Alumni Relations experts Dr. Maria Gallo and Dr. Kevin Fleming break down the fundamentals of Transformational Philanthropy and Alumni Centricity in this blog post.
How can alumni-centric programming lead to transformational philanthropy?
We were in conversation with Kalyan Varma of Almabase to tackle this question.
What a conversation! At a time when alumni relations and advancement is filled with doing all the time, it was a refreshing 45 minutes to reflect on the future of our sector.
What is transformational philanthropy? In a nutshell, it’s the philanthropy that changes the course of the institution, the game changer, the ability to create tremendous impact. When you add an alumni-centric elements to the mix, you end up with transformational experiences with and for students and alumni.
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We reveled in the moment a couple of weeks back, so much so that neither of us took notes. This won’t be a synopsis of the presentation (a recording worth returning to!). Instead, we want to present to you a structure for transformational philanthropy that we developed in our book chapter ‘Transformational Philanthropy: Alumni Giving to Advance the International Agenda’ in the book Engaging International Alumni as Strategic Partners.
This structure was presented in the book as a Venn diagram, outlining three overlapping circles to create the synergy required for transformational philanthropy. In the chapter, we present three key aspects of transformational philanthropy that we outlined in our virtual fireside chat:
*In the chapter, The Lens is described as the international plan- if you have a particular interest in international alumni relations and transformational philanthropy — this book is for you!
For those who love visuals (we do!) here’s the original diagram:
Rereading the chapter, another image emerged: a funnel. Imagine starting broad with the institutional mission and narrowing to the institutional realities in which we work, towards creating the perfect transformational philanthropy storm.
Alumni relationships take time. Having these elements in place, however, is not enough. They need to be enacted, which is where the importance of alumni/advancement professionals and alumni leadership to act as the catalyst. When Maria read on, she realized it wasn’t a funnel but an hourglass shape that she visualized as below:
This extended version of the funnel becoming an hourglass allows for so much more! In the bottom of the hourglass, the three elements of transformational philanthropy are enacted through a case for support (“the anchor”), compelling storytelling (“the lens”) and creating points of celebration and stewardship involving the institutional community (“the landscape”).
As with any hourglass, you can imagine the grains of sand that occupy and trickle down through the narrowest point of the vessel: these are our alumni. They also occupy the bottom half of the vessel, filling up the bulb. This is what makes transformational philanthropy alumni-centric: Involving alumni (and indeed students- alum from day one!) in all the aspects of the journey, from identifying mission, vision values and priorities to the compelling stories and celebration. Transformational philanthropy is transformational when the impact on the institutional community aligns with mission and focuses on this question: what’s the long-term impact of this gift or service for students, alumni and (potentially) on society?
What does everyone do with an hourglass? Keep tipping it over so that the sands flow back and forth! Alumni centricity and transformational philanthropy are iterative in that they build upon and inform one another — in essence, a continual turning over of the hourglass to inform engagement. This is a fundamental question our industry should continually ask ourselves about every assumption and logic model we have. Often, we have things backwards or upside down!
Do note, as Kevin emphasized in the panel discussion, transformational philanthropy might be the large financial donations to the institution, but it also includes alumni volunteering and programming that can have an incredible impact on the lives of our students, alumni, and society. In Maria’s book The Alumni Way: Building Lifelong Value from Your University Investment (just published!) she describes philanthropy as time, talent, treasure, and ties (networks) that our alumni bring to our institutions through their generosity and service.
How can you bring alumni-centric transformational philanthropy to your institution?
First, complete Dr Jay Dillon’s alumni-centric exercise outlined here: it’s simple and gets you on the road to alumni-centric thinking for your planning and your work.
Next, we would suggest the ‘one actionable thing’ that we challenged attendees from the session could do: revisit your plan. This might be your alumni engagement plan, your development plan, or even your international plan. After the section on key performance indicators, outputs, or outcomes for each objective, add a new column. Call this column alumni impact. Consider this question for all your programs, events, or case for support priorities: what’s the potential impact on alumni (and students)? How can alumni or students be directly involved in its success? Be creative! Stretch your thinking!
