Engaging Alumni In Fundraising Efforts

Last year, a university was struggling with their alumni events. Average attendance: 15 people Donor conversion: Near zero Staff morale: Rock bottom Their events team tried something different: • Instead of planning FOR alumni, they started planning WITH them • Created small committees of 3-4 graduates for each event • Let these committees choose themes, venues, and activities • Asked them to personally invite friends Results after 6 months: → Average attendance jumped to 85 → 35% of attendees made their first gift → Committee members upgraded their own giving by 3x → Staff now had a reliable volunteer pool But here's what nobody talks about: The biggest impact wasn't in the numbers. It was watching alumni transform from passive attendees into passionate advocates who said things like: "This is the first time I've felt truly connected to my alma mater since graduating." The lesson? When you give people ownership, they don't just participate. They invest. What's been your experience with volunteer committees? Have you seen similar transformations?

Most fundraising appeals are too polite. Too indirect. Too passive. Too focused on what 𝘸𝘦 do— instead of what the donor makes possible. If you want more clarity, more confidence, and more response in your writing, start here: 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. I call it 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. And it looks like this: “Together, we help feed people” ➡️ “You feed hungry people” “You are helping provide education” ➡️ “You’re educating children” “With your support, we can offer shelter” ➡️ “You provide shelter to those in need” “Thanks to you, we’re able to offer medical assistance” ➡️ “You’re delivering lifesaving medical care” “Your donations support our advocacy efforts” ➡️ “You’re championing human rights” This isn’t about semantics. It’s about 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. When the donor sees themselves as the one acting, they feel agency. They feel urgency. They feel 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥. So cut the qualifiers. Eliminate the disclaimers. And write like the donor is the one holding the pen. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲. What’s one sentence in your next appeal you can rewrite with 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 at the center?

If You Want Volunteers to Be More Helpful With Fundraising, Don't Ask Them to Fundraise Don't ask them to fundraise from their peers, ask them to share: ▫️ Service goals not "strategic pillars" ▫️ Examples of how you intend to better serve the community not what you need ▫️ Concepts and ask for candid responses not hand out your campaign brochure ▫️ Conversations with your difference makers not the same old elevator pitch They can do that interpersonally or by hosting conversational events. Let's face it; most volunteers are not comfortable asking for money. The more you try to nudge them, the more support and collateral material they will ask for. That often leads to the best professional fundraisers being taken out the field to support the most reluctant volunteers. Those who actually are willing to ask for money and are reasonably effective at it, report that the chums they raise money from turn around a few months later and ask them to the same for their favorite organization. So if one of your volunteers raises 10 gifts of 10,000, he or she is asked by those ten donors to reciprocate. Every $100,000 raised costs that volunteer a $100,000 in quid pro quo giving. Wouldn't you rather that $100,000 be given to you? Ah, but if you ask volunteers to share the big ideas and service aspirations that most resonant with them, they become natural recruiters. They seek out kindred spirits who want to be a part of a movement and to make something happen. It won't set up a quid pro quo because those recruited will feel as if something was done for them rather than asked of them. At bare minimum the vetting of concepts by volunteers will serve as a good test marketing exercise that will help your organization see what does and doesn't resonate, allowing you to refine your key initiatives as you go. Asking for candid reactions to drafts of promising initiatives will open many more doors than fundraising requests - and build more communities of shared purpose.

Campaigns get so much attention in fundraising, rightfully so. However, many of us fail to understand that rather than a curtain call, campaigns should end with a critical handoff that provides our organizations with an incredible opportunity for follow-up that inspires donors and their giving for years beyond the campaign. As soon as a campaign is complete, the window to thank donors in meaningful ways, share the first signs of impact, and ensure the new connections sparked during the campaign carry forward into the next chapter, begins to close. Across our Innovation Partners, it’s incredible how many organizations seize this exact moment with a natural handoff to a Virtual Engagement Officer. We’ve all seen participation suffer during campaigns as we focus on larger dollar giving. That’s exactly why so many Innovation Partners are bringing in Virtual Engagement Officers (VEOs) to recapture lapsed donors. Other Innovation Partners saw major momentum from their campaigns and an influx of donors. These partners are developing new portfolios for their VEOs to focus on retention, sharing impact, and building relationships in ways that lead to the natural outcome of giving. For example, Baylor University's unexpected surge in millennial giving during its recent campaign inspired a new focus for the Virtual Engagement Officer—keeping these donors engaged and building lasting connections that will shape the future major gift pipeline. Meanwhile, as Western Carolina closes its campaign, traditional frontline fundraising staff are focused on dollars in the door. Meanwhile, the VEO is actively widening the overall circle for future growth by rebuilding participation, increasing donor counts, and keeping the new donors close with stewardship and cultivation. The University of Oklahoma Foundation’s VEO is already looking ahead, organizing the new interest the campaign unlocked and aligning prospects to the right portfolios so the next chapter starts with a ready-made pipeline. Each of these teams shows us that trusted digital labor in the form of Autonomous Fundraising represents an opportunity that wasn’t available just a year ago. With Autonomous Fundraising, campaign completion is truly the handoff, not the curtain call. Virtual Engagement Officers empower us to deepen support from these new and re-engaged donors, preparing us for the inevitable next campaign before this one even closes.

