According to higher education giving insights from EverTrue, the number of donors decreased by 8.2% in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023. Meanwhile, the total dollar amount donated increased by 60% on average, with a median growth of 18%. This shift underscores a critical challenge (and opportunity) for advancement teams: fewer donors are giving more, meaning institutions must focus on deeper engagement and stronger relationships with supporters.

In this guide, we’ll discuss actionable university fundraising tips to help your institution build meaningful, lasting relationships. From using segmented communication strategies to digital tools like texting and early student engagement, we’ll explain what works and why. Let’s begin.

1. Segment your donors

University donors don’t all have the same preferences or interests, so your outreach shouldn’t treat them as a monolith. By tailoring your donor engagement efforts to your audience’s unique needs, interests, and preferences, you can design outreach materials that resonate with them.

Your organization’s constituent relationship management (CRM) platform will come in handy in this process. Whether you use Slate, Salesforce Education Cloud, Ellucian CRM Advance, or a different CRM tool, you should be able to manage donor segmentation directly within your donor database.

Use donor data and behavioral insights to segment donors by:

• Graduation year or decade
• Career field or industry
• Past engagement activity
• Preferred communication channel

This allows you to personalize messages and target content effectively. For example, a young alumni donor might respond well to a digital networking event invite, while a seasoned donor might be more interested in legacy giving updates.

2. Engage students before they graduate

Alumni are among the most essential donors for university fundraising because of their powerful personal connections to your institution. The most successful alumni engagement strategies start before commencement. Building affinity early fosters long-term loyalty and stronger giving potential among new grads.

Consider the following tactics to keep students engaged with your institution:

• Launch student ambassador programs that connect undergrads with alumni mentors. Pair students with mentors in a similar career field so they can learn valuable insights about joining the industry. Encourage pairs to meet in person to form stronger bonds that can last long after graduation.
• Offer resume reviews or career panels led by alumni. Host virtual resume workshop sessions or Q&As with alumni to prepare students for the working world. Ask current students for feedback about which types of sessions they’d find the most interesting or helpful.
• Involve students in annual giving campaigns or campus traditions. Participation helps students build a sense of ownership and connection with their institution. Whether they’re tabling for Giving Day or joining a tradition like senior class gifts, these experiences lay the groundwork for long-term alumni engagement and giving.

These efforts show students that your university cares about their ongoing success, even after they get their diplomas. As a result, students will hold more goodwill for your institution, increasing the likelihood of consistent, meaningful support.

3. Improve your fundraising events

90% of donors prefer experiential recognition to physical acknowledgment materials like letters or gifts. This makes fundraising events an especially valuable engagement tool as a social touchpoint and a meaningful way to recognize and celebrate supporters.

High-impact events don’t have to be large or elaborate, but they must be personal and memorable. Whether in person or virtual, the goal is to build community and reinforce connection to your institution through shared experiences.

To improve your fundraising events:

• Tailor themes and formats to your audience segments. For example, you could host meetups for specific industries, mixers for certain regions with large alumni populations, or sports watch parties for young alumni.
• Include opportunities for supporters to network and interact meaningfully. Provide attendees with wearable event badges that provide information such as their names and job titles. This will make it easier for donors to find and network with others in similar fields.
• Collect and analyze feedback to iterate on future event formats. Send a survey to attendees after events to gather their feedback on everything from the networking opportunities offered to the quality of the catering. Incorporate their input into future experiences to make your events more audience-friendly.

Well-designed events can spark new engagement, rekindle dormant relationships, and create lasting memories that keep donors connected for years to come.

4. Leverage multichannel communications

Your donor community is diverse, not just in background, but also in how they prefer to communicate. To meet them where they are, use a mix of digital and traditional methods such as:

• Email newsletters and event invites
• Social media engagement
• Personalized direct mail
• Text messaging campaigns

Texting, in particular, offers high engagement rates. It enables fast, two-way communication and is ideal for event reminders or campaign updates. Busy contributors can read concise messages from your organization and click on links to your event registration forms or donation pages instantly.

5. Don’t neglect mid-level donors

Major donors receive a lot of attention in university fundraising because of their ability to contribute transformational gifts. However, mid-level donors represent a valuable bridge between casual supporters and your highest-tier donors.

These donors are typically more consistent in their giving, have a demonstrated affinity for your institution, and are often receptive to deeper engagement if you approach them intentionally.

Use these tips to engage mid-level donors:

• Send tailored thank-you messages that acknowledge their giving history and other forms of involvement, such as reunion attendance or past volunteer roles.
• Invite them to intimate gatherings or campus tours during homecoming weekends that celebrate their sustained support.
• Share impact reports that show how mid-level gifts helped fund specific programs like scholarships, departmental research, or student services.

With strategic cultivation, your mid-level donors may even decide to become planned or legacy donors in the future. According to a Sea Change Strategies report, 31% of mid-level donors have made a bequest to the organization they support, and another 23% say they plan to make one later. This data highlights the value of intentionally building lasting relationships with mid-level supporters.

6. Strengthen donor cultivation with personalization

In university fundraising, personalized cultivation is essential for strengthening lifelong ties and converting engagement into sustained giving. From milestone celebrations to targeted giving appeals, personalized outreach helps donors feel connected to your school and its evolving mission.

Use tools like predictive analytics, donor personas, and engagement tracking to:

• Identify key moments to reach out (e.g., birthdays, reunion years).
• Align giving opportunities with donor interests.
• Provide relevant updates based on donors’ past charitable giving that reinforce donor impact.
• Spotlight matching gift opportunities based on employment information.

BWF’s guide to university fundraising recommends going beyond simple emails to create personalized gratitude videos for donors. According to the guide, these videos can “capture donors’ attention and show them that your organization values their involvement.” Ask current students or professors to volunteer to speak in these videos, making them even more personal and meaningful.

Effective university fundraising requires your school to meet donors where they are and build mutually beneficial relationships with them. With the tips in this guide, your advancement team can build enduring donor relationships that drive both connection and giving.

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About the author

With over 20 years of experience spanning multiple industries, including philanthropy, education, advertising, and entertainment, Megan DePaul’s marketing career has been expansive and multifaceted. As director of marketing at BWF, Megan oversees the company’s marketing division, applying her expertise in digital and print marketing, public relations, communications, and event planning.