6 Audience Engagement Tips for Better University Fundraising

2024 was an interesting year for fundraising professionals. Persistent and emerging challenges in the nonprofit landscape coincided with some. While some issues carried over from previous years, new dynamics reshaped the way organizations navigated their work.

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2024: Highs, lows, and lessons learned

Last year was a year of highs and lows for fundraising and advancement professionals. From staffing struggles to shifts in donor behaviors, the year brought challenges that tested the resilience of nonprofits across sectors. However, these hurdles also paved the way for innovation, collaboration, and strategic rethinking, setting the stage for what 2025 might bring.

• The donor market: Fewer donors, more donations

The donor landscape in 2024 presented an interesting problem. While overall donations increased, the donor pool continued to shrink. According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), there was a 2% increase in total donations but a 4.5% decline in the number of individual donors. This trend posed a significant challenge for nonprofits reliant on a broad donor base for smaller, recurring contributions.

• Staffing continues to be a tricky problem

Staffing shortages and high turnover rates continued to be among the most pressing concerns for nonprofits in 2024. According to a study by NonProfit PRO, nearly 70% of nonprofits reported struggling with staffing challenges, citing underfunding and burnout as primary drivers.

This crisis was compounded by the competitive job market, which made it difficult for nonprofits to attract and retain talent. High turnover negatively impacted team morale and operational efficiency, forcing many organizations to stretch already limited resources to achieve their goals.

• Navigating tech adoption

The rise of AI and other tech tools has been both a blessing and a challenge for nonprofits.  While AI offers powerful capabilities—from predicting donor behavior to automating administrative tasks—it also requires significant investment in training and implementation. Many teams struggled to fully integrate these tools due to lacking technical expertise or financial resources.

The use of AI also brings forward some ethical concerns that increasingly became relevant throughout the year. There exists the risk of over-automating donor communication, which could lead to a loss of the personal touch that is central to alumni engagement. For smaller organizations, the hype around AI could also lead to investments in tools that did not align with their needs, diverting funds from more pressing priorities.

• Opportunities in adversity

Despite the challenges, nonprofits showcased remarkable resilience. Many embraced hybrid fundraising models, combining virtual and in-person events to engage a broader audience. Charity Digital reported that organizations leveraging digital tools for storytelling and donor engagement saw significant returns on investment.

Additionally, DonorBox emphasized how nonprofits that invested in robust donor communication tools experienced improved retention rates, especially during year-end campaigns.

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2025: Building on Resilience and Innovation

As we move into 2025, nonprofits more than ever need to build on the lessons of 2024 by focusing on sustainable growth and strategic innovation.

Resilience emerged as a defining characteristic in 2024, and nonprofits should ideally look to build upon it by adopting sustainable strategies and scalable practices, to better navigate uncertainty and a world that’s throwing a lot of innovations at us without leaving us much time or resources to consider our approach to each of them. With all that being said, we’d like to explore some broad focus areas that teams and institutions alike should watch out for in 2025:

• Pragmatic tech adoption: Cutting through the hype

The excitement surrounding AI and other technologies in 2024 often led to unrealistic expectations for nonprofits. A research paper published by Lauri Goldkind, Joy Ming, and Alex Fink critically assessed AI’s role in human services, questioning whether it offered genuine value or was simply a trend driven by hype. The study concluded that while AI holds transformative potential, it requires proper alignment with an organization's size, mission, and resource constraints to be effective.

Throughout 2025, Nonprofits should be shifting focus toward scalable and budget-conscious technology solutions. For example, a hypothetical smaller team that only needs a CRM and basic analytics could leverage low-cost digital tools and achieve better outcomes if these tools are customized to their specific workflows and objectives, as opposed to trying to cover all their bases and wasting both resources and time spent on upskilling.

