Individual giving: how alumni engagement can transform university philanthropy

Individual giving is an important source of income for UK universities, with individual gifts accounting for 47% of fundraising income in 2020-21. Looking specifically at alumni givers, the vast majority (96%) made gifts of under £1,000, with just 0.2% of donors giving over £100,000.

As a fundraiser, your job is to build long-lasting relationships that will turn ad hoc donations into a regular commitment and even — if the circumstances are right — a “major gift”. Remember, your alumni CRM is there to help you do exactly that.

When time and budgets are tight, it can be tempting to make assumptions about your donors and their giving behaviours. This is not sustainable. A good individual giving programme will be data-driven and use real-world insights to build detailed donor profiles that form the basis of your fundraising communications.

To do this, your alumni CRM needs to do more than record the basics (name, address, age, location, field of study, and giving history). It should also have specific fields to capture donor interests and motivations, and even — with the right third party integrator — data from external channels like your website, MailChimp and social media.  

Don’t let this information go to waste. Advanced analytic and reporting features will help you rotate this data and lay the foundations for university philanthropy to grow.   

To do this, you need to bring your donors “into the fold” and make them feel like an active part of your university’s mission. While there is no one single recipe to follow, there are a few rules and techniques that will help keep your donor journey on the right track:

1. Don’t forget to say ‘Thank you’

Evidence suggests that donors who receive a personalised ‘thank you’ within 48 hours are four times more likely to give again. About more than just speed, details matter too. Your alumni CRM can help make sure you’re creating communications that address the donors directly, referencing the specific giving amount and campaign or initiative they supported. 

Top tip: Go old-school

It might sound dated, but nothing beats a hand-written salutation and signatory. And don’t forget to add a postscript. People always read the postscript!

2. Communicate regularly, and not just to ask for money

No one wants to feel like an ATM. It’s important to show donors that you’re genuinely interested in them as individuals. If you’re prospecting for new donors, surveys to find out what people are doing post-graduation are great. If they’ve already given, make sure you take the time to share organisational updates, impact stories and news (think newsletters, email campaigns, and “ad hoc” updates). This will help make your donors really feel part of your work and mission – a sure way to promote engagement! 

Top tip: Don’t forget GDPR

Our dedicated consent portal will help make sure that your donor’s communications preferences are up-to-date, and that you’re only connecting through approved channels. 

3. Celebrate milestones and achievements

Recognising individual milestones and giving achievements is a key part of any stewardship plan. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, cumulative donation amount, or birthday, your charity CRM is there to make sure you mark it. No more messing around with spreadsheets. With scheduled reminders and pre-set workflows, you’re sure to get those personal, tailored communications out on time.

Top tip: Vary the format

Not all communications have to be written. A video message, newsletter feature, signed card or phone call are all great ways to boost engagement and make sure your alumni feel recognised.

4. Create other opportunities for donors to get involved

Donors are people too, and if you can find a way to interact in person: do it. Event invites, guest lectures, reunions, and volunteering opportunities all facilitate meaningful engagement that help build a sense of community and encourage alumni to get (and stay) involved in non-financial ways.

Top tip: Multi-criteria segmentation

Our alumni CRM makes it easy to segment donors by interest, field of study and location. Why not use this tool to create highly-specific opportunities for groups of linked alumni? 

5. Make data-driven decisions

The beauty of an alumni CRM is that it makes it easy to create targeted campaigns based on real-world insights. For example, our reporting and analysis tools make it possible to track progress against key indicators and refine your content and strategy as you go. You can also use individual giving histories to create tailored financial asks that help move your donors up the giving pyramid and increase their lifetime value.

Top tip: Make the most of split testing

Use your alumni CRM to analyse open rates, click-throughs and response patterns so that you can see which tools and messages work best. 

One of the other advantages of using an alumni CRM is that it makes it easy to analyse donor giving trends and spot emerging patterns. You need these to start prospecting for high-value donors and setting the wheels of your major donor giving programme in motion. 

Here are a few markers to look out for:

• Consistent giving patterns: Donors who give regularly, even in smaller amounts, demonstrate loyalty and commitment. These donors may have the potential to increase their giving if cultivated properly.
• Increasing gift size: A donor who increases their giving level over time shows a growing interest and financial ability. This progression can indicate a readiness to make a more significant gift.
• Engagement beyond giving: Look for donors who participate in events, volunteer, or engage with your organisation in non-financial ways. This indicates a deeper, emotional connection to your cause, which can often be a precursor to larger gifts.

Once you’ve created a shortlist, you can cross-check details against publicly available sources like real estate listings, political contributions, social media, online features and news. This will give you a clearer picture of your donor’s situation and capacity to give — provided you stay within the bounds of GDPR of course (click to read linked CIOF Guidance).

Remember, major donor giving is not something that can be rushed. To be successful, you need to create individual stewardship plans for each donor, and make sure that they receive highly tailored, personal materials and interactions. 

Why not try:

• Segmenting out potential high-value donors and hand-writing the envelope that delivers their next newsletter.
• Asking your CEO to take time out to make a personal phone call and thank your prospective donor for their past generosity and ongoing support.
• Offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes campus tour or meeting with university leaders. Alumni who feel they’re given special access are more likely to consider a major gift.
• Creating a specialist ‘Members Group’ with different giving levels, and VIP access to events and activities.
• Developing recognition opportunities such as plaques, scholarships and naming rights can help encourage alumni to leave a lasting legacy to your university of institution. 

And of course, you need to make ‘the ask’. Don’t just send a direct mail appeal. A major gift is almost always the result of a personal ask and carefully curated proposal that meets the needs of everyone involved. 

Are you ready to level-up your university philanthropy? 

If you’re looking to take your university’s philanthropy activity to the next level, we’re here to help make sure your team has the tools to deliver.