Get in touch with Maria Gallo and/or Kevin Fleming if you want to explore these ideas with your team or alumni leadership.
Dr. Maria Gallo is the Founder & Principal of KITE - Keep In Touch Education, a consultancy that is at the forefront of research and thought leadership in alumni relations, trends, and engagement. With over 20 years of experience working in various leadership roles in higher education and advancement, Maria brings expert insights and unique perspectives to the table through her resources. Besides having an active research portfolio, Maria also has several peer-reviewed academic journal publications in alumni relationships and philanthropy. Through her publications, Maria expresses her strong belief in the power alumni networks possess. She also featured in a TEDx Talk in 2018 where she spoke about how one can make the most out of alumni networks.
Dr. Maria’s latest book, The Alumni Way, which dives deep into the vast potential of alumni networks, is out now.
Dr. Kevin Fleming is the Co-Founder & CEO at Prosper Nonprofit Advisors, a consulting firm that provides philanthropic guidance to nonprofit organizations. A veteran in the Alumni Relations and Nonprofit space, Dr. Kevin has over 20 years of experience under his belt. Over the years, he has worked with a number of institutions to transform overall alumni engagement and communications strategies, volunteer programs, and event alignments. He has published a ground-breaking theory of alumni engagement in the peer-reviewed Journal of Philanthropy and Education, entitled “The Pots of Water Framework for Alumni Engagement.”
An educator and researcher by nature, Kevin’s background in teaching makes him an excellent meeting facilitator. His immense knowledge, paired with a great sense of humor, makes him extremely approachable to talk to about all things alumni relations and fundraising.
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As we dive into 2021, alumni relations teams across institutions are gearing up to upgrade their programming for the year ahead.
However, the stakes for this year are high – alumni relations professionals cannot rely on a set of strategies that have worked for them in the past. Thanks to the new normal they find themselves in, institutions need to come up with an alternate plan of action that will help them succeed.
With the industry constantly evolving during these testing times, we understand the need for you to be on top of the latest trends and best practices. As you navigate this new normal, we bring to you top industry experts on LinkedIn who can help you find new strategies and get closer to your alumni engagement goals. These top 15 Alumni Relations leaders are helping revolutionize the alumni relations landscape with their valuable insights and thought leadership.
Without further ado, here are our top 15 Alumni Relations Leaders to follow in 2021, in no particular order.
Dr. Jay Dillon has over 17 years of experience in alumni advancement in higher education. He is a skilled alumni strategist with expertise in alumni relations management, fundraising, and donor engagement. He has collaborated with renowned advancement professionals for multiple podcasts that are available on his website.
Jay founded the Alumni Identity Fundraising Consultants in March 2018, a consultancy that helps educational institutions accelerate philanthropy and improve fundraising outcomes. He is presently serving as the Executive Director of Alumni Relations at The University of California, Berkeley.
Here are some of our favorite picks from Jay’s library of resources on LinkedIn:
1. Is Fundraising more Science or Art? The results are in.
2. Donor Demographics are the Enemy of Equity.
Ryan Catherwood is currently the Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Career Services at The Longwood University in Virginia. He has hosted numerous podcasts on alumni management and advancement. His podcast series, Advancement Legends, features 36 episodes specifically aimed at alumni engagement and fundraising professionals in educational advancement.
Ryan was the former host of Advancement Live, a part of Higher Ed Live (a network of professional development web shows and podcasts) which aired over 30 live episodes covering topics like digital engagement, reunions, and donor relations.
Ryan also specializes in digital marketing, public relations, content management, and community building, in addition to alumni relations management.
Some of Ryan’s resources on LinkedIn you might enjoy reading:
1. For alumni and donor engagement pros, asking questions is the answer
2. What's next for alumni and donor engagement post COVID-19 crisis?
If you are looking for ideas to improve the impact of career services at your institution, then Don Philabaum is someone you should definitely follow on LinkedIn.
Don is the President and CEO of Talentmarks, a company that specializes in career and professional development programming for students, grads, and alumni. He has vast experience helping students find their career paths after graduation.
