“Dean Soyeon Shim is a true powerhouse, whose bold vision and steadfast determination propels UW–Madison’s School of Human Ecology forward.”
—Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin
Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, Soyeon Shim was already exploring the paths that would lead her to her professional calling. “I’d come home from school, gather all the kids in the neighborhood and play like we were at school, and I was the teacher,” she recalls.
It was a kind of play that aligned with expectations in a society where a girl might typically grow up to be a teacher, perhaps a nurse; Shim soon had different ideas: “But in the back of my mind, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur.”
She found an ally in her father—a man who defied the social norms of his place and time in believing that women were as worthy and capable as men. He lived that belief from the day his daughter was born, literally: While it was customary to tip the hospital staff where a mother gave birth, Shim’s father tipped a larger amount: One normally given only with the arrival of a baby boy.
Shim earned her undergraduate then master’s degrees at the prestigious Yonsei University. She began to teach high school consumer science but knew she wanted more. “I’ve always believed that long-range success depends on being proactive,” she says. “Although I work in academia, I have always taken an entrepreneurial approach to growth in the sense of taking risks and seizing opportunities, tracing all the way back to my moving to America on my own at age 25.”
Shim arrived at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville in 1983 to pursue her doctorate. It was a tough first year, filled with homesickness and mastering the English language. She persevered. While completing her PhD, she met her future husband Christopher Choi: a young engineering student, also from Seoul. She began teaching, this time on the path to professorship, first in Colorado, then Arizona, where Shim became director of the Norton School of Human Ecology.
In 2012, Soyeon Shim became dean of the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology. In the years since, she has led the school through growth and transformation. “Our teams have learned to think in a visionary way,” she says. “They’re not afraid of new ideas or pushing our work to the next level. They are excited by challenges that others might see as intimidating.”
Amid a long list of new initiatives, record-breaking financial stability and high-water marks reached under her tenure, it’s that achievement that is Shim’s foremost point of pride: cultivating in faculty and students alike the anything-is-possible mindset that carried her more than 6,000 miles from home to lead one of the most respected and enduring university programs in Human Ecology.
Soyeon Shim
Elizabeth Holloway Schar Dean, School of Human Ecology
Ted Kellner Bascom Professor, Consumer Science
I assumed my current position as the dean of the School of Human Ecology at UW–Madison in 2012. My ultimate goal as the dean is to transform the school into a hub for interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach at the university, nationally and globally, and working to enhance the quality of life for children and families in the community.
Leadership, building teams, and forging effective partnerships are core components of a strong, high performing organization. In this Leadership Q&A I discuss my approach and lessons learned throughout my career.
As a scholar of consumer and financial behavior, I have authored and co-authored more than 110 scholarly articles. About 12 years ago, I founded the longitudinal study APLUS to study young adults’ financial habits and life outcomes, findings which have informed the U.S. Presidential Council of Financial Capability for financial education and policy. Learn more about APLUS.
Education
PhD, Human Ecology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
MS, Human Ecology, Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea)
BS, Human Ecology, Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea)
Contact
608-262-4847
2135 Nancy Nicholas Hall
soyeon.shim@wisc.edu
Meeting the Moment
It’s critical that leaders be able to discern what an organization needs most at a given time. For Dean Shim, that includes a clear recognition that right now, UW-Madison—indeed, the world—needs human ecology more than ever.
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Human Ecology in Everything We Do
While it might seem that the principles of human ecology would naturally inform all activities at the School of Human Ecology, Shim is committed to ensuring that the discipline isn’t just embedded in the school’s identity but actively expressed and explored in all aspects of school activities and the Human Ecology student experience.
“Everything we do, from curriculum to research to outreach, we’re going to look at it through a human ecology lens,” Shim explains. “All of our programs must be clear about what makes our approach a human ecology approach so that we are shaping how students understand and approach their future careers.”
For example, while UW-Madison students can learn the science of consumer behavior at the School of Human Ecology and the Wisconsin School of Business, Human Ecology students also gain a unique understanding of marketplace dynamics through the lens of human well-being.