Before it was about getting donors to write checks. Now it’s about involving them in your ecosystem. Here’s 5 steps to get started today: You’re not just fundraising anymore. You’re onboarding stakeholders. If you want repeatable, compounding revenue from donors, partners, and decision-makers, you need to stop treating them like check-writers… …and start treating them like collaborators in a living system. Here’s how. 1. Diagnose your “center of gravity” Most orgs center fundraising around the mission. But the real gravitational pull for donors is their identity. → Ask yourself: What is the identity we help our funders step into? Examples: Systems Disruptor. Local Hero. Climate Investor. Opportunity Builder. Build messaging, experiences, and invites around that identity, not just impact stats. 2. Turn every program into a flywheel for new capital Stop separating “program delivery” from “fundraising.” Your programs are your best sales engine → Examples: • Invite donors to shadow frontline staff for one hour • Allow funders to sponsor a real-time decision and see the outcome • Let supporters “unlock” bonus services for beneficiaries through engagement, not just cash People fund what they help shape. 3. Use feedback as a funding mechanism Most orgs treat surveys as box-checking. But used right, feedback is fundraising foreplay. → Ask donors and partners to co-define what “success” looks like before you report back. Then build dashboards, stories, and events around their metrics. You didn’t just show impact. You made them part of the operating model. 4. Make your “thank you” do heavy lifting Thanking donors isn’t the end of a transaction. It’s the first trust test for future collaboration. → Instead of a generic “thank you,” send: • A 1-minute voice memo with a specific insight you gained from their gift • A sneak peek at a challenge you’re tackling and ask for their perspective • A micro-invite: “Can I get your eyes on something next week?” You’re not closing a loop. You’re opening a door. 5. Build a “Donor OS” (Operating System) Every funder should have a journey, not just a transaction history. → Track things like: • What insight made them first say “I’m in”? • Who do they influence (and who influences them)? • What kind of risk are they comfortable taking? • What internal narrative did your mission fulfill for them? Then tailor comms, invitations, and roles accordingly. Not everyone needs another newsletter but someone does want a seat at the strategy table. With purpose and impact, Mario

Your fundraising appeals keep failing for one reason. It's not your subject line. It's not your donation page. It's not your ask amount. It's not even your story. It's that you're talking about yourself instead of your donor. Count the words "we," "us," and "our" in your last appeal. Now count "you" and "your." If the first number is higher, you've found your problem. Your donors don't care about your organization's needs. They care about the impact they can make through you. The organizations raising more money aren't writing better appeals about themselves. They're writing better appeals about their donors. They don't say "We need your support." They say "You can change a life." They don't say "Our programs are effective." They say "Your gift creates transformation." They don't say "Help us meet our goal." They say "Your impact will multiply when you give today." Pull out your last three fundraising appeals. Highlight every sentence that focuses on your organization rather than your donor's impact. Rewrite each one to put your donor at the center. Because your appeals aren't failing because of poor technique. They're failing because you've made yourself the hero of the story instead of your donor. Fix that, and watch your response rates transform.

Want to fail at fundraising? Do this: 🔨 Bombard contacts relentlessly. 🚫 Ask without getting permission first. 🙉 Ignore preferences and boundaries. 💔 Damage relationships with pushy tactics. 💸 Chase quick cash. Forget relationships. 🏧 Treat your database like an ATM. ⏳ Waste time on uninterested prospects. Want to succeed? Do this instead: 🎯 Take the time to build genuine connections. 🎯 Listen more. Talk less. 🎯 Tailor your approach to each person's interests. 🎯 Get permission before asking. 🎯 Share inspiring stories of impact. 🎯 Offer multiple ways to get involved. 🎯 Express sincere gratitude for every gift. 🎯 Provide regular updates, not just appeals. 🎯 Show people who give the important role they play in the mission. 🎯 Build a community, not just a donor list. Remember, great fundraising isn't about the money. It's about the mission and the people who believe in it.

