This document discusses rethinking fundraising from the top down by focusing on shorter term campaigns and engagement. It notes that traditional campaigns rely too heavily on large gifts from few donors. New approaches emphasize engaging more constituents through interest-driven content and quick demonstrations of impact. This helps uncover more donors and prospects over time. The document outlines a "giving funnel" process including engage, qualify, assign, and solicit steps. An example program at Kansas State created over 145 new scholarships through a "family scholarship" campaign that engaged more donors through matching funds. The approach emphasizes data-driven fundraising focused on donors as investors to create sustainable growth beyond single large campaigns.

1. Playing the Long Game
Re-Thinking Fundraising from the Top Down

2. John Morris
SVP of Development,
Kansas State University
Foundation
Brent Grinna
Founder and CEO,
EverTrue
@brentgrinna
brent.grinna@evertrue.com
@john_m_morris
johnm@ksufoundation.org

3. @brentgrinna
@john_m_morris
#FLF2019

6. 45k donors annually
$14M
Annual Giving
$1B campaign goal hit early,
extended to $1.4B by 2020.
Shifting to short-term,
interest-driven fundraising
$174M
overall FY18

7. #1
Advancement Software
300+
Higher Ed Partners
50
Of the Top 100 US News & World
Report Universities

8. 1. The campaign landscape
2. Making the case for sprints
3. The K-State Family Scholarship
4. Rethinking the campaign of tomorrow
5. Showing this in action, across the sector
6. Q & A
Today, we’ll cover:

11. What Happens Next?

12. (Nothing.)

13. A Capital Campaign Timeline
OCT 2015
Innovation &
Inspiration
public launch
APR 2016
John arrives
at KSUF
MARCH 2017
$1B goal met,
campaign
extended by 40%
2019
New $1.4B
goal met
(projected)
2020
Campaign
closes…
what’s next?
FEB 2015
CEO Greg
Willems
arrives
NOV 2016
New University
President

14. What’s the Point of a Campaign?
Implement
Metrics
Increase
budget
Reorganize
staff

15. What’s the Point of a Campaign?
Students Faculty
Buildings Programs

16. When are we not raising money
for these priorities?

17. What if we changed the
conversation?
That Drives
Results
Driving
Philanthropy

18. The Investor/Donor gives with
her heart, and wants to...
● know the ROI
● be involved
● be joined by others
● know they’ve helped solve a problem

19. The Era of Perpetual Campaigns

20. 8 OF 10
colleges
are currently
in campaign
Average
campaign
will last
95 MO.
Median
campaign
goal is
$1B

21. The Results
HIGHEST
totals
in history
$43.6
billion
in FY17
3.7%
YOY
increase

22. Let’s look closer...

23. Over-Reliance on the Top
On average, the top 36 donors
contribute 63% of annual fundraising
revenue. So who’s “on deck?”
The average gift from biggest donors
dropped 22%
Source: EAB

24. Missing Prospects in Plain Sight
of high net-worth prospects go
uncultivated
of those don’t ever make it into
a portfolio
80%
54%
Source: EAB

25. Big Gifts *Used To* Take Decades to Acquire
53%
of donors take
between 10-29 years
of giving before
making their largest
donation
Philanthropy Leadership Council, 2006

