| The recent economic downturn has impacted the | | | | of finishing school. Maintaining names, addresses and |
| fundraising community drastically. One of the hardest | | | | telephone numbers is crucial to future donor lists as |
| hit groups is the university market. While most schools | | | | well. Once an alum has been lost from the contact list, |
| rely on alumni for fundraising, it has become | | | | it will be difficult to get them back. Fewer contacts |
| increasingly difficult for schools to acquire the money | | | | means fewer donors. Fewer donors means less |
| needed for programming. Attracting new donors and | | | | money. As a result, universities and schools partnering |
| maintaining those from years past requires creative | | | | with a company that has the means to contact alumni |
| thinking and innovative channels. One means to raise | | | | quickly and track down current addresses through |
| money through alumni fundraising is to partner with a | | | | email, telephone or direct mail and keep and maintain |
| direct marketing agency. This allows the institution | | | | an active database relieves the school of the |
| more time to focus on education than fundraising. | | | | time-consuming task. This allows resources to be |
| Donor Expectations | | | | spent elsewhere. |
| One advantage to university fundraising is that every | | | | Strategy and Program Development |
| student that attends the school is well aware of the | | | | There are several methods that universities can use to |
| importance of alumni donations. Beneficiaries are | | | | increase fundraising, although not all of them have |
| regularly announced in university newsletters and | | | | been successful over the past few years. Alumni |
| reported in campus newspapers. New buildings and | | | | communications that work include using a direct |
| facilities donated by alumni are well publicized, and | | | | marketing agency to develop a strategy for positioning |
| students know that when they graduate, they too will | | | | development, data acquisition and analysis, |
| be asked to make donations to the school. They | | | | development and management of the school's alumni |
| expect to receive phone calls or direct mail solicitations | | | | database, and contact of these people. Program |
| asking for financial assistance. When it happens, they | | | | development from an agency might entail creative and |
| often feel obligated to help, even if it is only a small | | | | segmentation strategies, development of the message, |
| amount. Having their name listed in various publications | | | | media planning and channel strategies. |
| or on plaques and even buildings is a status symbol | | | | Making it Work |
| that carries with it a special significance. | | | | When using a direct marketing agency that specializes |
| Building a Database | | | | in helping universities with fundraising efforts, the school |
| Reaching out to graduates and long-time students of | | | | will need to see tracking and analysis to determine |
| schools is a momentous task, as the list of potential | | | | whether it is working. E-marketing execution, for |
| donors grows each year. Keeping track of the | | | | example, may make the difference between the |
| school's database is difficult, especially with graduates | | | | school receiving funds it needs versus going without. |
| that tend to move frequently within the first five years | | | | |