How’s your Summer of RAISE?
If you’re anything like us, this summer has included working from home, juggling childcare, and re-strategizing to work in what everyone is calling the “new normal”. While this phrase might be a touch overused, we are truly faced with a new reality than the one we’d planned for 6 months or a year ago.
Nothing made this more clear to the EverCrew than the new format of RAISE we presented this year. Instead of our traditional gathering in Boston, we were able to share the good vibes with thousands of advancement professionals remotely as we all navigate the changes in our world.
In this post, we’ll break down the highlights of our July 31 launch party. But don’t worry, in the coming weeks, we’ll be highlighting all the other videos we’ve been sharing this summer. If you just can’t wait, check them out here.
Why give to higher ed? (Donors are asking. And we'd better have an answer.)
Increased endowment sizes coupled with rising costs of education are causing the narrative around higher education fundraising to be increasingly negative. Josh Newton, SVP at Emory University and three time RAISE speaker suggests “we have to take a wholesale look at repositioning ourselves within our marketplace” by addressing these issues by tackling tough conversations head on.
After all, how are we going to improve alumni giving rates if we’re not addressing the fundamental issues that are causing a lack of commitment and philanthropic support in the first place?
Take a look at Josh’s inspiring kick off about the challenges we’re facing in the higher education philanthropy sector, and how to better communicate with and serve a new generation of students and alumni.
What if we could recreate the major gift experience for thousands more donors?
What does fundraising have in common with fishing? More than you’d think, actually. Next up in the Live Launch Party was EverTrue Founder and CEO, Brent Grinna. He challenges viewers to really think about what it means to be donor centric and shares an inspiring example of OSU’s Heather Rapp winning back a lapsed donor with unprecedented creativity and enthusiasm. But the question is; how do we deliver these transformative experiences to more donors than ever?
Brent outlines a problem in higher-ed: Most institutions only deliver 1:1 relationships to the top 4,000 donors. What would happen if we doubled or tripled that number — without doubling the number of major gift officers? Colleges could deliver amazing experiences to thousands of more people, retain existing high-level donors, and build major gift pipeline for decades to come.
For the DIY approach, stay tuned to more RAISE 2020 sessions for ideas, case studies, and inspiration. Or just check out EverTrue Premier and we’ll do it with you.
Let's talk about the hard things: diversity, equity, and inclusion in advancement with Ithaca College President Dr. Shirley Collado
Skip to this part of the Launch Party.
Next up at the Live Launch Party was a snippet from a recent RAISE Podcast episode featuring Ithaca College President, Dr. Shirley Collado. President Collado is just too well-spoken and inspiring to NOT feature!
We’re in the midst of a national reckoning on social and racial injustice, and despite the increasing diversity of students at the universities we serve, we have a lot of work to do in the advancement sector. We’ve overlooked or disqualified donors based on a preconceived notion of who is worth a fundraiser’s time — and that needs to change.
President Collado talks about building a diverse team of professionals at Ithaca and how we can revitalize teams and our industry as a whole while recognizing and honoring tradition and legacy at our institutions. The bottom line: we all have a stake in the future of our industry. Let’s be intentional and make changes for good!
Driving retention through personalization with Oregon State University’s Mark Koenig and Heather Rapp
OSU’s Mark Koenig tuned in to the Live Launch Party from his backyard pool to do a deep dive (get it?) into their Donor Experience Officer program. Mark tells us how the DXOs are managing 1,000-person portfolios filled with mid-level donors, lapsed donors, and future major gift donors.
We walk through a day-in-the-life with DXO Heather Rapp. And Mark shares early results — a donor retention rate more than 30% higher than the general donor pool and how OSU is thinking this approach can apply to all levels of the giving pyramid.
Let's make it personal.
Skip to this part of the Launch Party.
Mike Nagel, emcee and webinar host extraordinaire, jumped in to answer the “how” question that’s now on everyone’s mind. At this point in the live broadcast, we all know that we need to scale the major gift experience to more donors than ever. But how? What can you take back to your team today and get started on immediately?
Tune in to Mike’s deep dive on what we call “radical personalization”.