Starting an Annual Giving Leadership Circle: Preparation & Execution Heather Ashley

1. Starting an Annual Giving Leadership Circle: Preparation & Execution Heather Ashley Assoc. Dir. Annual Giving & Alumni Affairs UF College of Engineering

2. OVERVIEW • University of Florida • About 50,000 students • More than 367,000 alumni • Boasts 16 Colleges • UF Engineering • Largest professional school, 2nd largest unit for student enrollment, 3rd largest research unit • 8,700 + students • 5,813 undergraduate • 2,961 graduate • 9 comprehensive departments • Interdisciplinary Centers and Institutes • 45,000 + living alumni • Produced 1% of all engineers that graduated last spring

3. ANNUAL GIVING PROGRAM • UF has central, integrated “unit” devoted to annual giving for university and colleges • Direct Mail • Phone Campaign • Online Giving • Emails

4. DEAN’S LEADERSHIP CIRCLETIMELINE • Started research – Fall 2011 • Assessed data & looked for areas of interest • Develop case statements, inserts & layout – Early Spring 2012 • Final layout to designer – Summer 2012 • Group Mailing – Last week of Sept 2012

5. THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS • What? • Why? • Who? • When?

6. WHAT? • Program criteria: • Purpose • Exclusivity • Strategic Alignment

7. Increase Alumni Giving (impact rankings) • Annual average gift (ranked 3rd at UF – FY12) • Annual giving percentage (ranked 12th at UF – FY12) • Message Dean’s strategic plan/vision • Increase funding for specific area/fund • - Student Life Fund • Declining state budgets • Build pipeline for next campaign • - Identification/Qualification WHY?

8. WHO? • Alumni 45-55

9. WHO? • Alumni 45-55 • Females

10. Giving to Engineering by Gender

11. WHO? • Alumni 45 - 55 • Females • Parents

12. WHO? • Alumni 45 - 55 • Females • Parents • Advisory Boards • Members had 21% annual giving participation rate prior to program • Individual appeal message for each group

13. WHEN? • Important milestones • College 100 years • 50th Reunion • 25th Reunion • Calendar Year End • Dean Change • Special events/reunion weekends

17. MILESTONE SUCCESSES • Dollars Pledged/Raised • $50,000  4 Weeks • $100,000  6 Weeks • $150,000  7 Weeks • $200,000  18 Weeks • $250,000  TBD ($240,503 as of June 3, 2013) • Alumni Giving (to Engineering) Increased • Average gift ($182.01 – FY 13 $119.81 – FY 12) • Dollars raised ($397,520 – FY 13 $266,344 – FY 12) Average Pledge: $1,791 Average Gift: $790 Dollars In the Door: $94,086

18. MILESTONE SUCCESSES • Parent Participation • 6% participation rate • Overall 5% participation rate in Leadership Circle • Average giving percentage increased (currently 9th) • Increased Board Participation • 44% annual giving (up from 21%) • Increase in Female Giving • 3% Participation rate in Leadership Circle

19. MILESTONE SUCCESSES • Allows for segmentation • Reinforce Dean’s Message • Increase in amount of pledges • Displayed advisory board support to Dean and UF administration • Department Collaboration

20. CHALLENGES • 1st ever leadership circle program • No established mindset of philanthropy • Staffing for stewardship & data analysis • Lengthy process to develop effective program • 8th largest University in country (based on enrollment #) • Lots of units competing for same people • Highly ranked units and alums with multiple degrees so affinity can be limited

21. BEST PRACTICES • Research your alumni base  look for gaps & holes • Research peer schools and at least 1-2 non-peer schools • Department Collaboration • Can give to dept unrestricted fund • Keep benefits small but meaningful—access, access, access

22. NEXT STEPS • Online Giving Form • Further Segmentation of Parents • Retention efforts • 50th Reunion Class Gift • Continued Solicitation of Females

23. THANK YOU!hashley@eng.ufl.edu352-392-6795