• A renewed focus on People

The staffing crisis doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon with 68% of organizations reporting difficulties with recruitment and retention in 2024. Common challenges include toxic work cultures, burnout, uncompetitive salaries, and insufficient training opportunities. Increased investment in professional development, equitable pay structures, and supportive workplace cultures have been big talking points for a while but now they need to become key priorities. Policies aimed at reducing burnout, such as flexible work schedules and mental health support should be a good starting point.

Additionally, peer mentoring and community-building efforts are gaining traction. Nonprofits can leverage mentorship programs and peer support networks to foster a sense of community within their teams, leading to improved job satisfaction and retention.

At the heart of every nonprofit is its people—the staff, donors, and volunteers whose collective efforts drive change. By fostering positive internal cultures and focusing on impactful strategies, nonprofits can inspire trust and loyalty, ensuring their mission thrives in the years to come.

• Deepening donor relations

Nonprofits have responded to the recent donor market shifts by focusing on deepening relationships with existing donors. Strategies such as targeted communication and personalized outreach have since become standard practice. 2025 should be a good year for teams to consolidate knowledge of their tools and long-term goals so that they continue fostering donor loyalty seamlessly. A key area of focus will be on small and medium-sized donors and how teams can turn them into loyal donors moving forward.

With federal budget cuts for nonprofits and institutions seeming likely on the horizon, advancement and nonprofit teams especially in the US will need to explore sustainable alternatives to reach their goals.

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That’ll just about do it for now but with 2025 seeming a difficult year to predict, there should certainly be a lot more to talk about in the coming months.

Advancement professionals understand that successful fundraising isn’t simply about donations; it’s about building lasting relationships with donors. This is where donor cultivation comes in—a proactive, intentional approach to developing meaningful connections with supporters over time.

In this blog, we explore what donor cultivation means, how it differs from stewardship, its key benefits, and the lifecycle involved. We'll also discuss several practical strategies to take your advancement team’s fundraising efforts to the next level, as well as tips for building your own donor cultivation plan.

What is donor cultivation? (And why it matters in Advancement)

Donor cultivation is the ongoing process of engaging, educating, and building relationships with current and potential donors before a gift is solicited. The ultimate goal of donor cultivation is to create a sense of connection and commitment to your institution’s mission, making donors more likely to give and continue supporting you in the long term.

Cultivation is not just a fundraising tactic but also a critical element in sustainable advancement work as it paves the way for more support. A well-implemented donor cultivation not only gains and retains its donors but also empowers them to become valuable assets of their institution or cause.

Donor cultivation & stewardship: What's the difference?

While both donor cultivation and stewardship are crucial elements of fundraising, they refer to distinct phases of the donor relationship. Cultivation typically occurs before and up to the point of making a gift, focusing on building awareness, interest, and excitement around your mission. It includes outreach, education, and connection activities designed to encourage a prospective donor to contribute for the first time or to increase their giving.

Stewardship, on the other hand, begins after a donation is made. It centers on showing appreciation, ensuring donor satisfaction, and demonstrating the impact of gifts. The goal of stewardship is to foster continued and increased support over time. Simply put, while cultivation is about earning a donor’s first or next gift, stewardship is about thanking them and keeping them engaged for the future.

As you can see, the two are far from exclusive and on the contrary, are best used to complement each other to both gain and retain donors.

Why donor cultivation?

Investing in donor cultivation offers several important advantages to advancement teams, including:

• Stronger relationships: Genuine engagement builds loyalty and emotional connection, leading to longer-lasting support.‍
• Higher conversion rates: Prospective donors who are engaged and informed are more likely to say “yes” when asked to give.‍
• Larger gifts: Cultivation can lead to a deeper affinity with your mission, motivating donors to make more significant contributions.‍
• Improved donor retention: Consistent, value-led communication reduces one-time gifts and increases the likelihood of repeat giving.‍
• Sense of community: Cultivation creates a sense of belonging, making donors feel valued as partners rather than transactions.