26. Last year $1 million+ gifts
● FY ‘18: Previous gifts < $5,000: 4
● YTD ‘19: Previous gifts < $5,000: 5

27. Yet We Focus Exclusively on the Top
Top 10% of donors
90% of focus
90% of constituents
10% of focus
NOW
THE
FUTURE

28. Where are we in 2029?

29. Movies 2004 Movies 2019

30. Shopping in 2006 Shopping in 2019

31. Transportation 2011 Transportation 2019

32. The world has changed.
Fundraising has not.

33. The perpetual, decade-long
campaign cycle needs to evolve.

34. Alumni & Parent Engagement
Annual Donors
Discovery
MG

35. Today’s
SELF-EDUCATED BUYER
AWARENESS
INTEREST
CONSIDERATION
INTENT TO BUY
EVALUATION
BUY

36. Sales Marketing
Development Alumni Relations

37. Where’s the Giving Funnel?

38. #FlipThePyramid

39. The Giving Funnel
ENGAGE
QUALIFY
ASSIGN
SOLICIT

40. Strategy People Technology

41. The Giving Funnel in Action

42. Give donors what they want
1. Outreach aligned with their interests
2. Quick demonstration of ROI
3. Multiple ways to participate

43. K-State Family Scholarship Program

44. The Ripple Effect
Summer 2017
● $650 begins the ripple effect
● 24 new scholarships created
Fall 2017
● Two families put up $1M each in matching money
● 61 new scholarships created
Summer 2018
● $5.5M in new scholarships
● $170k immediately available to 85 students
● 85 new major donors
Fall 2018
● Previous donor again offers a $1M match (30 more matches)
● Two more major donors come in with $500k gifts (30 more matches)
● Additional $2M and 60 matches available
Spring 2019
● 145 scholarships created with $290k immediately available
● Collective giving increases from >$500k to $4.8M
● $9.5M in new, endowed scholarships available in perpetuity

45. Digital Stewardship Creates A Flywheel

46. 319,000
constituents
27,000
rated donors
3,880
engaged
31
$30k gifts

47. All-in for K-State: Hyper-Focused Giving Day

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

50. Dual Funnels: Major and Annual Gifts
319,000
constituents
155,000
followers
5,000
donors
$250k
319,000
constituents
27,000
rated donors
3,880
engaged
??
$250k

51. This is data-driven,
investor-centric fundraising.

52. 50k annual donors
280k people
9k rated
2k managed
75 households
Communications &
Alumni Relations
Strategic
Solicitations
University-wide
Major Gift
Principal

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

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

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

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

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

58. 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?

59. What’s your Family Scholarship/
Cats’ Cupboard?

60. Institute for
Sustainable
Energy
Aviation
Campaign
Ohiowomen
Spirit
Impact
Rural
Futures
Institute
Future-Thinking Organizations
Gen-1
House

61. A brand new thinktank with zero
constituents.

62. Curate, Create and Post
Like this post if
Sustainability @ BU
is important to you

63. Marquee Events

64. The ISE Giving Funnel Results
300,000
alumni
800
engagement qualified prospects
75
capacity qualified prospects
6 + 3 + $100k
advisory board commitments

65. A small, but growing program and a
differentiator for OSU.

66. Mine for Engaged, Unassigned Donors

67. The Oklahoma State Giving Funnel
310,000
constituents
5,000
engaged around aviation content
772
consistent donors
15
high-quality prospects
assigned to gift officer 262 x’s!

68. In Action: UVA

70. 12 Assigned Prospects. 100 Rated Prospects. 600 Non-Donors.

71. The UVA / Julian Bond Giving Funnel
230,000
constituents
2,000
engaged around Julian Bond
112
managed or highly rated, unmanaged prospects
$3 million
secured for professorship

72. This Approach Can Be Applied Tomorrow

73. Ohio University — ohiowomen

74. Nebraska

75. Cincinnati

78. The Brown Football Giving Funnel
~2,500
football alumni
~1,500
saw mentoring content
66
responded to CTA
?
new mentors, new donors, renewed donors, new major gift prospects

80. 1. Admit Something Needs To Change
2. Bring Smart People Together
3. Start With A [Test] [Pilot] [Experiment]
4. Design Your Giving Funnel
5. Measure Impact

81. Q&A

82. John Morris
SVP of Development,
Kansas State University
Foundation
Brent Grinna
Founder and CEO,
EverTrue
@brentgrinna
brent.grinna@evertrue.com
@john_m_morris
johnm@ksufoundation.org

83. Thank you!