New Hire at Lincoln Academy Aims to Build ‘Culture of Philanthropy’

Lincoln Academy has a new associate head of school on board to spearhead the private Newcastle high school’s efforts to finance capital projects and programs.

Associate Head of School for Advancement Matthew Goetting brings experience and a record of success at private schools around the country to his new position.

As a private school, Lincoln Academy relies on philanthropy to finance major construction projects and supplement the state-established tuition fees it receives from area towns.

The goal is “to enhance the experience for the students and the faculty at Lincoln,” Goetting said, and philanthropy offers an opportunity to help reach this goal.

Goetting will work “to create a culture of philanthropy here at Lincoln” and “build on the tremendous success” of his predecessor, Development Director Kathe Cheska, the head of the development office since its establishment in 1996.

Lincoln Academy plans to break ground on a $1.7 million applied technology and engineering center with the funds from Cheska’s final major campaign next month.

The center will be “a world-class place for students to learn and be prepared to go out into the work force,” Goetting said. “I think it’s a really exciting project and it’s going to be significant in the region and beyond in terms of what it can do.”

Now, the development office can shift its focus to other priorities.

New athletic fields and a performing arts center top the list.

The community can help dictate the school’s priorities with its support. An anonymous gift of $450,000 jump-started the engineering center campaign in 2011, and a similar gift could do the same for the athletic fields, Goetting said.

The school will also continue to raise money to support academic programs.

Lincoln Academy wants to ensure it can continue to “recruit and retain the best faculty” and provide the faculty with the support and resources necessary for success, Goetting said.

“I think there are always ways faculty are looking to enhance their program, and whether it’s in the arts or the humanities or the language department or the sciences, there are always things faculty members want to be doing that require financial resources,” Goetting said.

Goetting knows he will have to make a “razor-sharp” case to bring in the resources Lincoln needs to advance these projects.

The multitude of charities, causes and nonprofits today creates an “ultra-competitive” atmosphere when it comes to philanthropy, he said. “There are hundreds, if not thousands, of organizations doing really great things for their communities.”

“People should want to invest in our mission and in our school, and that’s been my focus at all the schools, to articulate why an investment in, in this case, Lincoln Academy, is a rock-solid one,” Goetting said.

He started the job Jan. 6 and is already at work to build the relationships necessary for success.

“I want to make sure we really plug in to this community and engage the community in moving Lincoln Academy forward,” Goetting said. “My goal, early on, is to try to do as much listening as I can and meet with people who are connected to Lincoln in a formal way, but also people who are just interested in making sure Lincoln is as strong as it can be.”

Goetting, originally of Philadelphia, has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. and a Master of Educational Leadership degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

After a post-graduation foray into management consulting, he entered the education field with a position in development at Stanford Law School.

He has worked at other independent schools since. His most recent post was as vice president of development and strategic initiatives at Girard College, a Philadelphia boarding school for children in grades one through 12 from low-income, single-parent families.

Goetting has experience in capital campaigns, including a $25 million building campaign at one school, as well as international fundraising and strategic planning.

He has lifelong family ties to Maine and a strong love for the state.

“I was looking for the ideal intersection of my personal and professional lives, and this school and this community really represented as good an opportunity as I saw out there,” Goetting said.

The state “offers a lot in terms of quality of life, and professionally, I think the opportunity at Lincoln is pretty extraordinary,” Goetting said.

“I’m really excited by the potential,” he said. “The school already does incredible things for the students here, but I think there’s an opportunity to build on that success.”

Goetting lives in Newcastle. His wife, Karen, teaches elementary school art in Philadelphia, and will move to Maine soon.