Don has authored six wonderful books. We highly recommend ‘Change It!: Create A Career Centered College Culture’ for colleges focused on becoming more career-centric.
Some of our favorite resources by Don:
1. What Should Your Alma Mater Focus On? Friend Raising or Career Raising?
2. What Do Alumni REALLY Want From Their Alma Mater?
Mark W. Jones, who is currently the Principal and Founder of Flywheel Strategies, has nearly three decades of experience working in frontline fundraising and communication for higher education. He has worked at various leadership levels across different institutions, including serving as Chief Advancement Officer at four leading liberal arts institutions.
Mark’s experienced insights, teaching, and writing have cemented him as a thought leader in the philanthropic advancement field. He has abundant experience working with institutions in unlocking their philanthropic potential through strategic training plans. While working as the leader of Flywheel Strategies, Mark has helped over 20 schools and non-profit organizations with his consultation, facilitation, and coaching services.
Mark regularly writes resources on fundraising strategies, alumni engagement, and talent development. He is also the owner of the Higher Education Advancement Professionals (HEAP) group on LinkedIn.
A few recommendations from Mark’s resource library on LinkedIn:
1. Time + Training = The Two Keys to Sustained Fundraising Success
2. A Checklist: 11 Ways to Train and Develop Your Staff from Day 1
Maria is the Founder & Principal of KITE - Keep In Touch Education, a consultancy that is at the forefront of research and thought leadership in alumni relations, trends, and engagement.
With over 20 years of experience working in various leadership roles in higher education and advancement, Maria brings expert insights and unique perspectives to the table through her resources. Besides having an active research portfolio, Maria also has several peer-reviewed academic journal publications in alumni relationships and philanthropy.
Through her publications, Maria expresses her strong belief in the power alumni networks possess. She also featured in a TEDx Talk in 2018 where she spoke about how one can make the most out of alumni networks.
Here are some of our recommendations from Maria’s LinkedIn library:
1. Orchestrating Alumni Serendipity: Masterminding Alumni Relations of the Future
Jon Horowitz has more than 15 years of experience in alumni and constituent relations, communications, and fundraising. He currently works as the Director of Market Research & Impact Insights for Advancement at Dartmouth College. He also hosts Advancement Live, a part of the Higher Ed Live network.
Jon is driven by the belief that the marriage of engagement analytics with a contextual understanding of constituent experiences and interests can yield powerfully dynamic intelligence about alumni and donors which, in turn, can drive advancement strategy that can profoundly transform their sentiment and involvement.
Before working as a director at Dartmouth College, he headed his consulting firm that focused on digital strategies for higher education advancement and engagement. He has previously also been acquainted with Princeton University and Rutgers University in implementing digital alumni engagement strategies.
Our top picks from Jon’s resources:
1. The Best Habits for Successful Digital Alumni Engagement
2. The Best Habits for Successful Digital Alumni Engagement, Part 2
3. The Best Habits for Successful Digital Alumni Engagement, Part 3
Duane, who currently serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has 22 years of experience working in leadership roles in various institutions across the country. One of his numerous accomplishments include being named by Legacy Magazine Miami as one of South Florida’s 50 most powerful, influential black professionals.
Duane is an active board member of the Council of Alumni Association Executives (CAAE), and the organizations led by Wiles have received more than 10 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awards of excellence. He has also made contributions to resources on CASE.
Besides his experience in the industry, Duane was also a former football player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Here are some of the resources we loved from Duane’s LinkedIn library:
1. The evolution of virtual volunteering
2. Alumni chapters get creative throughout the pandemic
If you are looking for expert tips and guidance on how to effectively raise funds for your campaign, then Jason Lewis is someone you should watch out for.
Jason is the founder of Responsive Fundraising, a management consultancy that helps non-profit leaders find meaningful and sustainable ways of raising funds for their campaigns. His book titled ‘The War For Fundraising Talent: And How Small Shops Can Win’, is an amazing resource for small organizations aiming to fundraise better.
