From Divisional to Central: Changing the Scholarship and Stewardship Narrative-Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Johns Hopkins staff and Awarded Software representatives discussed how the university is centralizing undergraduate scholarship awarding and donor stewardship through the Awarded platform. The initiative addresses fragmented processes across schools, inconsistent donor communications, and labor-intensive reliance on spreadsheets and mail merges. Hopkins is implementing the platform in phases, with all 10 schools and divisions expected to join over four years.<br /><br />The platform brings together donor intent, student information, and student profiles to match recipients with scholarship requirements and preferences. It has reduced one campus’s recipient-naming process from about eight weeks to five. It also supports mobile-friendly student profiles, targeted reminders, shared workflows, automated donor reports, and AI-assisted editing of student responses while preserving their meaning.<br /><br />Centralized, branded reports give donors a more consistent view of funds across divisions, while shared access improves coordination between financial aid and development teams. Staff also reported less manual work, faster review, and a smoother student experience.<br /><br />Key lessons included securing leadership support, aligning financial aid and stewardship teams early, demonstrating the system’s capabilities to build trust, and using a phased rollout that allows institutions to learn, adapt, and develop internal champions.

Keywords

scholarship awarding

donor stewardship

centralized platform

Johns Hopkins

student profiles

automated donor reports

financial aid workflow

phased rollout

AI-assisted editing