Many organizations are sitting on a treasure trove of insights they're barely using. 🗝️💡 It's not just about collecting data; it's about actively engaging with it. Your existing data holds the power to keep your donors engaged but also predict and disengagement. How? By: 1. 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚: Dive into the data you already have. Patterns of past behaviors, interactions, and preferences are waiting to be discovered and acted upon. 2. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Analyze engagement metrics and communication responses to identify early signs of donor withdrawal. Tailor your outreach to rekindle their interest before they consider leaving. 3. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬: Implement segmentation and predictive analytics to customize your communications. Show your donors they're not just another name in the database but a valued member of your community. 4. 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Leverage tools and techniques like RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary value) analysis and machine learning to turn raw data into actionable strategies for retaining your donors. The reality is, you already possess a wealth of data that can transform your approach to donor stewardship. The challenge lies in effectively mining and applying these insights to foster deeper, more meaningful relationships with your supporters. By harnessing the power of the data at our fingertips, we can make every supporter feel like a hero to our cause. 🙌

What’s the best technique to uncover the emotions that influence and explain customer behavior?   When I recently asked readers of my posts what strategic marketing topics they’d like me to write about, one of the requests came from April Shprintz, the nationally acclaimed Founder and Creator of The Generosity Culture.   April wanted to know the best way to gain actionable insights from clients in order to help and/or engage them.   She understood it all starts with knowing how to ask the right questions …   How to ask the questions that go beyond what is said to decode what is really meant.   And because she said she’s a fan of case studies …   Here’s one about how a single question enabled an organization to connect with a previously elusive target and raise millions of dollars.   This is the backstory.   The President and Board of Trustees of a private liberal arts college were preparing to launch a major 3-year capital fundraising initiative with a goal of doubling the contributions from their previous campaign.   While the college was successful at obtaining significant funding from Boomer alumni, their appeals to Gen Xer's had failed for years.   Historically, potential donors were asked predictable questions such as:   💠 Do you make philanthropic donations? 💠 To what organizations? 💠 How do you decide? The answers were factual but didn’t provide the college with practical guidance about what to do next.   So we posed an emotionally charged question asking Gen Xer’s “when you reflect back on your life ... hopefully many many decades from now ... apart from your family and friends ... how do you most want to be remembered for your time on earth?”.   The question we asked caught them by surprise.   Rather than reeling off a list of past or possible future philanthropic gifts …   They actually shared their values.   It turned out Gen Xer’s motivations were very different from those of Boomers. Their priority was witnessing firsthand who their contributions benefited.   Unlike Boomers who enjoyed being highly visible on a world stage, they were:   💠 Community oriented 💠 Focused on people ... not institutions 💠 Motivated by personal satisfaction ... not praise   These insights led to a marketing strategy that emphasized the human connections Gen X alumni valued …   And the new strategy resulted in millions of additional dollars in donations.   For the first time, the college successfully tapped into this lucrative pipeline. And, with Gen Xer’s on board, they exceeded their fundraising goal.   Rather than seeking factual answers that were accurate but not useful, it was a provocative question that uncovered their emotional triggers and solved the mystery of how to engage Gen Xer’s.   Illustration: ttec   Ring the 🔔 on my profile to follow Linda Goodman for marketing strategy and business development content.   #MarketingStrategy #Sales #BusinessDevelopment #EmotionalTriggerResearch #EmotionalIntelligence #CEO

7 donor engagement habits I'm making a priority in 2025 (this goes for new and seasoned development professionals) 1. 20-minute morning gratitude ↳ Personally thanking yesterday's donors ↳ Following up on recent impact stories 2. 90-minute "donor care" block ↳ Dedicated time after each appeal launches ↳ Having conversations with engaged supporters 3. 3 stewardship touches per day ↳ Letting a donor know their impact matters ↳ Recognizing a volunteer's contribution 4. 30-minute evening response time ↳ Pick only 1 daily period for donor emails = evenings ↳ Major gifts first; general inquiries second (the next one is already a relationship-builder) 1. Not focusing on scarcity, anywhere ↳ I see a crisis-only message = I'll reframe it ↳ I write desperately = delete, focus on impact 2. Actively support small/monthly donors ↳ Personal notes for faithful givers ↳ Connect them to meaningful opportunities (quietly) 3. Allowing myself to be human ↳ I still spend extra time with special donors ↳ I still miss some thank-yous. And it's okay. Bonus: 1. Not obsessing about industry benchmarks ↳ I just want to grow authentic donor relationships ↳ I can do that even with smaller gift amounts Donor engagement is a practice that every organization approaches differently. In other words -> You create your own stewardship style. Which habit above is your favorite (1-8)?