Jason hosts The Fundraising Talent Podcast, a 100-episode series that deals with the latest trends in fundraising
Here are some of our top picks from Jason’s resources:
1. The Decisions Our Donors Are Making, Part 1
2. The Decisions Our Donors Are Making, Part 2
Lyndsey, who has over 15 years of experience in university advancement, currently serves as the AVP for Alumni Relations at her alma mater. She has also served as an advancement leader at the University of Denver and the University of Colorado.
She has worked in raising philanthropic support for educational advancement and also drove public relations and marketing efforts to boost the relevance and impact of higher education.
One of Lyndsey’s driving force is to work towards building a global network of alumni volunteers, donors, advocates, and friends to raise the bar for educational success and career outcomes of current and future students.
Our top picks from what Lyndsey has shared on LinkedIn:
2. Making the Most of LinkedIn
Andrew is a non-profit leader with over 3 decades of international experience in alumni engagement, communications, and fundraising.
Currently the Vice President for Alumni Relations at Brown University, he specializes in strategies for community-driven organizations and coaches education professionals on career success.
He is also a frequent international speaker and author on topics related to global non-profit strategies.
Our recommendations from Andrew’s library of resources that you might like:
1. Alumni Relations in the COVID Era
2. Democratizing Alumni Relations: The Shifting Balance in Engagement
Kathleen, who is currently the Principal at Kathleen Loehr LLC, has more than 35 years of experience working with university and nonprofit leaders as an advisor. Using her knowledge and expertise, she works with leaders who want to create a sustainable model of fundraising for non-profit organizations.
What makes Kathleen stand out as a leader is her impact on modern philanthropy, which puts the focus on women and their growing contributions. Her book, titled Gender Matters: A Guide to Growing Women’s Philanthropy, provides a detailed analysis of how women have taken the center stage in fundraising and also provides actionable insights for fundraising leaders to follow.
Kathleen’s women-centric philanthropy expertise comes from her experience in working with universities and nonprofit organizations to more deeply engage women donors.
What stood out for us among Kathleen’s resources:
1. As Women Surge in Leadership and Philanthropy, Are They Among Your Top Fundraising Priorities?
2. A Broader Definition of Philanthropy by Women
Christopher Vlahos is the Principal & Owner of Chris Vlahos Alumni Engagement Consulting LLC, a consultancy that helps institutions become more effective at alumni engagement. He is the author of multiple blogs and articles, most notably his work on the link between alumni engagement and fundraising.
Christopher’s experience and work are characterized by his emphasis on ‘purposeful alumni engagement’ - a metrics-based concept for institutional advancement that utilizes insight, strategy, and experience.
Heis a founding member of the Council for Alumni Membership & Marketing Professionals (CAMMP), a network of 450+ individuals committed to the needs of membership and marketing programs in alumni relations. Besides being an integral part of CAMMP, he has also maintained a long affiliation with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Some of Christopher’s resources on LinkedIn you might like:
1. The 12 Characteristics of a High Performing Alumni Relations Office
2. Alumni Engagement Strategic Planning: A Necessary Normal
Lynne Wester is a well-known personality in the field of donor engagement and alumni relations. She is the Principal and Founder of Donor Relations Guru, a consultancy that helps non-profit organizations unlock their true potential for fundraising and donor retention. She strongly believes that donor relations hold the key to exceptional fundraising results.
Lynne has helped top institutions in the country with alumni relations and management for over 16 years. She has authored numerous resources that help non-profit organizations and institutions improve their donor retention and engagement.
Here are some must-read resources from Lynne’s extensive library:
2. What you can do for your donors and others in Times of Crisis: COVID-19 Edition
Louis Diez, who is currently the Executive Director of Annual Giving at Muhlenberg College, has 8+ years of experience working as a fundraising professional for various educational institutions. He is also the Principal of MarktLab, a non-profit management organization.
Louis is an expert at annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies. He runs the Donor Participation Project, a group of fundraising professionals who take an active interest in the national decline in donor participation.
Some of the resources Louis has written that we recommend:
1. Helpful articles for alumni relation professionals
2. How fundraising should be approached
A. Philanda (A.P.) Moore has served as the Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement at the University of Oregon for nearly 3 years. In his role, he serves as the point of contact for minority, special interest, and professional alumni constituency groups in the university.