The donor cultivation lifecycle

The donor cultivation lifecycle outlines the stages that prospects move through, from first contact to becoming a loyal supporter. While there will be variations between donors in different institutions and nonprofits, it mostly follows the stages of:

1. ‍Identification: Recognizing potential donors within your community or database.‍
2. Qualification: Assessing interest, giving capacity, and potential engagement.‍
3. Cultivation: Building relationships through personalized outreach, events, and updates.‍
4. Solicitation: Making an informed and timely ask.‍
5. Stewardship: Thanking, reporting impact, and nurturing for future engagement.

10 Proven Donor Cultivation Strategies for Advancement Teams

To build a robust donor pipeline and grow long-term relationships, try these proven donor cultivation strategies:

Every advancement office is unique, but certain cultivation strategies consistently deliver the highest return on investment. Below, we explore ten in depth, each accompanied by actionable examples.

1. Personalize Communications

Personalization is not just about using a donor’s name; it means tailoring messages to interests, giving history, and engagement preferences. For instance, referencing a donor’s support of a specific scholarship in a thank-you letter creates a sense of individual recognition.

Example: Sending a note about campus news related to the exact project a donor previously funded.

2. Engage Through Storytelling

Sharing compelling stories about your institution’s impact helps donors see themselves as catalysts for change. When you relay a student’s success thanks to a funded scholarship, it illustrates the real results of generosity.

Example: Featuring a short video testimonial from a student who benefited from donor-supported programs.

3. Host Intimate Donor Events

Smaller, mission-focused gatherings cultivate deeper engagement by allowing donors greater access to leadership and beneficiaries. Such settings foster meaningful exchanges and feedback.

Example: Organizing a dinner for science program supporters to meet student researchers and faculty innovators.

4. Leverage Data and Analytics

Utilize data from your CRM to segment donors, predict giving potential, and optimize outreach. Data-driven insights inform when and how to engage each segment.

Example: Using analytics to identify lapsed donors and launching a targeted re-engagement campaign.

5. Offer Volunteering and Leadership Opportunities

Inviting donors to serve as event hosts, mentors, or advisory board members strengthens their ties to your organization. Active roles often lead to increased sense of ownership and higher giving levels.

Example: Encouraging alumni to speak at career panels for current students.

6. Provide Behind-the-Scenes Access

Exclusive tours or previews make donors feel like insiders, offering a tangible sense of impact and belonging. These experiences create lasting memories and stories to share.

Example: Hosting a guided tour of a new research facility before its public opening.

7. Timely and Transparent Reporting

Keep donors informed about the results of their contributions with regular, clear updates. Reports should tie outcomes directly back to donor support to reinforce their value.

Example: Sending a detailed impact report showing scholarship recipients’ progress at semester’s end.

8. Cultivate Multi-Channel Engagement

Use a mix of phone calls, handwritten notes, emails, and social media to maintain connection without overwhelming donors. Multi-channel touchpoints accommodate diverse engagement preferences.

Example: Following up an in-person event with a social media post that tags and thanks attendees.

9. Recognize Milestones and Special Occasions

Acknowledging anniversaries of giving, birthdays, or other life milestones demonstrates genuine care beyond financial support.

Example: Mailing a birthday card or small gift to a long-time donor, expressing appreciation for ongoing partnership.

10. Solicit Feedback and Encourage Dialogue

Encouraging donors to share their thoughts and preferences positions your institution as a true partner. Two-way communication builds trust and surfaces new ideas for engagement.

Example: Sending a survey after major events to ask donors what resonated and what could be improved.

Common Mistakes in Donor Cultivation

While even seasoned teams strive for excellence, pitfalls are common and can undermine even the strongest cultivation plans.

1. Tunnel vision on large donors and major gifts

Focusing exclusively on major gift prospects risks neglecting the broader donor base, which collectively offers immense value and potential for growth. For example, loyal annual donors can often grow into major contributors over time if properly engaged.

2. Using generic communication for all donor segments

Mass, impersonal communications signal a lack of investment in individual relationships and often lead to disengagement. For example, sending the same form letter to every donor, regardless of past giving or interest area, misses crucial opportunities for connection.

