Strategic Donor Engagement to Increase Giving Retention-Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This presentation from Texas State University highlights their integrated approach to improving donor retention by merging donor engagement and alumni engagement teams. Following a recent fundraising campaign, the university faced challenges in retaining a large influx of first-time and young donors, critical for sustaining their fundraising pipeline. With over 240,000 alumni—many first-generation college students unfamiliar with philanthropy—they emphasized creating tailored donor journeys and engagement strategies, including a first-time donor recognition program that increased retention from 15% to 18%. They adopted a "one-team" philosophy using CASE's alumni engagement metrics to unify their efforts, enhancing collaboration across communications, events, and stewardship.<br /><br />Key initiatives include targeted programming for first-time donors, young alumni, mid-level donors, lapsing donors, and specialized annual giving programs like President’s Associates and Forever Bobcats. Innovative tools such as AI-driven Virtual Engagement Officers supplement personalized outreach to engage donors at scale. Their multifaceted retention strategy focuses on meaningful gratitude touchpoints (at least seven before asking again), diverse communication channels tailored to donor preferences, and impact reporting to deepen donor affinity. They also emphasize data-driven decision-making, continuous feedback through surveys, and creatively integrating fundraising with experiential events.<br /><br />This integrated, donor-centered approach demonstrates that coordinated, customized engagement across advancement services and alumni relations drives higher retention, greater donor satisfaction, and sustained philanthropic success.

Keywords

donor retention

alumni engagement

fundraising pipeline

first-time donors

young donors

donor recognition program

AI-driven engagement

personalized outreach

data-driven fundraising