Anatomy of the Campaign for SDSU

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San Diego State University DONOR Survey key findings REV January 29, 2018 © 2018 HURON CONSULTING GROUP INC. AND AFFILIATES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Key learning SDSU is Serving donors well, particularly highest-level contributors Overall, SDSU’s donor population feels positively about the University and their experiences as donors. SDSU earns a Net Promoter Score of 70, suggesting strong positive regard for the University. Two-thirds of donors indicate that they are very satisfied with their giving experiences and intend to continue supporting SDSU. 71 percent of donors feel they are receiving “best-in-class” service from SDSU most or all of the time. SDSU’s ratings are equivalent to or higher than those in similar studies Huron has conducted. Donors giving $100,000 or more are the most satisfied, assigning top ratings to almost all aspects of the donor experience. These donors rate SDSU at 80 percent or higher on: experience giving to SDSU, likelihood to give in the future, obtaining best-in-class service, the quality and timeliness of gift acknowledgments, and feeling that SDSU values their gift.

Key learning donors are motivated by affinity for SDSU and its people While donors at all levels indicate that they give to SDSU out of affection for the University and a desire to ensure its excellence, they are particularly focused on personal points of connection. The higher the giving level, the more likely donors are to indicate that they want to support programs or initiatives with personal meaning to them. When given a list of fundraising objectives, donors at all levels often select student scholarships and attracting top faculty―suggesting that SDSU people bring institutional support needs to life. Highest-level donors have the widest range of motivations and strongest sense of civic obligation, including the desire to support public higher education and help build endowments. At the same time, they are most likely among donor cohorts to value opportunities to connect personally with student and faculty beneficiaries.

Key learning athletics Affiliation is a positive source of connection at lower tiers of giving About half of donors who give below the $10,000 level are strongly motivated by a desire to support athletics, compared to 25% or less at the next rungs of giving. Athletics donors are in general highly satisfied with the giving experience, and are strong promoters of SDSU. Virtually all donors who are strongly motivated by athletics (95% of this segment) are also motivated by other reasons for giving, including a general affinity for SDSU, a desire to ensure its excellence, and a sense of responsibility to support future generations of students. Support for athletics is also a driver of likelihood to give in the future, though this motivation is a weaker driver than is a sense of responsibility to support future generations of students.

Q2. Overall, how would you rate your experience(s) giving to SDSU? Overall satisfaction donors are generally satisfied with their giving experiences Q2. Overall, how would you rate your experience(s) giving to SDSU? Top 2 Box (6 or 7 rating) (1) Poor 2 3 4 5 6 (7) Excellent $11 to $999 3% 2% 9% 19% 24% 42% $1,000 to $2,499 1% 7% 16% 29% 43% $2,500 to $9,999 10% 22% 21% 40% $10,000 to $49,999 0% 14% 44% $50,000 to $99,999 65% $100,000 or more 8% 23% 60% 66% 73% 62% 68% 79% 83% Donors at the highest giving levels ($50,000 or more) express high levels of satisfaction Across giving levels, donors with an assigned relationship manager are more satisfied than those without one (75% vs. 65%, respectively) Total N=2,187; Subgroup Ns: $11-$999 N=1,739; $1,000-$2,499 N=205; $2,500-$9,999 N= 118; $10,000-$49,999 N=54; $50,000-$99,999 N=25; $100,000+ N=46

Overall satisfaction most donors say they will continue giving Q4. Based on your experiences, how likely are you to continue giving to SDSU? (1) Not at all likely 2 3 4 Top 2 Box (6 or 7 rating) 5 6 (7) Very likely $11 to $999 5% 3% 9% 15% 20% 43% $1,000 to $2,499 14% 19% 53% $2,500 to $9,999 4% 2% 10% 11% 57% $10,000 to $49,999 13% 17% $50,000 to $99,999 0% 6% $100,000 or more 1% 21% 60% 64% 72% 70% 58% 77% 82% Only about one in nine donors say they are not likely to continue giving to SDSU (rating their likelihood a 3 or lower) Donors giving between $10,000 and $49,999 are less likely than other donors to say they’ll continue financially supporting SDSU Total N=2,060; Subgroup Ns: $11-$999 N=1,635; $1,000-$2,499 N=196; $2,500-$9,999 N=108; $10,000-$49,999 N=51; $50,000-$99,999 N=25; $100,000+ N=45

Relationship management SDSU often provides “Best-In-Class” Service Q11. The University’s goal is to provide “best-in-class” service to its supporters. In your experience, how often is SDSU meeting this goal? Most or all of the time Some of the time None of the time $11 to $999 5% 24% 70% $1,000 to $2,499 4% 25% $2,500 to $9,999 2% 29% 69% $10,000 to $49,999 13% 22% 65% $50,000 to $99,999 0% 11% 89% $100,000 or more 12% 88% Nearly three-quarters (71%) of donors overall believe that SDSU meets its best-in-class service goal most or all of the time Notably, donors giving between $10,000 and $49,999 are less likely than other high-level donors to feel they are receiving best-in-class service Total N=1,900; Subgroup Ns: $11-$999 N=1,499; $1,000-$2,499 N=186; $2,500-$9,999 N=102; $10,000-$49,999 N=49; $50,000-$99,999 N=23; $100,000+ N=41

(Percent selecting 6 or 7 on a 7-point scale*) Motivations for giving top drivers include affection for sdsu and a desire to ensure its excellence Q6. To what degree do the following statements describe your motivation to give to SDSU? (Percent selecting 6 or 7 on a 7-point scale*) Alumni Non-Alumni 75% 59% 66% 54% 60% 52% 72% 22% 55% 45% 37% 43% 42% 34% While alumni donors are more likely than non-alums to cite a variety of motivations for their giving, an affinity for SDSU and a desire to give back to the University are strongest While 41% of donors are strongly motivated by a desire to support athletics, virtually all of these donors (95% of the segment) cite at least one other motivation for their giving. Total N=1,956-1,971; ; Subgroup Ns: $11-$999 N=1,549-1,560; $1,000-$2,499 N=186-189; $2,500-$9,999 N=103-106; $10,000-$49,999 N=50-51; $50,000-$99,999 N=22-23; $100,000+ N=41-42 *Scale: 1(“This does not affect my motivation to give”) to 7(“This highly affects my motivation to give”)

Furthering DONOR ENGAGEMENT interest in connecting with beneficiaries Q16A. If SDSU were to connect you with the beneficiaries of your giving, in which ways would you like to connect? Please select all that apply. Among those interested in connecting with beneficiaries (19% of donors overall), large scale events that feature opportunities to interact with beneficiaries and/or their works are most appealing, followed by emails and letters Total N=332