3. Lack of engagement or interaction tracking

Advancement teams that don’t systematically track interactions lose valuable insight into donor journeys and can easily miss timely follow-ups. For example, failing to record attendance at events can lead to missed thank-yous or future invitations.

4. Overlooking opportunities for collaboration

Teams sometimes forget that collaboration across departments can deepen donor engagement and streamline outreach. For example, event planners sharing donor preferences with communications staff can help tailor invitations and follow-ups more effectively.

5. Neglecting lapsed or dormant donors

Failing to re-engage lapsed or inactive donors can lead to long-term attrition. Proactively reach out to those who have stepped back, and offer pathways for renewed involvement.

Building your own cultivation plan: Things to keep in mind

Now that you have the what, why, how and how nots of a donor cultivation plan, here are some things to keep in mind when building (or reworking) your cultivation plan:

1. Create a data-informed workflow

Having a robust and well-maintained strategy for your database/CRM straight from the get-go will save you weeks of headaches and manual work when you eventually want to scale your fundraisers or incorporate more tools to complement your donor acquisition and retention.

2. Map out a multi-channel communications calendar

Include a mix of personal outreach, digital communications, and live or virtual events. Use your data to schedule when and how you’ll engage prospects throughout the year.

3. Invest in donor recognition and feedback loops

Set up systems to acknowledge milestones, celebrate donor achievements, and collect feedback regularly. This creation of genuine two-way communication cultivates loyalty and trust.

4. Focus on sustainable fundraising

With the number of individual donors falling consistently for the past 4 years, it is important that your long-term donor cultivation hinges on meaningful engagement that will resonate with your donors and keep them coming back in one way or another. Have your fundraising and cultivation strategy be diverse, flexible, and transparent to engage any past, potential, and current supporters.

Wrapping it up

Fundraising success grows from genuine relationships and thoughtful engagement. By understanding the stages of donor cultivation and applying strategies tailored to your audience, your advancement team will be well-positioned for sustainable support and long-term impact. Start building your customized donor cultivation plan today to foster partnerships that fuel your mission.

If you’re looking for a platform that covers your entire fundraising journey from cultivation to stewardship and everything in between, give us at Almabase a try and we’d love to help!

The importance of fundraising needs no introduction. However, with social, political, and economic elements proving increasingly tricky to predict, institutions of all sizes need to consider how they can make their fundraising strategy resilient to policy changes or the possibility of economic uncertainty.

Even before the sweeping education policy changes, fundraisers were proving increasingly reliant on large donors. According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, the dollars raised increased every quarter throughout 2024, but there were fewer donors at every turn. It goes without saying that an increasing reliance on large donors at a time of declining donor retention runs a huge risk.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through some key points you should look to integrate in order to futureproof your fundraising strategy.

How to Build a Sustainable Fundraising Strategy

1. Focus on Small and Medium-Sized Donors

Your large donors are undeniably your biggest champions. However, a future-proof fundraising strategy requires all its donor segments to believe in your cause. You should look to:

• Develop campaigns that appeal to everyday donors with accessible giving levels
• Introduce flexible and recurring donation options
• Have storytelling campaigns centered around small and medium donors
• Celebrate milestones for small donors to keep them engaged and appreciated
• Have a pathway in mind to turn smaller donors into ambassadors, volunteers, or more.

Some donors may simply not have felt as connected to your cause as your larger donors. Keeping in mind that every $10 or $50 donation adds up over time, have specific segments and nurture processes for your small and mid-sized donors with a focus on donor retention and long-term community building.

2. Have a Strong and Consistent Data Strategy

Data is the backbone of modern advancement and fundraising. A well-maintained data system ensures you know who your donors are and how to engage them meaningfully.

