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Starting an Annual Giving Leadership Circle:Preparation & Execution
Heather AshleyAssoc. Dir. Annual Giving & Alumni Affairs
UF College of Engineering
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OVERVIEW• University of Florida
– About 50,000 students– More than 367,000 alumni– Boasts 16 Colleges
• UF Engineering – Largest professional school, 2nd largest unit for student enrollment, 3rd
largest research unit– 8,700 + students
• 5,813 undergraduate• 2,961 graduate
– 9 comprehensive departments• Interdisciplinary Centers and Institutes
– 45,000 + living alumni – Produced 1% of all engineers that graduated last spring
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ANNUAL GIVING PROGRAM
• UF has central, integrated “unit” devoted to annual giving for university and colleges – Direct Mail– Phone Campaign– Online Giving– Emails
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DEAN’S LEADERSHIP CIRCLETIMELINE
• Started research – Fall 2011– Assessed data & looked for areas of interest
• Develop case statements, inserts & layout – Early Spring 2012
• Final layout to designer – Summer 2012• Group Mailing – Last week of Sept 2012
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THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
• What?• Why?• Who?• When?
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WHAT?• Program
criteria:- Purpose- Exclusivity- Strategic
Alignment
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WHY?• Increase Alumni Giving (impact rankings)
- Annual average gift (ranked 3rd at UF – FY12)- Annual giving percentage (ranked 12th at UF – FY12)
• Message Dean’s strategic plan/vision• Increase funding for specific area/fund
- Student Life Fund • Declining state budgets • Build pipeline for next campaign
- Identification/Qualification
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WHO?
- Alumni 45-55
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WHO? - Alumni
45-55- Females
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Giving to Engineering by Gender
10
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WHO?- Alumni 45 - 55- Females- Parents
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- Alumni 45 - 55- Females- Parents- Advisory Boards
o Members had 21% annual giving participation rate prior to program
Individual appeal message for each group
WHO?
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• Important milestones • College 100 years • 50th Reunion• 25th Reunion• Calendar Year End• Dean Change
• Special events/reunion weekends
WHEN?
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MILESTONE SUCCESSES• Dollars Pledged/Raised
– $50,000 4 Weeks– $100,000 6 Weeks– $150,000 7 Weeks– $200,000 18 Weeks– $250,000 TBD ($240,503 as of June 3, 2013)
• Alumni Giving (to Engineering) Increased – Average gift ($182.01 – FY 13 $119.81 – FY 12)– Dollars raised ($397,520 – FY 13 $266,344 – FY 12)
Average Pledge: $1,791Average Gift: $790Dollars In the Door: $94,086
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MILESTONE SUCCESSES• Parent Participation
– 6% participation rate
• Overall 5% participation rate in Leadership Circle– Average giving percentage increased (currently 9th)
• Increased Board Participation – 44% annual giving (up from 21%)
• Increase in Female Giving – 3% Participation rate in Leadership Circle
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MILESTONE SUCCESSES• Allows for segmentation• Reinforce Dean’s Message• Increase in amount of pledges• Displayed advisory board support to Dean and
UF administration• Department Collaboration
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CHALLENGES• 1st ever leadership circle program– No established mindset of philanthropy
• Staffing for stewardship & data analysis• Lengthy process to develop effective program• 8th largest University in country (based on
enrollment #)– Lots of units competing for same people• Highly ranked units and alums with multiple degrees so
affinity can be limited
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BEST PRACTICES• Research your alumni base look for gaps &
holes• Research peer schools and at least 1-2 non-
peer schools• Department Collaboration– Can give to dept unrestricted fund
• Keep benefits small but meaningful—access, access, access
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NEXT STEPS• Online Giving Form • Further Segmentation of Parents– Retention efforts
• 50th Reunion Class Gift• Continued Solicitation of
Females