SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP
Annual Giving Program
Gayle Agostinelli
Director of Annual Giving
Carroll College
Helena, Montana

From worker bee to social
butterfly…
Direct mail Mini–major gift officers
Phonathons Lunches, dinners, events
Segmenting Networking
Reporting Relationship building
Data analysis Cultivation
Planning Stewardship
Assessment Solicitation
Today’s annual giving professionals do it all!!

Why a leadership program?

Program Structure
• Branding–St. Charles Borromeo Guild
• Levels
Guild Member ($1,000-$2,499)
Guild Associate ($2,500-$4,999)
Guild Fellow ($5,000-$9,999)
Guild Advisor ($10,000 and above)
• Mesh with current programs & structures

Renewals and prospects
• Define who will be a “prospect”
• Letter (signed by the President) & brochure
Or personal visit
• Phonathon/staff/director follow up call
• Mail follow up for considerings
• Prior to fiscal year end follow up with LYBUNTS
• Business process
Past business campaign co-chairs personally solicit
Director personal visits
Phone follow up by director
Publish business SCBG list…everywhere

Four elements of success
for a leadership annual giving
program
• Energetic and frequent community outreach
• Donor recognition
• Donor contact—relationship building
• Coordinated solicitation

Community Outreach
• Join a community service club
• Chamber of Commerce
• “Hometown” meetings
To the people you meet while representing your
institution…you ARE your institution.

Donor Recognition
• Create “exclusive” group
• Incentive to move from one level to the next
• A way for annual fund to recognize businesses
Examples:
Invitation to President’s Dinner (formal banquet)
President’s Newsletter—“insider” publications
Donor Report—SCBG listing
Special invitations—Summer Symphony, President’s Christmas Open
House
SCBG Cross—pin or necklace
Publications
Student thank-you notes

Signature
Recognition
Piece

Donor Contacts
• Eat, eat and eat some more…
• Go where they are…
• Be sensitive to their needs…
• Face to face solicitations
Phone Calls
Letters

Leadership Program Promotion
• Alumni magazine—every issue
• Website
• Local newspaper
• Local television—Saints & Scholars
• Billboards

Challenges
• Awaiting major gift strategy
Miss soliciting them at all that FY
• Stewardship of out of town donors
• Publication budget
• Identifying prospects
• Unrestricted vs. Restricted
Why doesn’t my $1,500 gift to the Biology
Department qualify me for membership?

Carroll College Centennial
Comprehensive Campaign
• Annual Giving Goal—part of Campaign goal
• Centennial Guild Member–$2,009 for three years
• Fr. Gene Peoples Book Incentive
• Major gift officers…final option
• Centennial ask amounts…

Questions?
Please feel free to contact me:
Gayle Agostinelli,
Director of Annual Giving
Carroll College
1601 North Benton Avenue
Helena, MT 59625
(406) 447-4492
gagostinelli@carroll.edu