Advancement Strategies for Institutions of Higher Education: Fundraising and Alumni Relations
Working to fulfill potential certainly starts with recruitment and admission, but it doesn’t end there. For your graduates, a continually supportive on-campus experience can lead to a loyal, lifelong commitment of giving back, which makes investing in your students today pay off tomorrow. At Campusworks, we help you better understand who you’re serving and uncover the best ways to engage them, allowing you to build the relationships and sense of community essential to encourage future investment.
Whether it’s different generations or interest groups (sports, arts, businesses, or majors to name a few), it’s important to understand why and how people want to give back, and then make it easy and convenient to contribute their time, money, or expertise. Just as institutions of higher education are stewards of student experiences, they are also stewards of the monies that enable and empower campuses to exist, persist, and thrive. That takes two things — high-level strategic planning and boots-on-the-ground understanding of prospects — so you can confidently transition from where you are to where you want to go. Smart use of your talent and your CRM allows you to develop advancement strategies that effectively use the skills and abilities of your advancement staff; increase the level of personalization to alumni, prospects, and donors; and build personal and financial engagement that results in sustainable lifelong relationships.
Advancement Solutions Assessment
True objectivity is essential when assessing your advancement strategy and lifecycle. CampusWorks takes an in-depth look at your unique business processes — from prospect screening and inquiry through cultivation and stewardship. We look at the experience you create for prospective as well as long-time donors and how information and technology support creates effective and productive fundraisers. We start by independently observing and assessing your policies, processes, solutions, and talent to identify opportunities — and gaps — so you can achieve your goals. We’re not just looking for what isn’t working; we’re looking for how we can make what is working better. Along the way, we look for bottlenecks, hiccups, and roadblocks — places where smarter technology will speed processing and improve efficiency. Our unbiased senior advancement professionals provide you with holistic and comprehensive roadmaps and detailed action steps to achieve sustained success. We know that staying ahead starts with not losing ground, and we’re here for you.
Advancement Solutions Software Evaluation and Selection
Major system evaluation and selection is stressful. With so much at stake financially, the pressure to get it right is real, but putting it off because it’s hard takes its own kind of toll — on your team and on your bottom line. At CampusWorks, we ease the stress. Objective and vendor-neutral, we have one allegiance — and that’s to you.
It’s our job to ensure you have an objective evaluation of your current system and know the strengths and weaknesses of potential new solutions. Whether it’s a “buy new” or “upgrade,” anything we recommend comes with your best interest in mind. In today’s hyper-connected world, modernization throughout your advancement operations is vital. Designing tailored, sustainable, and donor-appealing processes and implementing efficient and effective solutions are our strengths.
Advancement Solutions Planning and Optimization
The best plans need the best processes — and people — in order to work. We’re asking (and answering!), “How will you support the plan? How will you optimize the talent, financial, and technological resources to turn your plan into practice?” Your CampusWorks team has the depth and breadth to allow you to pivot, progress, and partner with one firm to deliver the assessment, the plan, and the results. That’s not consulting. That’s partnership.
Advancement Interim Staffing
Filling crucial positions during these turbulent times when so many workers are on the move isn’t easy. CampusWorks offers you the peace of mind that comes from having experienced senior talent on your team delivering value from day one. Need extra hands to staff up? We’ve got you covered, quickly, and seamlessly.
Although fundraising campaigns have changed drastically over the past two decades, our team of experienced professionals comes in up to speed and ready to hit the ground running. Whether you need an interim VP of advancement or strategies for CRM leadership, our more than 300 specialists are ready to step in to offer you a fresh perspective and an empowering path forward.
If you want to keep fundraisers fundraising and support staff working on your core business — raising money — but your infrastructure can’t keep up, call us. With 25 years of higher ed experience and peerless peer networks, we can get you the right people in the right place at the right time, while keeping your strong donor connections intact. That’s invaluable for morale — and your bottom line.