Design students at the School of Human Ecology learn to see social impacts as intrinsic to the problem-solving process, not secondary considerations. Personal finance students study not only the essentials of money management but also the broader role and impacts of money in family and community systems.
The goal is ambitious: graduates who instinctively think about their area of expertise in terms of people, families, communities, and environments — a perspective that distinguishes them in their chosen careers. This Human Ecology Advantage translates not only into better outcomes for ecosystems of families, workplaces, communities, even the planet—but also for Human Ecology graduates, differentiating them in their career paths.
“Our students go into the workplace with this human-centered perspective,” Shim says. “They are looking at things from an ecological standpoint, and that makes them stand out.”
Committing to this goal will prove transformational not only for students, but for all of the stakeholders at SoHE Shim explains, her own ecological perspective clear:
“I believe we can truly make the School of Human Ecology a truly compelling place for everyone,” she says: One where any student, regardless of background, can thrive as they discover how to make the world better; where exceptional educators, scholars, and staff can do work that enhances quality of life for all; and a place that inspires donors and partners who want their investments to support work for a better tomorrow.
An Essential Science
In Her Own Words
Human Ecology is a hub of innovation—indispensable as it is transformational. We work with every school and college on campus, because everybody wants to work for human well-being.
Whether it’s the School of Medicine & Public Health working on health outcomes, the College of Engineering developing sustainable technologies, or the Wisconsin School of Business understanding consumer behavior – ultimately, they all want to improve lives.
That’s what human ecology is fundamentally about. We are a school and discipline so essential to the process of solving problems that people should scarcely think of UW–Madison without thinking of Human Ecology.
Especially since today there are only a handful of universities that have a dedicated school of human ecology. This is one of the things that elevates UW-Madison in higher education, and it’s why we have a responsibility to lead in this approach to understanding and solving challenges—not only here in Wisconsin, but in the world. This is the Wisconsin Idea at the heart of our university system.
AI Through the Human Ecology Lens
Will AI replace essential human interactions, leading to social isolation? Will generative AI eclipse original creativity and problem-solving? Will AI become a powerful tool for some people while leaving others behind?
Questions like these are what led Human Ecology to become the first school at UW–Madison to recruit AI-focused faculty members as part of the Wisconsin Research, Innovation & Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative and to name teaching professor Lori DiPrete Brown the inaugural Human Ecology Imperative Fellow.
Through Dean Shim’s leadership, Human ecology is leading an exploration of how human ecologists can respond to complex challenges around AI. Because in a moment when there are more questions than answers, one thing is clear: Human ecologists must play a leading role in shaping AI’s design and use.
In Her Own Words
Generative AI is no longer futuristic — it’s already transforming how people learn, work and solve problems. The question is: How do we understand and shape this moment — not just technically, but ethically and humanistically?
This generation will graduate into a different world, and that makes human ecology an even more essential science in this historic moment. It reminds us that technology is never separate from people, families, communities, and environments.
For the School of Human Ecology, integrating AI is not simply about efficiency or novelty — it is about critically examining its impact, preparing our students to lead in an AI-enabled world and guiding the public through this seismic change in a way that helps people thrive.
Human ecology also drives us to be clear on why and how humans are still vital in the context of AI. Already, many jobs are suddenly very different than even a year ago. But AI is not going to be a parent, right? So what is the job of a parent? This is really a moment to think about what it means to be human.
In times of rapid change and uncertainty, it’s vital to anchor our decisions in what we know to be true. This is why the School of Human Ecology is at the forefront of confronting these challenges. We have a wealth of understanding and expertise that can help guide us all along this unprecedented journey.
Leading Campus Collaborations for Children’s Well-Being & Design Innovation
Across UW–Madison, Dean Shim is recognized for transforming big ideas into cross-campus collaborations built on shared purpose.
Two key areas of impact — a healthy start for all children and design innovation for positive change — exemplify her belief that Human Ecology is especially powerful as a convener and collaborator for improving human well-being.
Human Ecology is a bridge-builder and catalyst, demonstrating how its principles of connection, care, and creativity are transforming research, design, and public service at UW–Madison.