Recently, A.P. served as a panelist in a webinar that featured noteworthy leaders from the industry. The panel, titled ‘Alumni Relations & Diverse Populations - Reframing Engagement Towards Equity & Inclusion’, was a platform for him and other leaders to discuss how social science research has impacted the engagement of diverse graduates, and how advancement can be more inclusive.
Our top picks from A.P.’s resources shared on LinkedIn:
1. Can colleges be saved in the COVID era?
2. The Coming disruption to colleges
That about wraps up our list of the top alumni relations leaders you should follow on LinkedIn.
We are immensely grateful for the overwhelming response that we received for this article. A special shout-out to all the advancement leaders for all the inspiration and support:
Institutions will need to bring their A-game to stay on top of their goals for alumni engagement and advancement in 2021. We hope the resources shared by these experts can bring you greater success this year and beyond!
15 Alumni Relations Leaders You Should Follow on LinkedIn
As you navigate the new normal in 2021, here's our pick of the top 15 Alumni Relations Thought Leaders that you must follow to stay updated about the latest alumni relations trends & best practices.
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January 18, 2021
12 minutes
Is your institution student-centric? Certainly, most of the institutions will respond with a firm affirmation. Students are the sole reason for the existence of educational institutions; how can they not be student-centric? However, when the same question is translated to the Alumni Relations plane, the answers are not as obvious as they may seem. The concept of alumni centricity might sound simple on the surface but a deep dive reveals that a majority of advancement professionals are not quite sure about the essence of it.
Alumni-Centricity is a discipline of advancing your institution by building relationships that are not solely based on alumni loyalty, but equally on value; keeping the needs and behavior of the alumni at the center of program design. It paves the way for lifelong relationships that are mutually rewarding and more fulfilling. Despite the benefits, most institutions are not able to incorporate it in their engagement strategies. A simple question can dig out the reason behind this.
Do institutions understand their alumni enough to focus on their needs?
According to the 2020 VAESE Alumni Relations Benchmarking Study, 46% of alumni organizations have at least 10% of their alumni who have opted-out of contact with their alma mater.
As advancement teams let revenue generation guide their decision-making, what often gets overlooked are alumni programs that matter to alumni and their changing needs. Alternatively, institutions simply continue to deliver programs they've always had, crushing all creativity, and steering farther away from catering to needs of their alumni as they approach crucial landmarks in their lives. All these factors result in a severe disconnect between alumni and their alma mater.
Institutes that have gauged this disconnect have started to transform their engagement strategy. They’ve seen barriers break by understanding their alumni better, and this understanding has helped them design useful programs. They have seen tangible results by surpassing engagement and revenue goals and collecting more alumni data.
If you are still on the fence about whether or not your institution has an alumni-centric approach, this simple exercise by Jay Dillon can help you figure it out.
While we’ve understood the need for educational advancement to embrace alumni centricity, the next question that might pop in your head is, “We’ve always done things this way and we seem to be doing okay. Why change anything?”
According to the latest CASE Annual Giving Survey, for the first time in a decade, the total giving for the fiscal year 2020 dipped slightly from the previous year. And at this point, you might bring up Michael Bloomberg’s billion-dollar story, but tell me this - would Bloomberg have contributed if he had not felt a continuous sense of connection with his alma mater? The answer is a flat no. Every institution has its own Bloomberg, and not focusing on his/her needs is a lost opportunity as universities now compete for the attention and donations of their alumni.
Additionally, many institutions still rely on gifts from 5-10% of their alumni, that account for about 90% of all the funds they raise. Amidst an economic crisis ensued from Covid-19, this over-reliance on a select group of donors has led to some institutions facing massive constraints and a few even shutting shop.
The disconnect between institution and alumni further leads to alumni estrangement. If you continue to focus on short-term fundraising rather than the needs of your alumni, your endless solicitation calls would sooner or later meet a dead end. Your alumni will see little to no value being delivered to them and eventually, would discontinue the relationship, starting with opting out of communication.
