The report also noted that 58% of education donors plan to give the same amount this year as last. Political and advocacy donor confidence dropped most significantly, followed by medical and health care.
Just because it seems education donors are holding steady, it does not mean we can rest on our laurels. Rather, now more than ever, you need to connect the hearts of your donors to your mission—and that means showing them what their gifts will accomplish.
For donors, the gift is a personal statement that reflects each donor’s interests and values. It is your job to show them how their gifts will make a difference in the lives of the students. Plus, donors want to share in the success of the school, want to have a direct impact on the lives of your students, respond to people they like and respect, and then form greater emotional ties and will increase their support going forward.
Your job as Advancement Officer is to make those connections and build the ties between the donor and the school.
You will make your annual fund parent letters great by making sure your parents know that their money will enhance their children’s experience at the school. Provide specific examples of the projects and programs their dollars support. The same principle goes for all of your annual fund letters to your various constituencies.
For major donors, your job as steward and cultivator is ongoing. You need to get to know your prospects you can make the key connections between the school and their passions. This is true even of your small donors. People are more generous when they have a stake in your school’s success. Evidence shows that donors will double or triple their gifts when they understand how their money will be used and the impact it will have.
Indiana University announced a new campaign to raise $1.25 billion for its Indianapolis campus by June 2013. This came the night after the university celebrated the end of another campaign that collected $1.1 billion for its Bloomington campus. The university told donors specifically where the money was going. The just-ended Bloomington campaign centered on scholarships for working students.
“It is intriguing and smart in this economic climate,” said John Lippincott, President of CASE. “At a time when resources are constrained, an all-encompassing campaign would put emphasis on a big number when donors are more interested in what their money will accomplish…it put emphasis on what the dollar make possible.”
Indiana University’s approach is the same approach you should focus on—build a compelling case for support with specific projects and programs that will make a difference in your student’s lives. And directed, values- and mission-oriented cultivation and stewardship or “friend-raising” calls for social contacts with school leaders and enthusiasts. The involvement must be meaningful, so that your donors feel valued.
