2020 Winners

I think the project I’m most proud of wrapped up for me personally as I transitioned roles within Cornell, but it was starting our texting program. I worked with a great team of internal partners to get the project started and buy-in for testing it out, and once our first test went well enough to prove an ROI, I was leading the team implementing texting as both an engagement and solicitation tool. We worked really hard to make sure there was a variety of both content and recipients of texts, so that alumni wouldn’t only associate texts from Cornell with asks to donate, and that they wouldn’t be annoyed by volume. I’m particularly proud of two campaigns we ran. One was a “check-in” text for newly graduated seniors, where we sent them a text in the fall asking how they were doing and if there were any Cornell resources that they might be looking for. We had an incredibly positive response—even folks who were doing well and didn’t need a resource expressed gratitude for us checking in. The other recent campaign was the end of this fiscal year, where we texted lapsed donors to renew their gift in order to maintain (or gain) their status in our loyal giving society. We partnered with almost all of our colleges and units to text their single-area donors (e.g., someone who has only given to the Engineering college) with that particular ask. It was our most personal ask to donate, and both donors and our internal partners really appreciated that level of personalization. And, despite the challenges the pandemic presents, that campaign did result in gifts! Cornell’s texting program is now one channel within our larger Communications, Marketing, and Participation team, and I’m really proud of my involvement and that it’s become an official channel!

What do you think is (or should be) the next big step forward for the fundraising industry?

Something the pandemic has taught us is the value of location-independent events, accessibility, and having the mindset to adapt what engagement and fundraising can look like. It’s been incredible to see the response to some of our online events, with alumni reaching out letting us know this was their first Cornell event since graduation, because they’ve been unable to come back to campus, and happy they now can access great content and experiences online. I think this time period has been teaching us how we can effectively and efficiently do our work, and not necessarily be tied down to doing things “the way they’ve always been done.” With fundraising, I think not only can we take some of this adaptability and flexibility forward, but also continue to hone in on storytelling and creative all-channel campaigns. With so much being done to advance our technical tools and abilities, we need to continue to push ourselves to think about how to apply those tools in a holistic, donor-centric, and flexible way.

On the flip side, is there anything you believe the industry needs to fundamentally rethink or move beyond?

One thing I’ve been happy to see start to break down is the silo-ing of work or projects. Some of Cornell’s biggest successes, and projects I’m most personally proud of, come from cross-functional teams where the roles are based on process and skills rather than purely job title or where you sit within the organization. I think continuing to build toward this model will help the industry both in terms of pushing us creatively, and hopefully, retention of amazing staff on teams.