It’s not too late for you to take the plunge and turn the tables: a win-win situation where you and your alumni both derive value from constant mutual efforts to serve each other’s needs. Aligning your engagement strategies to meet the needs of your alumni is the only way forward to build lifelong relationships while driving engagement, hitting revenue goals, and collecting more alumni data.
Want to know how institutions around you are embracing alumni centricity to drive alumni participation? Here are a few reads that I think you’ll enjoy:
1. Piedmont College launched a virtual giving campaign to support sheltered students and provide protective gear to frontline healthcare professionals on campus. Read the story.
2. Antioch College provided emotional support via a Virtual Dance Party to alumni amidst the pandemic. Read the story.
3. Misericordia University transitioned to a Virtual Homecoming celebration amidst the pandemic, keeping the health and safety of its community as the utmost priority. Read the story.
4. As the Class of 2020 missed their traditional commencement, William Peace University found a way to uplift their spirits by launching a series of virtual engagement opportunities to toast to the success of these grads. Read the story.
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Why should you embrace Alumni Centricity?
An increasing number of advancement teams today are adopting an alumni-centric approach, keeping alumni needs and behavior at the center of program design. Learn how alumni centricity can transform alumni engagement & help you build lifelong relationships.
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June 29, 2021
12 minutes
Fundraising is a necessity for any school to support its educational activities.
It seems you can never fundraise too much or accept too many donations, but you don’t want to bore your supporters with the same fundraisers year after year. Is your school tired of the same old fundraisers and looking for new ideas that are guaranteed to work?
Your search ends here! Follow these 7 proven fundraising ideas for schools to raise money for your students:
1. Walkathon
2. Partner with a local restaurant chain
3. Multicultural fair
4. Car wash
5. Coffee Drive
6. Trivia Night
7. Envelope Fundraiser
Want something focused specifically on fundraising for private schools? Look to DonorSearch’s 5 Steps to A+ Private & Independent School Fundraising.
Read on to boost your mentoring skills and learn about these school fundraising ideas!
Typically annual, a walkathon event is a long-distance walk meant to fundraise for a cause.
Walkathons are usually encouraging and successful events because they support:
1. Health: All participants walk around your designated course, encouraging a healthy habit.
2. Community: Usually hosted on a public field or in a public park, walkathons are open to the public for the most exposure and therefore, evoke a sense of community and develop relationships as they bring people together.
3. Accessibility: Participants will be at different levels athletically, and that’s fine. Some will be participating to challenge themselves, and some will just be participating for fun. The more the merrier.
4. Affordability: Walkathons are fairly inexpensive fundraising events.
Pledges are placed on participants and how far they’re able to walk the day of the event. For example, if Sabrina pledges $5 for every mile Alex walks and Alex walks 7 miles, you’ve raised $35 for your school.
There’s a list of things to do when organizing your walkathon event.
1. Determine a location. You’ll need to decide if you want a course that gets you from Point A to Point B or a circular course that starts and ends at Point A, a straight course or a circuit course, respectively.
2. Pick a date and rain date. Make sure you pick a date in a warmer season, but not a hot one. Try May instead of August. And select a rain date, just in case!
3. Recruit sponsors. Approach previous gala sponsors to see if they’d like to run tents or water stations.
4. Promote your event. You can look into merchandise providers to customize your own t-shirts and water bottles. Promote your event through flyers and word-of-mouth, as well.
For a more extensive description on organizing a walkathon, check out Booster’s walkathon guide.
There are plenty of restaurants that partner with schools and educational clubs to help create awareness and raise money. These restaurants will have school fundraising nights, during which a portion of the sales from the night are donated to the school.
Everyone has to eat. The partnership between restaurants and your school converts a daily task into a charity event.
All you have to do is:
1. Pick a participating restaurant. Many fast food places like Chick-fil-a or Moe’s Southwest Grill have fundraising programs. Just contact your local restaurant for more information. Be sure to check with your local small-business restaurants, too! Many of their owners’ kids have gone through your school system and will be open to help you fundraise.
2. Promote the night. Send out email blasts, create flyers, even make t-shirts, if you’d like. Your fundraiser’s success will depend on your dedication to promotion.
