Elevating campuses to their next level of greatness in research, student success, and programmatic innovation in the new-normal (post-pandemic) will require building a critical mass of donor relationships, the segment of donors who we’re in a relationship with that we can count on in good times and bad.
The pandemic crisis has caused an outpouring of support for campuses. The mid-pyramid donor segment has been the difference maker at this time. They have stepped up as a giving segment to make critical and targeted impacts.
More than just dollars
Are dollars the only indicator of success for campaigns? Prior to the pandemic, I researched the public campaign goals of twenty institutions investigating whether any had set non-dollar goals. While all celebrated progress toward their public dollar goals, only three referenced a public engagement goal, and just one publicly touted their first-time donor count. Dollars matter and so do relationships. Attaching an engagement goal to campaigns implies that relationships are also an important outcome for a fundraising campaign. Building a stable foundation of relationships can set institutions up for stability in times of crisis.
The difference makers
During the pandemic, donors at all levels have responded to calls for campus crisis funding and needs, but early indications suggest that the mid-pyramid segment has been the difference makers.
Their giving in critical mass resulted in rapid change, by aiding our students in crisis. Additionally, as we met the immediate needs of our students, we also have been evaluating the longer-term needs of infrastructure in the new normal: research, science, technology, and sustaining student success in a post-pandemic era. This transformation will require our loyal, principal gift-level donors to step up for our institutions.
To survive the next crisis, institutions should have a strong and deep base of relationships at the ready to immediately activate. How do you embrace the newly-emerged difference makers and build relationships with this segment? To emerge from that crisis, institutions must rely on their principal gift donors. Combined with the difference makers, the change can be transformative.
Next steps and calls to action
In partnership with your advancement leadership and campaign strategist, consider these questions with prospect research and analytics, as well as talent management and/or financial services.
- Assess staffing and resource investment: What’s your staff and resource investment in the different donor segments?
- Assess metrics and KPIs: Do your metrics or key performance indicators incentivize engagement and relationship building?
- Prepare your pyramid to identify your different segments based on relationships: Do you have ways to measure the strength-of-relationship for a donor segment? Such as an engagement score?
- Does it make sense to create pyramid scenarios that represent transformational change and crisis mode?
- Can you emerge a segment of “difference makers”?
- Attach importance to engagement: What are your non-dollar campaign goals? Are they publicly stated?
Answering these questions can help you understand the balance your organization places between growing the critical mass parts of the pipeline and the transformational giving at the top of the pyramid.
I welcome questions and thoughts on how we can continue to think through this.
By Maureen Procopio
Senior Director, Campaign Strategy and Institutional Benchmarking
University of Oregon Advancement
541-346-2061