• Pick a CRM that your team is comfortable with and can scale with your strategy
• Consider training and migration time/resources if you’re planning to switch CRMs
• Make the most of your CRM to segment different donor groups and track engagement data
• Consider complementary tools and add-ons based on your team’s budgets and needs
• Leverage data analytics to identify trends and predict donor behavior

Knowing is half the battle, and CRMs should be the knowledge hub to drive your current and future fundraising strategies.

3. Inspire Trust Through Transparency

Trust is the foundation of sustainable giving. Being upfront about how funds are used can inspire trust to snowball your donors’ perception of your cause.

• Include relevant data and plans in your donor retention and stewardship strategy
• Publish detailed annual reports showcasing the impact of raised funds
• Include donors in decision-making processes via polls or surveys
• Create transparent campaigns with clear, measurable goals
• Maintain open lines of communication with alumni for any questions or feedback they may have (more on this later)

Transparency builds credibility, making donors more likely to continue supporting your initiatives.

4. Explore Corporate Partnerships

Corporate entities, especially those associated with your alumni provide great scope for collaborations and can significantly expand your fundraising impact.

• Research local or national businesses associated with your alumni and/or aligned with your institution’s values
• Keep corporate matching gifts in mind for your fundraisers
• Propose mutually beneficial partnership ideas (e.g., co-hosted events, scholarships)
• Businesses located close to your institution are a particularly great opportunity for a deeper partnership

5. Provide Flexible and Evergreen Giving Options

There is no guarantee that your emails and events will be noticed by your alumni and donors at the perfect time. Providing a multitude of giving options not only increases the timeframe for donors to contribute but also attracts smaller and irregular donors.

• Set up recurring giving programs with flexible options
• Keep exploring matching gift opportunities
• Always include custom donation amounts as a choice
• Make use of platforms that have payment processing fees that your donors would be comfortable with
• Explore the possibility of longer or unlimited fundraisers

6. Encourage Non-Financial Contributions

Fundraising goes beyond monetary gifts. Non-financial contributions foster the culture of giving back and are crucial to building your donor community.

• Encourage volunteerism for campus events or fundraising campaigns
• Host blood donation drives or ambassador programs to engage communities
• Invite industry professionals to mentor students or lead workshops

These contributions build community goodwill and often pave the way for future financial support.

7. Maintain Open Lines of Communication

While your institution would obviously have some common points of contact, you’ll need to go further to inspire donor loyalty. Your institution needs to feel approachable, and your donors need to feel heard. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Send personalized thank-you notes immediately after donations
• Make use of automated workflows to personalize communication with your various donor segments
• Regularly mention where donors and alumni can reach out to you for suggestions or questions, either through email signatures, website footers, or CTAs
• Use newsletters, emails, and social media to make your donors and alumni feel included. Bonus points if you’re able to create segment-specific newsletters.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, fundraising relies on your donors and their willingness to support your cause(s). By focusing on sustainable practices, your institution gains the flexibility to adapt to donor trends and economic shifts, essentially future-proofing your fundraising strategy.

If you’re looking for a long-term partner for your fundraising efforts, do give us a shout and we’d love to answer your questions and show you how we can help!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is sustainable fundraising?

Sustainable fundraising focuses on creating long-term financial stability for an institution by diversifying revenue sources and fostering regular contributions. It ensures that you maintain consistent supporter engagement while adapting to changing economic and political dynamics.

Is sustainable giving difficult to achieve?

While building a sustainable fundraising strategy requires effort, it becomes manageable with the right tools and approaches. Leveraging data, fostering trust, and offering flexible giving options can simplify and strengthen your efforts.

How do I approach a corporate business for a fundraising partnership?

Start by identifying companies that share your institution’s values. Reach out with a concise and clear proposal that highlights mutual benefits. Focus on co-branded initiatives and emphasize the positive publicity their business can gain through the partnership.

What are the benefits of having a sustainable fundraising strategy?

Sustainable fundraising reduces reliance on unpredictable sources of income, enables long-term planning, and fosters stronger donor relationships. It ensures financial stability, even in uncertain times, and allows institutions to focus more on their mission.