Turn your community’s next good meal into a successful fundraising idea by partnering with a restaurant!
A multicultural fair allows students to showcase their heritage and learn about their peers’ heritage.
Students get a chance to perform cultural demonstrations and sell their culture’s products and food. On top of being a great fundraising opportunity and satisfying the mentor in you, it’s educational and a fun way to immerse the students in different cultures.
There’s a bit of planning that goes into organizing this fair:
1. Pick a location. This fair will be easiest if you have an accessible field if weather permits. If it doesn’t, try a gymnasium.
2. Set a date. If it’s outside, choose a rain date, too.
3. Recruit students to participate. Start a discussion and sign-up sheet to see which students would like to hold a booth at the fair. Ask which foods they’ll be making and selling and which cultural performances they’d like to display.
4. Promote! Post flyers. You might try to schedule the fair during lunch periods to reach the most students and/or during the evening to reach parents, too.
No matter what, make sure your students will have fun during the event–they need to be excited enough to sell and excited enough to learn.
Your school can put together a group of students to organize a car wash. Besides being a quick and simple fundraising idea, it gets your students outside (and away from tablets, phones, and the tv).
A car wash is an easy fundraiser to set up. Plus, everyone needs the pollen rinsed off their cars in the spring so who can pass up just $5 for a car wash?
There are just a few basic planning steps before you hold your car wash:
1. Pick a location. The school’s parking lot is probably your safest bet, just make sure it’s close to a hose!
2. Gather the materials. You need minimal supplies for this event. Invest in some soap, sponges, towels for drying, buckets, and of course, make sure you have a hose!
3. Promote and Advertise. Charge $5 per car and spread the word. You can advertise the day off by having students holding signs at the closest busy road.
Now that you have everything to start, pick a sunny day and hold your fundraiser.
With 83% of American adults drinking coffee, a coffee drive is bound to be a successful fundraiser. Partnering with a fair trade roaster can let you sell both packaged coffee beans and hot cups of joe.
Your students can sell beans to their peers, family, and others, while your school sells cups of coffee during lunch periods. Local coffee shops may partner with you and sell your school coffee at a discounted rate.
You’ll need to find a wholesaler to work with. Do your research and decide which blends at what prices work for your school’s community. Once you’ve found a supplier, all that’s left to do is promote and sell!
Get the word out and recruit students to sell.
Depending on how you want to organize sales, you can have students directly sell the product or keep a sales and orders sheet, like how girl scouts sell cookies.
Be sure to plan out your fundraiser and promote your coffee drive!
A trivia night will spark a friendly sense of competition among your students. You can have students register as teams or individuals.
Again, this fundraiser brings your students together to form a community. It works because who doesn’t love a little bit of rivalry and healthy competition?
Pick a location to host your trivia night. Your school’s gymnasium is a great option, but you can always try to partner with a local restaurant for space.
Make sure you have a plan for advertising and promoting your event to draw a crowd! Charge a small admission fee to trivia teams who want to compete. Plan out how your trivia game will start and finish. You don’t want an unorganized game.
Your trivia night can easily be an exciting and successful fundraiser as long as you plan ahead and organize.
An envelope fundraiser is a super inexpensive and simple way for your school to raise some extra dough. You’ll need 100 envelopes numbered 1 through 100, which you can easily find in your school’s office. Then, supporters who pass by the envelopes will choose one and donate that amount. For example, if Sally picks up envelope 13, she’ll give $13.
Easy, easy, easy. A fundraiser can’t get much more simple than this one. Plus, the envelope fundraiser doesn’t pressure supporters to give!
Get a pack of 100 envelopes and number them. From there, you can pin them to a corkboard in your school’s lobby or front office so students, parents, and others will see it and can make their donations.
All you need is 100 envelopes and a place to hang them and with the generosity of your supporters, you can accept donations.
Just remember to spread the word about your envelope fundraiser so people know where and when they can give because you’re relying directly on individual supporters’ donations.
Throughout your fundraising event, whichever idea you decide to go with, you can build a relationship with your students, like a mentor should. Don’t put too much pressure on them to sell and raise money, but instead encourage them to have fun with the fundraiser.
