The Full Story
When VP of Development Mike Hoffman joined the US Naval Academy Foundation (USNAF), he recognized the need for a metrics-driven approach to fundraising. The team relied on manual tracking via Excel, which provided some insights but lacked real-time responsiveness to optimize performance. Fundraisers spent too much time on administrative tasks instead of cultivating donor relationships. Additionally, the Naval Academy’s donor base is uniquely dispersed due to graduates’ military service, making geographic outreach and engagement strategies inefficient.
Embracing a Metrics-Driven Culture
To improve efficiency and accountability, USNAF adopted a data-driven approach, combining annual planning and quarterly OKR structure from annual planning to a quarterly OKR structure. This shift allowed fundraisers to set clear, trackable goals and tie leading indicators like outreach and meetings to actual gift closures. By refining key performance indicators, the team could prioritize high-impact donor engagements and track progress in real time.
To scale this strategy, USNAF also expanded its team, doubling frontline fundraising staff and increasing additional staff by eight in 2023.
Trip Planning & Cadenced-Based Outreach with Signal
The introduction of Signal by EverTrue was a game-changer for USNAF, automating key fundraising workflows and enabling fundraisers to focus more on relationship-building instead of manual tracking.
USNAF restructured donor portfolios to distribute workloads evenly across the team, ensuring that fundraisers were engaging with the right donors at the right time. With Signal’s map-based search, regional gift officers and targeted the most relevant prospects in each city. Instant donor summaries provided real-time insights, allowing fundraisers to confidently walk into meetings, fully prepared.
USNAF also embraced cadence-based fundraising, creating structured, automated follow-up strategies to ensure persistent and informed outreach. As Mike Hoffman mentioned, “The one-time meeting request is such a wasted effort.”
Research shows that it takes an average of 6.5 touchpoints to successfully book a meeting with a prospect. Using Signal’s cadences, fundraisers could track outreach efforts, follow up strategically, and increase donor engagement. One gift officer was even able to use Signal’s trip-planning tool to connect with a donor in a previously untapped region, resulting in a $700,000 gift.
This cadence-based approach also made onboarding the new staff easier, allowing USNAF to spend more time informing new employees about their mission rather than spend unnecessary time on the nuts and bolts of their database.
Collaboration with Leadership Annual Giving
The Leadership Annual Giving program also adopted a data-driven engagement strategy, leading to a 20% increase in giving. By leveraging Signal’s automated workflows and cadences, the team focused on personalized outreach at scale, significantly improving donor retention and long-term giving levels. This approach also led to a 21% growth in the President’s Circle donor recognition society.
Embracing AI: Practicing Donor Conversations & Driving Efficiency
To further enhance fundraiser preparedness, USNAF implemented AI-powered training tools to help fundraisers sharpen donor conversations. The team has used AI-driven role-playing to simulate donor interactions and prepare for high-stakes conversations, allowing them to refine and improve their approach before critical meetings.
The Impact: Transforming Fundraising Results
By embracing a metrics-driven culture and leveraging technology, USNAF has transformed its approach to donor engagement and major gift fundraising. The Foundation’s ability to track performance in real time, optimize outreach strategies, and scale efforts efficiently has resulted in stronger donor relationships, increased giving, and long-term pipeline growth.
This shift has allowed USNAF to:
- Expand fundraising reach across previously untapped donor regions
- Streamline outreach efforts with cadence-based engagement, ensuring every prospect receives meaningful, personalized touchpoints
- Strengthen donor retention and leadership giving, reinforcing a robust major gift pipeline
- Enhance fundraiser preparedness with AI-powered training and real-time donor insights
With year-over-year fundraising growth and the Foundation on track for its first-ever $100M+ year, USNAF has established a scalable, data-driven model that will continue driving results for years to come.
Watch the recording of our webinar with USNAF to learn more.
