Best Practices for Educational Fundraising!
As the world’s leading resource for annual giving programs, AGN helps educational institutions develop sustainable sources of philanthropic support. We’re proud to have served thousands of colleges, universities, and independent schools through our research, training, and consulting services, and through our membership program, which provides ongoing access to professional development.
Read below for our latest news, upcoming events, and more!
Webinar: Student Engagement & Giving
September 12th, 2024 at 12:00PM ETEngaging students before they graduate is key to ensuring their continued involvement and support as alumni. Helping students understand and appreciate the important role that philanthropy plays in the life of the institution – and creating opportunities for them to give their time, talent and treasure – can go a long way to increasing awareness, dispelling the myths, and developing future patrons for your institution. Learn more or register now.
Featured Job: Associate Director, Annual Giving Stewardship
Reporting to the Director of Leadership Annual Giving, the Associate Director is responsible for cultivating strong relationships with annual giving donors, ensuring they feel valued and appreciated for their contributions to the university. You will oversee all aspects of donor relations for annual giving donors, including but not limited to: acknowledgments, stewardship events, impact reporting, and recognition benefits. This position is centrally positioned and focuses on annual and leadership giving donor retention and stewardship for all donor affiliations including alumni, families, faculty staff, and students. Learn more.
Workshop: Leadership Gift Officer
September 19, 2024 11:00am-4:30pm ETThe role of a gift officer is to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership donors on behalf of your institution. One of the best ways to do this is through individual meetings (both virtual and in-person) with prospects and donors. Understanding your role, and knowing what to do before, during and after a meeting, will not only help you to engage prospects in more productive conversations, but it will help to strengthen relationships, raise sights, and secure increasing levels of support for years to come. Register now or learn more.
Article: Testing Backwards
Most experienced annual giving professionals agree that there is always room for improvement. Even highly effective strategies for raising annual funds for educational institutions can become more successful. They can be more cost-effective, garner a larger average gift, or have a higher response rate. How to make fundraising strategies more successful is where A/B testing comes in. The vast majority of annual giving staff indicated they plan to do more testing in the next six months than previously…. Read more.
Webinar: Using Premiums as Donor Incentives
September 26th, 2024 at 12:00PM ET“Quid pro quo” is Latin and means that something is given in exchange for something else. In consumer marketing, offering token items (often referred to as “premiums”) is frequently used to entice people to purchase a product or service. In fundraising, it can also be an effective technique to motivate donors. However, incorporating premiums into your appeals needs to be done in a way that not only incentivizes donors to take action but conveys a sense of philanthropic purpose and highlights gift impact. Register now or learn more.
Podcast E24: Megan Poole | Working From Wherever
In this episode, Megan Poole, Director of Direct Marketing at the University of Virginia, talks about working from where you work best, skywriting (and other solicitation channels), being on the receiving end, depending on others, starting all over again, and more! Listen to this episode now.
Featured Job: Director of Engagement, Leadership Gifts at Washington University of St. Louis
The Director of Engagement, Principal Gifts will work closely with senior leadership to establish and execute donor centric strategies and initiatives to advance the relationship our highest-level donors and prospects have with the School of Medicine or Siteman Cancer Center. This position will focus on sophisticated strategy development for cultivating, soliciting, stewarding and recognizing high-level donors and prospects who have the capacity to make transformative gifts as well as support front-line fundraisers and department chairs and mange programs and communication to donors within their portfolio. Learn more.
Workshop: Writing Fundraising Appeals
October 3, 2024 11:00am-4:30pm ETWriting is one of the most important skills a fundraiser can possess. And while you don’t need to be an award-winning author to write strong appeals, you do need to be able to make the case for support in a clear and compelling way. Developing messages that resonate and selecting words that motivate can make all the difference. By refining your writing skills, your prospects are more likely to read your appeals and respond with a gift. Register now or learn more.
Become an AGN Member Today!
This is a great time to invest in professional development for your team. AGN Membership provides advancement staff and volunteers with ongoing access to the training and tools that they’ll need to be successful. Learn more or become a member today!