The Annual Giving Exchange

This past weekend, I participated in an NPR Marketplace story on young alumni fundraising entitled, “Colleges Hitting Up Alums Early.”  It featured Holy Cross’ strategy to engage recent graduates through a series of breakfast gatherings with the College’s President.  Click here to listen to it.

Institutions that are able to sustain high levels of alumni participation understand that building a culture of philanthropy doesn’t happen over night. Educating alumni about the importance of giving back often starts when students first step foot on campus as freshman, and strong senior class gift programs are often indicators of strong annual giving programs.

While there are exceptions, it’s probably a safe assumption that recent graduates are less likely to make large gifts.  And while young alumni are not often today’s major donors, they will be tomorrow’s.

So, spend time with young alumni.  Talk with them.  Listen to them.  Provide them with opportunities to volunteer.  Challenge them to solicit their peers.  Make sure they understand the impact of their support.  Thank them twice as often as you ask them for money.

Help young alumni develop a habit of giving now and you’ll begin to build a lasting culture of philanthropy for years to come.