A Healthy Start for All Children
Building on the university’s RISE-THRIVE initiative, Human Ecology is partnering across campus to advance evidence-based strategies and help ensure that every child in Wisconsin and beyond has a healthy start to life.
The collaboration includes the School of Medicine & Public Health, School of Education, College of Engineering, College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, College of Letters & Science, UW–Madison Division of Extension, and more.
Co-led by Dean Shim in partnership with Deans Nita Ahuja (Medicine & Public Health) and Marcelle Haddix (Education), the collaboration integrates research, teaching, and community engagement, reflecting Human Ecology’s systems approach and foundational principle: that health is shaped by interconnections among families, environments, and institutions.
“We’re aligning our research and teaching around one of the most important challenges of our time — giving every child a healthy start,” Shim says. “This is what Human Ecology is all about: Creating lasting change through collaboration.”
Design Innovation for Positive Change
Dean Shim is catalyzing a university-wide movement to make UW–Madison a national leader in human-centered and life-centered design.
The initiative connects Human Ecology’s Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design & Material Culture and the M.S. in Design + Innovation program with partners across the School of Business and three colleges: Engineering, Education, and Letters & Science. By linking creative thinkers from the arts, sciences, and industry, this design innovation collective fosters solutions that are both functional and humane, from sustainable materials to future-ready learning environments.
“Design is not just about aesthetics,” Shim explains. “It’s about shaping systems and experiences so that people can thrive.”
1903 Initiative: A Place for Everyone
In Her Own Words
Social divide is a wicked problem in our society, and it isn’t going away. We need to be forthright about this. So instead of participating in any debate about whether or not it exists, the question instead is can we be a leader in addressing it? And I know that we can, and have challenged everyone at Human Ecology — our faculty, our staff, our students — to envision a better future — I say 2050 — and how we can help bring that about.
How will Human Ecology be a leader in helping to ensure that all children have a healthier start in life? How will we help to create strong consumer and economic systems with healthier outcomes for everyone involved: families and communities as well as businesses?
We’re working on it right now, hiring top-quality faculty members whose research helps us to better understand differences across communities. But inclusion isn’t just about recruitment. That’s actually the easier part. What’s much more challenging is retention—making sure people want to stay because they’re doing meaningful work as part of a community invested in shared goals.
Creating an environment that is inclusive and welcoming for all—this is everybody’s job, not something we delegate to a specific office or person. And when we are welcoming to everyone naturally, then whoever comes here will find their place. This is the philosophy that has guided Human Ecology since our founding in 1903, and it is still central to who we are today and the work we do through what we call the 1903 Initiative.
But how we label this work isn’t what’s most important. What matters is creating genuine belonging—the kind that naturally attracts and retains diverse talent because people see themselves reflected in the community and valued for their contributions.
Of course, meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a long-term vision with clearly defined, achievable goals. When we created our first 10-year strategic plan more than a decade ago, we made inclusion central to everything, ensuring that the School of Human Ecology would be welcoming to all.
We also understood that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to learning and growth. And for all of us, there were new ideas we needed to explore and understand. We held town hall meetings, created workshops, supported outside trainings, formed book clubs—providing many opportunities so everybody could learn in their own way and grow at their own pace.
A Special Responsibility
The School of Human Ecology has experienced tremendous growth since Dean Shim arrived in 2012. But growth has never been the goal itself. “If we have more human ecologists in the world, the world will be a better place,” Shim explains. Growth means an opportunity to serve more students, engage in research with greater impact, and extend the Wisconsin Idea more broadly.
Shim also believes public universities carry a special responsibility at this moment. Because they serve vastly more students than private colleges, public institutions have a greater role to play in shaping the citizens and leaders society needs. Education changes how people see the world, and the Human Ecology Advantage teaches students to think about complex problems in terms of people, families, communities, and environments—the kind of whole-system thinking that democracy requires.
