Grab Grads Early to Keep Them Giving

Next, we conducted three young-alumni focus groups to gain their insight as we sought to redesign both our solicitation and recognition programs. It became clear that we needed to develop a program that encouraged consecutive years of giving, regardless of the dollar amount. In other words, build a loyal set of alumni by positively reinforcing the behavior that we wanted to see demonstrated — consistent annual giving.

While we did expend energy fine-tuning our solicitations and messaging to this segment, our main focus shifted to recognition. We created and launched the Rice Pacesetters Club (giving.rice.edu/pacesetters) to specifically communicate to our most recent graduates the importance of giving annually to the university. The mission of this recognition club is to cultivate these young alumni into future leaders who would one day become loyal, annual contributors. We do not require a minimum dollar contribution to participate, nor do we tell them where they have to give. Our only requirement is that their gifts be consecutive year after year.

Volunteers are a crucial component of the young alumni program and include a chair from each graduating class. The classes celebrating fifth and 10th reunions have a formalized committee structure with several co-chairs to solicit gifts. For the Pacesetters Club, we designate two alumni to co-chair the effort, helping to keep contact information as current as possible and making the occasional follow-up e-mail or phone solicitation. All of these volunteers also assist with sending thank-you postcards throughout the year to our donors.

The young alumni population is segmented for all e- and direct-mail solicitations, which are characterized by consistent messaging, concise text, youthful graphics and an influx of humor. The e-solicitations are the primary mode for corresponding with this group, and a series of appeals is developed for a given year. Since the implementation of our efforts, the number of gifts through our online-giving Web site has more than doubled because we have been more aggressively driving our alumni to the site to increase pledge fulfillment and to decrease other associated costs.