Kansas State University is re-thinking advancement-as-usual and shifting fundraising strategy to connect directly with alumni interests and passions. After a fire damaged its library, KSU launched a digital campaign to raise money for the renovations. The team used social media posts to identify interested constituents, they added those prospects to a campaign that successfully raised more than $50k from 400 donors.

1. Flipping the Pyramid: Fundraising
that Starts with Engagement

2. Sara Prince
Director of Strategic Solicitations,
Kansas State University Foundation
@KSU_Foundation
sarap@ksufoundation.org
Mike Nagel
Customer & Product Marketing Manager,
EverTrue
@themikenagel
mike.nagel@evertrue.com

3. #CASEVI
@evertrue

4. What’s on tap...
How the KSU journey began
The advancement evolution
How the Giving Funnel works
Steps to take today & tomorrow
Q & A

5. We’re giving this away
www.evertrue.com/cased6
Download the slides and infographic

6. #CASEVI
@evertrue

9. The Response (first two weeks)
$50,000 400 donors

10. The Response (as of today)
$59,900 467 donors

11. One fire….
...one new approach to
fundraising.

12. The Funnel

13. The
Funnel AWARENESS
INTEREST
CONSIDERATION
INTENT TO BUY
EVALUATION
BUY

14. Shoes

18. The
Funnel AWARENESS
INTEREST
CONSIDERATION
INTENT TO BUY
EVALUATION
BUY

19. Technology has transformed our daily lives...
...making every interaction personal.

20. Real Estate 1.0 Real Estate 2.0

21. Consumer 1.0 Consumer 2.0

22. Dating 1.0 Dating 2.0

23. Advancement 1.0 Advancement 2.0
?

24. Advancement is still drowning in
spreadsheets and underserved by
traditional databases.
Complex
Workflows
Poor Access
to Data
Incomplete
Data
Challenging
Collaboration
Lack of Best-in-Class
integrations

25. Bad tech makes important people
just another face in the crowd.

26. Alumni participation has
dropped by over 32% since
2005.
94% of gifts come from the top
10% of donors… at the expense of
our future pipeline of major
donors.
$
Donor Acquisition Challenges

27. “Every nonprofit and university in the
country will be reliant on millennials
within five to 10 years. They can’t be
dismissed.”
– VP for University Advancement
at a large private university
Donor Acquisition Challenges

28. Annual Fund Revenue is Trending Positively
$mm
* Includes solicitable alumni and non-alumni donors, excludes major donors with a max single year gift >$10k

29. However, the Base of Alumni Donors Is Eroding
* Includes 168k solicitable alumni donors, excludes major donors with a max single year gift >$10k
# Donors (000’s)*
Donors* % Participation
% Participation

30. It’s Hard to Fill a Leaky Bucket
# Alumni Donors (000’s)*
End of Year Donor Count New Donors Reactivated Donors Churned Donors
* Includes 168k solicitable alumni donors, excludes major donors with a max single year gift >$10k

31. The Investor/Donor
● Gives with her heart
● Want to know return on investment
● Wants to be involved
● Wants to be joined by others
● Wants to know they’ve helped solve a problem

32. Alumni & Parent Engagement
Annual Donors
Discovery
MG

33. The
Funnel AWARENESS
INTEREST
CONSIDERATION
INTENT TO BUY
EVALUATION
BUY

34. #FlipThePyramid
#CASEVI
@evertrue

35. The Giving Funnel
ENGAGE
QUALIFY
ASSIGN
SOLICIT
#CASEVI
@evertrue

36. #1
Advancement Software
300+
Higher Ed Partners
50
Of the Top 100 US News & World
Report Universities

37. K-State by the Numbers
50k donors annually
$174.2M overall in FY18,
approx. $14M Annual Giving
Hit $1B campaign goal early,
extended to $1.4B by 2020
Shifting to short-term,
interest-driven fundraising

38. Over the last 6 years...
Annual Giving to Strategic Solicitations
Traditional Annual Giving Strategy
● LYBUNT/SYBUNT
● Phone, Mail, Email mass solicitation
● Reinforced the pyramid
Strategic Solicitations
● Pipeline propulsion
● Truly data driven and data designed
● Shift to lead acquisition and generation

39. Acquired Lead Journey
Communications

40. Fundraising 1.0 Fundraising 2.0

42. Teamwork 1.0 Teamwork 2.0

43. Engagement by Design Committee
● Marketing / Communications
● Prospect Research
● Strategic Solicitations (Annual Giving)

45. The Giving Funnel In Action

46. K-State Family Scholarship Program

48. K-State Family Scholarship Program

49. 319,000
constituents
27,000 rated donors
3,880
engaged
31
$30k gifts

50. All-in for K-State

51. All-in for K-State
$500K in 1 day
to serve the
approx. 40% of
students who
experience
food insecurity.

52. 319,000
constituents
155,000 followers
5,000 donors
$250k

53. What’s your Hale Library/Family
Scholarship/Cats’ Cupboard?

54. Admit Something Needs to ChangeStep 1:
Since 2005, alumni participation rates have
dropped by 33%
Since 1990, they have been cut in half

55. Bring Smart People TogetherStep 2:

56. Bring Smart People TogetherStep 2:
Susan,
Communications
(Engage)
Julie,
Prospect Research
(Qualify & Assign)
Sara,
Strategic Solicitations
(Ask)

57. Start with a TestStep 3:
(Pick a priority without a natural
constituency.)

58. Start with a TestStep 3:
The arts, an institute, the library, the band,
a special program, student life, student
support, extracurriculars, oboe
scholarships.

59. Build Your FunnelStep 4:
ENGAGE
QUALIFY
ASSIGN
SOLICIT
● What are the
numbers?
● Who’s responsible
for each step?

60. Measure ImpactStep 5:
1. What did you learn?
2. Did you hit your funnel goals?
3. Did you hit your overall goals?
4. What difference did your team make?

61. We’re giving this away
www.evertrue.com/cased6
Download the slides and infographic

62. Q&A

63. Come see us at Booth 116
Take home an Apple Watch*
get.evertrue.com/d6

64. Thank you!

65. Sara Prince
Director of Strategic Solicitations
Kansas State University Foundation
@KSU_Foundation
sarap@ksufoundation.org
Mike Nagel
Customer & Product Marketing Manager
EverTrue
@themikenagel
mike.nagel@evertrue.com

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