Enrollment and application numbers tell a striking story. In May 2025, the School of Human Ecology graduated more students in one semester than its entire enrollment when Shim started: 701 graduates compared to 699 total students thirteen years ago. In 2025, more than 1,000 students applied to UW-Madison with Human Ecology as their first choice: a 30% increase over just the previous year.
“We have the momentum,” Shim says. “So why not keep moving ahead with clarity of purpose? We can help shape an important conversation about public higher education and demonstrate how universities and the human ecology lens strengthen democracy, equity, and justice. We are ready now, and that’s work worth doing.”
Transformative Impact
A Proven Change Agent
When Dean Shim arrived at UW-Madison in 2012, she brought with her a track record of transformational leadership from the University of Arizona. Faced with budget constraints and skepticism, she had turned what many saw as obstacles into opportunities for innovation and growth.
At the University of Arizona, Shim transformed a narrow merchandising program into a leading industry program by building strategic partnerships with industry leaders and creating the annual conference now known as the Global Retailing Ideas Summit. With just $1,000 from her dean, she hosted a dinner for recruiters from major retail companies, telling them simply: “You’re interested in hiring top talents. I’m interested in building them. It’s going to be a partnership.”
Her most ambitious achievement in Tucson was securing $25 million in private funding for McClelland Park, a 72,000-square-foot building that became the new home for the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences. As one collaborator noted, Shim had transformed “the homely home ec program” into “something powerful.”
Transforming Human Ecology
When Dean Shim arrived at UW-Madison in 2012, she brought that same entrepreneurial approach to building partnerships, identifying and acting on opportunities, and transforming vision into reality. Over more than a decade, her leadership has shaped every dimension of the School of Human Ecology, demonstrated in the select examples below, from student experience and faculty excellence to physical infrastructure and financial resources.
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Endowed Deanship
Securing the Future of Human Ecology
One of Dean Shim’s most notable achievements was creating the Elizabeth Holloway Schar Deanship—the first endowed deanship at UW-Madison named exclusively for a woman. Made possible by eight visionary donor families, this transformative investment established Human Ecology’s future as a distinct entity within the university.
Growing Enrollment
Human Ecology as a Destination School
In 2012, at the time of Shim’s arrival, undergraduate enrollment at Human Ecology was primarily populated by juniors and seniors. Freshmen and sophomores in Human Ecology degree programs totaled 117 — a little more than 20% of the Human Ecology undergraduates.
A set of strategies to improve those numbers was put in place, including developing introductory courses in every major, expanding the number of Human Ecology courses that fulfill general education requirements, and creating and expanding a career development center.
By 2022, the number of freshmen and sophomores in the school had increased to 632 — nearly 33% of the school’s undergrad enrollment.
The School went on to reach more historic milestones in 2025. The Human Ecology class of 2025 graduated more students than the school’s entire enrollment in 2012. And that fall, Human Ecology saw a 30% increase in incoming students — the largest growth in its history, truly underscoring its emergence as a destination school for students bound for UW-Madison.
Expanding Professorships
Growing Excellence through Philanthropy
Since Dean Shim’s arrival in 2012, Human Ecology has added 22 endowed chairs, professorships, and faculty and graduate fellowships. At the same time, Human Ecology’s tenure-track faculty has grown by more than 50% in the past decade, projected to reach 55 by 2026.
This growth in the educational capacity and excellence is directly tied to the success of the All Ways Forward fundraising campaign, which raised more than $72 million — exceeding the original $50 million goal. Dean Shim had already exceeded $100 million in total fundraising since her arrival in 2012 — a testament to her visionary leadership and enduring impact.
Career Preparation
Helping Our Graduates Thrive
Under Dean Shim’s leadership, Human Ecology has built an entire team to prepare students for successful careers, offering a steady stream of workshops, professional and alumni networking opportunities, professional mentors, interview coaching and more. Every Human Ecology student has not only an academic advisor but also a career advisor.
Attention to core competencies prepares students to adapt and thrive in their careers, even as professional landscapes evolve. And all student internships are compensated—by employers, or through Human Ecology scholarships when necessary—ensuring that professional opportunities aren’t limited by economic constraints.
