions at Hotchkiss, and Gerrit Keator ’57, the current Director of Development for OAR. The Principal Gift Officers was formed in order to take a new approach to analyzing the monetary needs of the school as defined by the faculty and the administration. Collectively, these individuals will make a concentrated effort to listen to the faculty and the Board of Trustees at various meetings throughout the year. After these meetings, they will put these financial needs into a visual form that can be presented to potential donors. The Gift Officers hope to encourage donors by explaining the school’s direction and goals. Concerning donations, Mr. Ebner said, ??t is important that potential donors know that their money will be well served with us.” Various places where money is dedicated include financial aid, faculty budget and interdisciplinary studies. The Principal Gifts Officers will deal with Andover’s leading donors. The majority of these donors are alumni who have made monetary contributions in previous years. “We are dealing with some of the highest end donors that have a commitment to philanthropy,” said Mr. Ebner. “These people possess the Non Sibi mind set and thus are being approached by many institutions for their money such as high schools, colleges, hospital and towns. The donors want to know who can make the best use of their resources. And that is what we have to try to show them.” The Principal Gift Officers will thus be able to tell donors which specific areas of the school their money will be focused into. A significant element of this process is researching the donators, their backgrounds and their donation history. OAR has a research department, directed by Margaret Flouton, dedicated to this task. “You don’t want to suggest [that] a donor’s money [should go] to the Common Renovations when you know that they have a passion for financial aid and would be more pleased to see their money spent on this element of Andover life,” said Mr. Ebner. Mr. Ebner will relinquish his role as Protestant Chaplain in June of 2008 and will remain Director of Alumni Affairs only until a suitable replacement is found. When asked if he will miss his former positions, he said, “Yes, in particular the chaplaincy because it has given me a great involvement with students and faculty. I got to know the school and connect with the people.” Mr. Ebner became Andover’s Protestant Chaplain in 1995. In 2000, Secretary of School Peter Ramsey appointed Ebner Director of Alumni Affairs because he is an alumnus, a good public speaker and thought by many to be able to represent the school well. According to Ebner, he feels that he is leaving his former positions at a good time, as both the Protestant Chaplaincy and Alumni Affairs have improved under his direction. Under Ebner’s leadership, the first online alumni directory began. The applicant search has not yet begun. When the applicant search begins, Ebner will serve as an advisor to the selection of the new members to fill the posts he is relinquishing. Although his position as Principal Gift Officer entails much more traveling, Ebner says he will try hard to stay involved with campus life.
