1. Building a Parent Program: A Roundtable Discussion
March 23, 2010
Laurie Soenen
Director, Annual Giving
College of Charleston Foundation

2. What is a parent program?
Fundraising??
Admissions??
Student Life??
Where does it “live”?

3. Information Gathering
How are you gathering parent/ grandparent information?
How are you adding this information to your database?
What are you doing with this information once you have it?

4. Campus Partners Who are your campus partners?
How do they further the mission of the parent program?

5. Marketing to Parents What is your messaging?
How many times a year do they hear from you?
How do parents hear from you?
What else can you “give” them?

6. Fundraising with Parents
How are you using parents in fundraising efforts?
How are you using students?
What type of media do you use for solicitations?
Are you recognizing generational differences?

7. Incentives & Stewardship
How are you stewarding parents?
Do you provide parents with incentives to give?
Do you tailor stewardship for different levels of parent giving?

8. Overview of the College of Charleston’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
50 sets of parents
Meet twice a year
Minimum College of Charleston Fund gift
2 meetings a year (Spring/ Fall)
Subcommittee meetings on Friday
Full meetings on Saturday

9. PAC Committees 3 Committee Groups Admissions Committee
Student Affairs Committee
Fundraising Committee

10. PAC Committee: Admissions
Focus of the Admissions Committee
State of Admissions
Admissions Fairs
Send-Off Events
Welcome Phone Calls to New Parents

11. PAC Committee: Student Affairs
Focus of the Student Affairs Committee
Career Services
Campus transportation
First Year Experiences
Upcoming Events or Need to Knows

12. PAC Committee: Fundraising
Focus of the Fundraising Committee
Primarily the Parent Leadership Drive, Phase 1 and Phase 2
Phase 1 – Targeted to PAC members
Goal was $150,000 to the College of Charleston Fund
Phase 2 – Targeted 350 parents during this drive
Assignments based on region, class year, major, etc.
1 month to make the calls
Virtual phonathon (

13. Wrap-Up
Questions?
2010 Parent Fundraising Conference July in Charleston, SC
Click the logo to register