Design Thinking Initiative
A Bold Addition for Human Ecology
Recognizing that UW-Madison needed to graduate students trained in creative problem-solving, Dean Shim led the establishment of the Design Thinking initiative: an eight-year journey from vision to reality that included building strategic partnerships with The Chipstone Foundation and supporters like Elizabeth Holloway Schar.
Today the initiative includes:
- The first new bachelor of science degree program for Human Ecology in more than 50 years: B.S. in Design, Innovation & Society launched in fall 2024
- The 12-month accelerated Master’s Degree in Design + Innovation, a collaboration among five schools, launched in 2021
- Certificate programs in Textiles & Design and Design Strategy
- The Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design & Material Culture
- An elevated role for the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection across campus as a resource for students, curricula, and researchers
Dorothy O'Brien Innovation Lab
Collaborative Problem-Solving in Action
Located in Nancy Nicholas Hall, the Dorothy O’Brien Innovation Lab serves as the central hub of UW-Madison’s design ecosystem. It connects artists, engineers, and computer scientists, fostering collaboration and interdisciplinary learning for students pursuing design and innovation studies and the design strategy certificate.
The lab’s flexible and multipurpose layout is optimized for teaching and learning design thinking strategies, including collaboration, prototyping and group ideation. Core to its mission, the lab provides a space for students to develop and test novel solutions to real-world problems, emphasizing creativity, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.
The lab is an especially important resource for students interested in entrepreneurship and social enterprise, connecting them with community partners to work on projects that address specific local needs. Through these activities, students can develop project management, teamwork, and creative problem-solving skills. Key activities include working on projects that apply their academic knowledge to practical challenges.
Office of Strategic Partnerships
Practical Education in a Changing World
Launched in 2023, Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP) develops connections to help provide students and faculty with practical experience grounded in industry and not-for-profit sectors. By acting as both a resource and consultant for employers interested in engaging with Human Ecology students and alumni, the office builds strong, mutually beneficial relationships with external partners.
OSP can work with these partners to create customized recruiting strategies, create internship programs and experiential learning engagements, develop ways for them to engage Human Ecology students, and deepen their relationships with the university through philanthropy and strategic investments, including scholarships.
Key to OSP’s approach is identifying critical and emerging opportunities in fields of high interest to Human Ecology students. The initiative also provides a way for Human Ecology to stay abreast of evolving industry needs so that the school’s education keeps pace and graduates are prepared to thrive in their chosen careers.
Human Ecology Imperative
Local Action to Global Impact
An emerging priority from our OneSoHE31 strategic plan is deepening our commitment to the Human Ecology Imperative: a schoolwide initiative to strengthen our shared understanding of human ecology as a scholarly field and to embed its principles across all aspects of our work.
Through this initiative, we aim to ensure that every Human Ecology student gains a deep appreciation of how local actions can drive global impact and improve quality of life.
Each academic unit has developed plans to integrate human ecology principles and practices within its majors, and faculty are collaborating across departments to design an integrated curriculum that solidifies our collective Human Ecology identity.
“Dean Shim is an unbelievable driving force. I think she is there for the students, advocating every single day to make that school the best school possible for their education, and to be part of the university system around the country that’s really valued by employers.”
—Krista Berry, Human Ecology Alumna ’87
Lessons in Leadership
Over more than a decade leading the School of Human Ecology at UW-Madison—and throughout her career in higher education—Dean Shim has developed a clear philosophy about what makes organizations thrive. Her approach centers on strategic thinking, organizational culture, collaboration, and the relationships that make ambitious goals possible.
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Vision, Mission & Goals
In Her Own Words
If you want to make a difference, don’t begin by asking “What is our vision?” Begin by asking, “What do people need? What do they want?” People all over the world share fundamental wants and needs. They want happy families, well-being, and financial security.
As a school, we also ask, “What do students want?” They want a great education and to be well prepared for meaningful careers. And as a land-grant public university, we also serve the State of Wisconsin through the Wisconsin Idea. Wisconsin needs a strong economy to help people and businesses thrive.