Still, want more ideas? Check out this list of fundraising ideas for schools and education.
Adam Weinger is the President of Double the Donation, the leading provider of tools to nonprofits to help them raise more money from corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs. Connect with Adam via email or on LinkedIn.
7 Proven School Fundraising Ideas
Fundraising is a necessity for any school to support its educational activities. It seems you can never fundraiser too much or accept too many donations, but you don’t want to bore your supporters with the same fundraisers year after year. Is your school tired of the same old fundraisers and looking for new ideas that are guaranteed to work?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
As part of the higher education sector, your university likely depends on social campaigns like peer-to-peer fundraising and crowdfunding to fund its projects and initiatives. While these campaigns have the potential for a wide reach, they require effective promotion to maximize alumni support.
How can you retain alumni support long after they receive their diplomas? Let’s explore the top marketing practices your university should employ when planning your outreach strategy.
Your alumni may be eager to support your university, but many are unaware of the opportunities available to help them maximize their contributions—namely, matching gifts.
Matching gifts are a type of corporate social responsibility initiative wherein businesses match donations made by their employees. Double the Donation defines corporate social responsibility as “a company’s efforts to improve society” in a multitude of ways, from directly donating to supporting employee giving. Matching gifts combine both of these efforts and represent a major revenue opportunity for universities.
Identify match-eligible alumni by looking into your existing donor base. Specifically, take a look at your alumni and major donors who represent your largest match opportunities. Then, secure matching gifts from alumni by promoting the opportunity to match-eligible individuals through:
As you solicit matched gifts, maintain an open line of communication with major employers who offer matches. Periodically review their policies and ask them to notify you if any changes are made to their matching gift program. Both universities and donors should stay on top of employers’ match guidelines to avoid missing out on matching gift revenue.
Communication is the foundation of a successful fundraising campaign. While some approaches are more effective than others, the best results come from incorporating multiple channels—especially for larger donor bases.
There are two types of marketing your university can leverage, and each type has a plethora of channels you can use to spread the word about your campaigns:
Remember, communication is a two-way street. You won’t just want to send messages to alumni, but to stay in touch with them over time. Ensure that alumni and any volunteer fundraisers feel free to voice their feedback or concerns.
Effective communication is about more than just an open line of communication—it’s about powerful storytelling, too. Stories encourage alumni to form stronger connections with your university’s mission, students, and impact.
As part of your marketing approach, implement the following storytelling strategies into your content:
Storytelling and powerful imagery compel users to share content with their networks, so it’s crucial that you make your storytelling components shareable. For example, you might place a “Share” button next to the content on your alumni website that makes it easy for viewers to repost an article or video to their social media channels.
In all your digital marketing materials, make it easy for viewers to take action by directing them to your donation page. Make the most of clear calls to action, prominent buttons, and QR codes across all the channels you use. To ensure shareability, use an effective social campaigning platform and the right social media platforms.
Additionally, when alumni land on your fundraising page, they should be able to take action easily. Check to ensure your donation form can be quickly completed and doesn’t require any unnecessary steps. With a compelling marketing strategy and simple form, your university can seamlessly convert alumni into dedicated supporters.
Now that you know the best marketing practices, share this information with your fundraising team, and plan your best campaign yet! Then, as donations start to roll in, be sure to show your appreciation for donors’ support and continue to engage them by offering additional involvement opportunities. The more active your donors are in your university’s activities, the more likely they’ll be to continue their support.
Adam Weinger is the President of Double the Donation, the leading provider of tools to nonprofits to help them raise more money from corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs.
Double the Donation's robust solution, 360MatchPro, provides nonprofits with automated tools to identify match-eligible donors, drive matches to completion, and gain actionable insights. 360MatchPro integrates directly into donation forms, CRMs, social fundraising software, and other nonprofit technology solutions to capture employment information and follow up appropriately with donors about matching gifts.
4 Marketing Strategies University Fundraisers Need to Know
Universities depend heavily on social campaigning to generate revenue. To enhance your fundraising approach, consider these crucial marketing strategies.
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