Summer Institute for Communications and Marketing Pre-Institute Sessions-Using Analytics to Assess Your Prospect Base and Campaign Success

Using Analytics to Assess Your Prospect Base and Campaign Success

Pdf Summary

In this document, Jami Hougen Johnson, the Senior Director of Prospect Management, Systems Training, and Decision Support at the University of Chicago, discusses the use of analytics in assessing prospect bases and measuring campaign success. <br /><br />The document highlights the increase in campaigns in recent years, with larger and more frequent "mega-campaigns" being launched by universities due to higher budgets and the need to rely on individual giving to close funding gaps. <br /><br />The author outlines a campaign timeline, starting with pre-campaign planning. This includes building a campaign team and assessing readiness by reviewing metrics and evaluating data needs. The author emphasizes the importance of data analysts, gift officers, alumni relations staff, and marketing and communication personnel being involved in the campaign planning process. <br /><br />The document also provides guidance on exploring potential growth scenarios, developing gift charts, and analyzing prospect pools. It advises using scenario analyses, affinity charts, and depth charts to understand the number of gifts and proposals needed and to identify prospects aligned with specific gift ideas. <br /><br />The next phase discussed is feedback and feasibility, which involves benchmarking metrics, aligning the plan with stakeholders, and evaluating progress. The author emphasizes the importance of involving deans, directors of development, and donors in providing input and feedback to ensure realistic targets and buy-in. <br /><br />The document then covers the quiet phase, public phase, and campaign close, detailing the importance of communication plans, reporting progress, and evaluating coverage and results. <br /><br />The author emphasizes the need for ongoing conversations and relationships, including data strategy meetings and developing a data-informed culture. Staffing assessment is also discussed, with recommendations on setting parameters, studying ask rates, and determining portfolio sizes and lead generation needs. <br /><br />The document concludes by emphasizing the importance of celebrating successes, creating campaign reports, and ongoing learning and data delivery. It provides additional information on resources and analytical tools and training. <br /><br />Contact information for Jami Hougen Johnson is provided for further inquiries or collaboration.

Keywords

Jami Hougen Johnson

Prospect Management

University of Chicago

analytics

campaign planning

potential growth scenarios

analyzing prospect pools

communication plans

staffing assessment

data delivery