Once you understand and integrate your different stakeholders and needs, vision naturally follows: For Human Ecology, that means preparing students for the careers of the future, improving people’s lives, and driving economic growth.
Vision is the dream destination, meant to inspire people to join your journey. To navigate that journey, you must articulate your mission. A mission statement is your North Star. When exploring new opportunities, I always come back to our mission, asking: Is this something we should be doing? How does this connect to our priorities?
So your vision gives you a destination, your mission helps you navigate, and last, you need strategic goals to get there. Without achievable, short-term goals, your aspirations will go unrealized. Strategy will just sit on a shelf collecting dust! Success is the point where vision, mission, and strategic goals converge.
Setting those goals begins with self-assessment: Know your strengths, know what makes you unique. Then connect those strengths and unique qualities to existing needs and opportunities to define how you will make progress in your mission and vision.
Connecting Strengths to Needs & Opportunity
Financial Education Life Skills Course
Need: Greater financial literacy, especially among college students who are often navigating personal finance with a new level of independence.
Opportunity: Increase Human Ecology exposure and university-based funding by offering courses that meet general requirements for any student on campus.
Human Ecology Strengths:
- Scholars with deep expertise in financial literacy, including Dean Shim’s APLUS study
- Top-ranked bachelor of science in personal finance
Aligning Human Ecology strengths with needs on campus led to the creation of Badger$ense, which helps students build financial knowledge to empower more informed decisions and promote financial well-being. Badger$ense offers one-on-one peer coaching, as well as by-request financial education for students and groups across UW–Madison campus.
Human Ecology also created the Financial Life Skills Course, which has reached thousands of students across campus since its inception and continues to be in high demand each semester.
The course also helped elevate SoHE as a strong campus partner, positioning Human Ecology to expand the Personal Finance major to offer UW–Madison’s first fully online degree.
Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture
Need: Broader understanding of material culture and its value for education among faculty and students across campus.
Opportunity: Better align longstanding Human Ecology programs, spaces, and collections to become a center of excellence for material culture studies.
Human Ecology Strengths:
- Design Thinking initiative
- Scholars with expertise in material culture and across all dimensions of the human experience
- World-class collections and upgraded exhibition spaces
In creating the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design & Material Culture (CDMC), Human Ecology brought together educational work from across the school while dramatically expanding across campus the reach and impact of its Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, one of the most expansive and unique textile collections in the world.
At the same time, CDMC reimagined the potential for longstanding, recently upgraded exhibit spaces and began building out a host of resources to make material culture studies widely accessible.
Today CDMC is a hub of expert research as well as fundamental education, giving students from all disciplines new lenses for their studies and new ways of understanding the world through the things we make, carry, use, throw away, or cherish.
The center’s work includes:
- Public lectures that are recorded and published for any faculty to use in coursework
- Online programming in the Refrangible podcast and Radio Chipstone material culture show in partnership with the Chipstone Foundation
- Thousands of visitors each year to the Ruth Davis Design Gallery and Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery, with rotating exhibitions that also offer course connections
- Class tours and collaborations with faculty to create Collection-Intensive Courses that use pieces from the center’s collections as a “material textbook” to guide class discussions and projects
- Workshops, research projects, online toolkits for instructors and more
Principles of Successful Fundraising
Growing Excellence through Philanthropy
Under Dean Shim’s leadership, Human Ecology has benefited from fundraising far exceeding anything in its long history, thanks largely to her strategies and principles informing the school’s relationships and development.
In Her Own Words
What I’ve learned over many years in higher education is that successful fundraising grows out of building partnerships through trust and commitment, and I explain that in six principles that define how I approach this very important part of leadership responsibilities.
- Clearly Define Your Vision
To begin, you need a very clear idea of what you want to accomplish and where you want to go. And that vision should be for the highest level of what you want to accomplish. Never compromise quality. It’s better to work with less in the present than to sacrifice your long-term vision for the best. - Be Passionate & Sincere
When you share that vision, when you talk about what you want to accomplish, let people feel your passion for it. Let them see how much it matters to you. I cannot win support if I’m not passionate about what I’m doing. Everybody has to see that you’re genuinely excited about what you want to achieve. - Understand Your Benefactors
I said at the start that fundraising is about building partnerships. Especially if you envision something substantial, It takes many people coming together. So from the start, you need to work to truly understand the people who could become your benefactors.Everyone has their own interests. You need to discover theirs. What is important to them, and why?
