The five philanthropic advisers on the Seminary Relations team are a talented, energetic group of professionals who are deeply engaged with and curious about everything that’s happening at Luther Seminary. We connected recently with Alison Roberts and Lisa Cohen to learn more about what they do and how they approach their work.

—Other members of the philanthropic advisers team are Jake Hennes, Timothy Larson, and Elizabeth Schoenknecht.

How do you describe your job and how does it relate to the seminary mission?

Lisa. We invite donors and friends of the seminary to invest in our mission of educating leaders for Christian communities. We work with people all over the country who care deeply about the future of the church. We help people who care about this mission stay current with what’s happening across the church and at the seminary right now—what’s new, needed, and exciting. People often share stories of their own work and how their story aligns with their passion for theological education. This helps us build relationships with them and also can provide valuable feedback to us for how we’re doing our work here at the seminary.

Alison. Donors give through annual gifts as well as campaign gifts. Donors can also give through estate plans. With well over 90% of Luther Seminary’s mission funded by philanthropic support, it is important to build and maintain relationships with all of our donors, including stewarding gifts that came in before we ourselves were on this team. We need to ensure these funds continue to be available to support all functions and operations of the seminary and for special projects.

What are some reasons donors share for choosing to support Luther Seminary?

Alison. Donors often say they want to support the future of the church for the sake of their children and grandchildren. They hope there will be thriving Christian communities when their grandchildren are grown and make their gift to propel that idea.

Lisa. Some donors are interested in an innovative approach to address challenges facing today’s church. These donors see that Luther Seminary has the history, infrastructure, and energy to move forward into an uncertain future. Efforts in recent years by Luther Seminary and Faith+Lead to continue to respond to what the church needs are being well received by new and emerging church leaders. In building and scaling this commitment to support what communities need, we are able to show the potential impact of an investment to fund innovation.

How do alumni fit into your work?

Lisa. When we’re traveling to visit with donors, we may also visit congregations and alumni serving as leaders in their communities. Alumni help identify future leaders, connect prospective students, and serve as advocates for use of Luther Seminary’s online resources. And many alumni are also donors themselves, of course!

Alison. Many of our major donors have been members of a congregation in which a Luther Seminary alum was a leader. This helps them understand the need to fund theological education. They care about and appreciate their pastor and want to ensure we have pastors going forward.

Why is it so important to get to know donors as individuals and have ongoing relationships with them?

Lisa. People involved with philanthropy often give to organizations they are involved with, organizations that have had an impact on their lives or that ignite their passion. As part of our ongoing engagement, we share resources and stories from Luther Seminary because it helps people know what’s going on here so they feel connected and understand the impact of their ongoing support. We showcase faculty through books like “Leading Faithful Innovation” and after reading, we hear this gives donors and friends hope for the future of the church. We share stories about the accelerated degree and graduate certificate programs because they demonstrate our commitment to helping individuals respond to God’s call in innovative and accessible ways.

Alison. Some donors care deeply about the global church. They invest in Luther Seminary because they know we have strong international student support for leaders to attend here. By supporting international students, we are supporting churches abroad. Some people give to resources like Working Preacher or Enter the Bible because they are active users and love the resource and want these resources to continue to exist, to be high-quality, and to be accessible to others.

How does the team figure out who connects with which donor?

Alison. The most important piece of the puzzle is to determine which adviser is the best “fit” with the donor and what they need in order to feel close to the seminary and make their best gift. This may be based on our own background—if we share an undergrad alma mater with the donor, know the pastor at their church, or have some other commonality with them.

How can we support your work?

Lisa. We are raising funds for the Jubilee Scholarship for students and for our many academic and church-related programs and resources. We welcome good stories about the amazing things our students are doing, how they’re serving. So send us a note or chat with us. Invite us to events and class. Or share a summary of what your team is up to—donors ask about all kinds of things, so we try to continue to learn about everything that’s happening here.

Alison. Because we all travel so much, we share a hoteling space on the top floor of Gullixson Hall—and we love to have visitors. Come share with us what’s going on in the seminary community. This helps us keep ourselves and our donors in the loop. And if you’re a remote employee, you’re welcome to use the hoteling space yourself. It’s rare that all five spaces are occupied, and it’s fun to have other colleagues with us!