MIDWEST “MEETING OF THE MINDS”

Building a Donor-Centric Annual Giving

Program in a Decentralized WorldPeter Moes – Director of Annual Giving, University of Utah

WHO IS IN THE ROOM?

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Annual Giving and/or Another Area?

Decentralized, Centralized, Hybrid, Highly Decentralized, all of the above?

Does it depend on channel?

Is your program donor-centric?

Higher Education or Independent School (K-12)?

CENTRALIZED, DECENTRALIZED, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A DONOR-CENTRIC ANNUAL GIVING PROGRAM

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I want to support the Women’s Resource Center

Degree Area 1

Athletics

Scholarships Fund

Degree Area 2

Annual Fund

Student Affairs

VS

DONOR-CENTRIC: TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

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Is a 100% donor-centric annual giving program empowering and engaging the donor or putting crucial unrestricted funds at risk?

WHAT IS PREVENTING A DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH?

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Workload & Staffing

Academic Deans - in a decentralized environment

The traditional “Annual Fund”• An institution’s reliance

on unrestricted funds

Logistics & Data

KEYS TO A DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH IN A DECENTRALIZED WORLD

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A donor-centric model is built on trust across the institution and respect for your donors

• Frequent and transparent communication• Become the expert• Be a resource

Support from leadership

• Clearly set expectations• Show results – make sure you have time to prove yourself• Budget to succeed

KEYS TO A DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH IN A DECENTRALIZED WORLD

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And/Or… Outlast the Opposition

DON’T DELETE THE UNRESTRICTED FUND

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Creating a donor-centric program is not forcing a donor to choose a restricted fund, it is giving the donor the opportunity to make the impact they are passionate about.

• For some, that is supporting the annual fund

INSTILLING THE DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

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“Central” Annual Giving

c. 2008 c. 2019

• 18 Schools & Colleges• 1 Hospital and all the

medical departments• Pac-12 Athletics• 1 Cancer Center• 1 Eye Center• 2 Museums• 1 Arboretum• Public Broadcasting

(NPR & PBS)• 2 Professional Theatres

INSTILLING THE DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

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Director

AG Manager: Phonathon

Student Calling Staff

Director

Asst Director: Participation & Communication

AG Manager: Digital

Engagement

Asst Director: Stewardship & Engagement

AG Manager: Philanthropy

Center

Student Calling Staff

Advancement Officer(s)

Director

AG SpecialistAG Specialist: Philanthropy

Center

Student Calling Staff

2008 - 2012 2013 - 2018 2019 2020

HOW DID THE U GO “DONOR-CENTRIC”

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We Boiled Frogs Led with Carrots(sometimes sticks)

Became the group on campus that could solve problems, be agile, and get things done.

DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH BY PHONE

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2008 - 2014 2015 - 2016 2017 - present

Fall

Spring

College Alumni & Parents

College Alumni, Ancillary Units & Sr.

Parents

Unrestricted Scholarships &

Parents

College Alumni, Ancillary Units & Sr.

Parents

Affiliation & Giving History

Affiliation & Giving History

As a result of moving away from college-based segmentation we also reduced the number of times we were calling a person/home

DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH BY MAIL

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2008 - 2014 2015 2016 - 2017

Central Annual Giving allocated budget to

campus areas to execute direct mail.

Worked with a vendor and partnered with a

large college that willing to test a more

robust direct mail schedule.

Increasing direct mail efforts based on best practices and asking

individual college areas to participate.

A well-designed reply slip is crucial to executing donor-centric direct mail. • All allocation options are based on a donor’s previous giving and affiliation with the institution.

Each piece has the option to support unrestricted scholarships (administrations’ top priority).

All direct mail executed from central Annual Giving at no cost to the individual campus areas.

2018 - present

Publishing a fiscal year direct mail calendar and

asking areas if they want to opt out based

on piece. Having to turn down request to

execute college specific direct mail pieces.

DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH - DIGITAL

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Through email and online efforts, how do you mimic the personalized giving options you’re able to do on a reply slip?

• Discouraging “annual funds” on giving day

• Email based on audience interests versus generic blasts

• Tell your story with through different mediums – email, social media, video

DONOR-CENTRIC APPROACH -STEWARDSHIP

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Use variable text to personalize your stewardship pieces based on segments

• Monthly Donors• Leadership Levels• Faculty/Staff

People notice – make sure your text is applicable to your audience

No good deed goes unpunished

CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY

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Appealing to a wide audience• Academics• Arts• Athletics• Health Care

Time investment vs people-hours

Data & Personalization• Row by row data cleansing• Donors to multiple areas

• What to do if one area opts out

Generic & Boring

CAMPUS AREAS’ CONCERNS

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Donor Fatigue

Stealing “my” donors

You don’t know “my” donors / college

You’re ruining my annual giving plan

Our Response: • Teamwork makes the dream work

THIS WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT…

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Rachel Robertson, Assistant Director of Annual Giving: Participation & Communication

QUESTIONS

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