On-Demand Webinar
5 Ways to Move From Alumni Participation to Pipeline in Higher Education Fundraising
With U.S. News & World Report dropping alumni giving percentage from rankings, many fundraisers are wondering what's next. While this news rocked the fundraising world, it's a great opportunity to talk about the things we should do now and the metrics that really translate into fundraising success.
Watch this webinar to hear great things institutions have been doing to boost success in donor response, along with results from RNL research on over 500,000 donors in FY22 and FY23. We discuss the data and examples on these five key tactics as we move beyond participation:
- Focus on pipeline: The first step is to shift your focus to put donors on the path to bigger gifts. Let's talk about the real path to leadership and major gifts and how outreach can accelerate it, with data from thousands of big donors.
- Boost engagement success across channels: Did you know that when you engage donors in three channels or more, response jumps 25x? We'll share how that happens.
- Diversify outreach to multiply results: Three-quarters of Gen Z and Millennials give to charity but only 8% give to their alma mater. That is not a path to sustainability. We'll discuss how more inclusive outreach activities can ensure that our donor base mirrors the incredible diversity of our alumni base.
- Empower your gift officers to succeed: When your gift officers have better insights, better data, and better tools, they will have better results. Learn how advancement shops are changing the way we raise big dollars with smarter technologies and strategies.
- Develop metrics that matter: Move beyond a simple percentage to look at layered, multi-level engagement metrics that truly describe how your alumni and supporters are interacting and supporting your mission.
About the panelists
Becca Widmer, Senior Consultant, RNL
Becca joined RNL in 2022 and as a senior consultant, she is focused on providing strategic consultation and critical insights to help programs innovate and succeed in today's challenging environment. Becca comes to her senior role with a wealth of experience across diverse institutions.is a 25-year higher education veteran who has served in roles in advancement, enrollment, and student affairs. Prior to joining RNL, Becca was director of annual giving at Drake University in Iowa. Before that, she was director of annual giving programs at Rollins College, and associate director of annual fund programs at Columbia University. She also spent three years at the University of Iowa Foundation as an annual giving project coordinator and development associate. She's also been a faculty member with Annual Giving Network and presented at CASE conferences.
Yoon Van Hout, Executive Director, Annual Giving, University of Florida
Yoon has served at the University of Florida and UF Health since 2019, after over 8 years at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Yoon's extensive career in broad-based donor engagement has also included roles at the University of Michigan and the University of Michigan Health System. Yoon is a creative, data-driven strategist, and program manager, experienced in annual giving programs, development operations, leadership giving, donor relations, development communications, event planning, and volunteer management. A leader committed to professional development, Yoon also has served as president of the Volusia/Flagler Counties Chapter of AFP and presents at various conferences throughout the year.
Elizabeth Keppel Director of Annual Giving and Digital Strategy, The Johns Hopkins University
Elizabeth joined The Johns Hopkins University in 2020, where she leads the institution's graduate and undergraduate annual giving strategies. Prior to joining the Hopkins team, Elizabeth served in several roles at the University of Florida, most recently as the director of annual giving and strategic initiatives. In that role, she led a comprehensive, university-wide leadership annual giving program which also served as the organization's talent pipeline for major gift fundraisers. At the outset of her fundraising career, she worked as an assistant director in the Office of Lifetime Philanthropic Engagement & Annual Giving at her alma mater, the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Elizabeth holds the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification and is a Project Management Professional (PMP). She has also served as a coach and consultant, both independently and for the Annual Giving Network.
Brian Gawor, CFRE, Vice President of Research, RNL
Brian is a 25-year higher education veteran who has served in roles in advancement, enrollment, and student affairs. Prior to coming to RNL, Brian was director of development for the college of Fine Arts at Illinois State University and led annual giving efforts at Knox College. For the past 9 years, he's led actionable research for RNL, working with hundreds of institutions to transform their donor engagement. He volunteers and present at conferences regularly and host RNL's fundraising broadcasts, national fundraising conference, and Fundraising Voices podcast. A dedicated "giving geek," Brian is committed to providing data-driven and action-oriented insights for fundraisers that help amplify the joy of giving in an inclusive and purposeful donor base.
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