1. Business School Fundraising at
George Washington Expected to
Recover
By Mitch Blaser

2. Introduction
• Like many of his fellow George Washington
University (GWU) alumni, Mitch Blaser is fiercely
loyal to the school from which he earned his
Bachelor’s degree in 1973. He lives today in
Bermuda and serves as the COO of Ironshore, Inc.,
the global specialty insurance firm, as well as the
CEO of its Bermuda operation. Mitch Blaser’s ties to
his alma mater are strong, though, and he currently
serves as Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the
university’s School of Business.

3. About the Board of Advisors
• The members of the Board of Advisors play several important
roles. For example, they are the school’s ambassadors and
highlight their relationship with the school whenever they
can. They may visit with students considering attending the
school, and they participate in a mentorship program with
second-year MBA students.
One of the main roles of the Board of Advisors is to help the
School of Business meet its financial goals through several
different strategies. This mission was impacted in mid-2013,
when the Business School dismissed Dean Doug Guthrie. The
school replaced Guthrie with Christopher Kayes as interim
dean, but fundraising revenues at least temporarily fell off by
more than a third.

4. Decline in Donations
• The decline in donations is a concern and may lead
to belt tightening at the school, but experienced
insiders resist the urge to panic. Until the school
appoints a permanent replacement for Guthrie,
fundraising revenues should be depressed. This is
not unique to GWU, but is a phenomenon seen
elsewhere as well. According to the university’s chief
fundraiser, Michael Morsberger, a school’s biggest
contributors want to meet personally with the dean
and discuss the school’s long-range vision and plans,
topics an interim dean generally cannot address.

5. Conclusion
• Board of Advisors chairman Mitchell Blaser said
they had anticipated the dip in fundraising, but
pointed out that the board’s 100 percent donor
track record had not been adversely affected by
the dismissal. He also was optimistic about
fundraising rebounding after a new permanent
dean is appointed.