The Annual Giving Exchange

Picture this.  You’re in a meeting with a prospect.  She is a recent graduate of your university, young, ambitious, and well regarded by her classmates.  She isn’t in a position to make a large gift at this time, but this is certainly someone you want to engage as a donor now in hopes that she develops a long lasting habit of giving.

She apologizes that she can’t make a larger gift now and suggests that she hold off on making a donation until she can contribute something more significant.  You respond by saying that alumni participation is very important to which she asks, “Why is alumni participation so important?”

Don’t let yourself get caught in this situation without a good answer.  Here are just a few.

• Broad alumni participation helps establish a culture of philanthropy that is vital to the success and sustainability of the institution.
• There is strength in numbers and a community is only as strong as the people who support it.
• Alumni participation is often viewed as a barometer of alumni satisfaction.
• Corporations and foundations consider alumni participation when making funding decisions.
• Alumni participation is a key factor in college and university rankings, including U.S. News and World Report.
• Parents and students compare rankings when making enrollment decisions.