You have to ask good questions, but listening is just as important. If you simply tell someone about what you want without really understanding what they want, that potential donor will go somewhere else. - Cultivate a Shared Vision
Once you understand what matters to your potential benefactors, you need to find how their interests and values connect with what you want to accomplish, identify where your interests overlap.Almost always, you will discover your authentic shared interests. It’s your job to cultivate that understanding and help benefactors see why a certain kind of investment is important.In the end—and this is vital—it’s no longer your vision, and it’s not their vision. It has to become your shared vision. - Make the Ask
When you have built up those relationships and worked together to find and define a shared vision, you need to ask for the gift.You need to say clearly: Here’s where we’re going, here’s what you care about, here’s what we could do together, here’s how you can help.To be honest, the first time I took on a large development goal, I had a hard time asking people to give money. But this is why a shared vision is so important. Asking for a gift becomes not about getting into their pockets but helping them do something they feel good about.It took a while for me to understand that, but over the years, many donors have said to me, “I’m so excited about what you’ve done for me. This is the best thing I could be doing, and it means so much to me to leave this legacy.” - Be Accountable for Impact
Fundraisers can be so focused on bringing money in, they often forget that what they do after is even more important in those relationships.You have to show your benefactors—at this point, your partners in a shared vision—that you are a good steward of their investment. Not in general terms, but specifically: Here’s what I’ve done with your gift, we were able to do this, this, and this. Here is your direct impact.When you are accountable in this way and show their investment at work, you strengthen the relationship, you validate their trust, and you honor the personal values and interests that were the inspiration for their gift.
Building Partnerships
In Her Own Words
The bulk of what I’ve been able to accomplish has been achieved through building partnerships. A vision and mission are critical. You also need strategies and goals, teams built on trust, and systems that help everyone succeed. But even with all of these things, very few organizations have all the resources they need to achieve their goals on their own.
We reach our goals not only by focusing on outcomes, but also by sharing that focus with partners who have similar goals and complementary resources.
Building partnerships is a lot of work. You need to seek people out, bring them together, share your vision, and help them see how working together you can each achieve more. You need to show them what you can do for them and define what you need from them.
In the end—and this is vital—it’s no longer your vision, and it’s not their vision. It has to become your shared vision. It takes work, and it takes patience. But the results are more than worth it. When people see what partnerships make possible, they get inspired. That’s when great things can happen.
“The main reason to partner with the School of Human Ecology is because something will get done. It’s very hard to turn the Titanic, but it’s not hard when Soyeon Shim puts her mind to something. That’s what leadership looks like to me.”
—Paul Robbins, Dean, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Collaboration & Shared Vision
In Her Own Words
When I arrived at UW–Madison, I was an unknown quantity. I stepped into someone else’s team and legacy. There was no reason for people not to trust me, but no reason for them to trust me, either. I knew that earning trust was critical, and that I had to show I wasn’t here to impose my agenda but to support a vision we all believed in.
So very early on, I brought everyone together to work on strategic planning and budget allocation. In the end, everyone got some of what they wanted, and I had earned trust by listening, empowering people to build a shared vision, and then providing the resources needed to reach it.
I’ve learned to frame challenges as opportunities to bring people together as a team. Make it clear we’re in it together. For me, challenges offer an opportunity to bring people together, an opportunity to grow. When faced with a problem to solve or an opportunity to build on, my first instinct has always been to bring people together.
Long-term success can’t hinge on a limited number of people. Excellence must incorporate everyone, and everyone should contribute to the greater good. We all work together to create strong platforms for people to build on and to sustain our success.
“Soyeon is a true ‘connector’ — she links ideas, she links people, and I’ve seen firsthand how she creates and builds connections all across the university and among our alums.”
—Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin