1. Betsy Chapman ‘92, MA ‘94), Director of Parent Programs
Setting the Table for Annual Fund Success: Communications with Current Parents
Betsy Chapman ‘92, MA ‘94), Director of Parent Programs
CAROLINAS ANNUAL FUND CONFERENCE | APRIL 23, 2014

2. Case study: parent communications and Annual Fund growth
Our Session Today
Case study: parent communications and Annual Fund growth
What’s in it for your school?
How can you get started?

3. Separate Parent and Alumni Office
Where We Were
Separate Parent and Alumni Office
Communications: Wake Forest Magazine 3-4x/yr
Solicitations 3-4x/yr (freshmen not until spring)
Little web presence

4. Wake Forest Fund Historical Giving $

5. Wake Forest Fund Historical Donor #s

6. Changing Student-Parent Dynamic…
A 2011 study found 40% of first semester freshmen reported daily contact with their parents/ families 1
1 Liu A, Sharkness J, Pryor JH. Findings from the 2007 administration of 'Your First College Year' (YFCY) Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA; 2008.

7. Propelled Us to Change
Dedicated parents web page and blog (The Daily Deac)
Social media

8. Old vs. New Fundraising
Open the door, set the table, then ask
Solicit vs.

9. Creating meaningful engagement
If You Build It, They Will Come
Creating meaningful engagement

10. Parents Website or Portal
Invite them
Show them dynamic, value added content
Repeat, repeat, repeat!

11. Parents’ Information Needs
Deadlines
Action items
Checklists
Critical news

12. Make It Easy to Use

13. Q & A – Helps You and Them!

14. Dynamic Content
News
Photos
Blogs
Webcam
Targeted messages

15. Push Content to Them Don’t rely on them coming to your website
Push content to their inbox (e-newsletter, subscription feeds)
Frequent social media posts to stay on peoples’ feeds

16. Business or Pleasure?
There’s institutional messaging you want to deliver…
…and news that matters to your constituents
What is your school’s voice?

17. Editorial Choices
Personal touch
Easy navigation
Official news or info

18. Tailor to Specific Audiences

19. Where Communications Moves the Needle

20. Evaluating performance
Are Parent Communications Worth It?
Evaluating performance

21. Parents’ Page Hits

22. Readership Increase

23. Correlation? Or Causation?

24. Daily Deac Blog Subscribers
595 subscriber s
Match to 428 Family Giving Units
176 have a giving record (41%)
71 of the 176 are staffed prospects

25. P ‘17 Daily Deac Blog Subscribers
P’17 = freshmen parents
$15,928 - avg. lifetime giving for staffed prospects
$773 - avg. lifetime giving of non-staffed prospects

26. Wake Forest Fund Historical Giving $

27. Giving Post-Communications Ramp Up

28. Wake Forest Fund Historical Donor #s

29. Participation Post-Communications Ramp Up

30. University of Minnesota 2013 Survey
University of Minnesota 2013 Survey

31. Creating meaningful engagement
How Can You Start?
Web design software (Word Press)
Staff member with:
Love of writing
Institutional knowledge
Good judgment
Strong campus partnerships
Creating meaningful engagement

32. Creating meaningful engagement
Conclusions from WFU
Engaged
Involved
Informed
= Higher giving $
= Higher participation rate
Creating meaningful engagement

33. CAROLINAS ANNUAL FUND CONFERENCE | APRIL 23, 2014
Questions?
CAROLINAS ANNUAL FUND CONFERENCE | APRIL 23, 2014

34. CAROLINAS ANNUAL FUND CONFERENCE | APRIL 23, 2014
Contact my office any time we can be of service.
CAROLINAS ANNUAL FUND CONFERENCE | APRIL 23, 2014