How to enhance donor participation among alumni – what worked at SCIENCES PO, what not. Albin Gaudaire Director, relations with donors Sciences Po date of presentation Copyright Advancement Academy 1
Dec 22, 2015
How to enhance donor participation among alumni – what worked at
SCIENCES PO, what not. Albin Gaudaire
Director, relations with donorsSciences Po
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Understanding Sciences-Po
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• Universities and « grandes écoles »• Mission• Reputation in France and globally• Profile of typical student• Science-Po alumni’s contribution to fourth stream
income
Goals for this session
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We have learnt the following from Sciences-Po’s experience in fundraising:
• The steps that will enable you to transform your alumni community into a community of donors;
• Know your strengths and the pitfalls that should be avoided;
• Imagine the different ways in which your alumni can become involved in the life of your university;
• Know how to establish alumni associations
First step: a diagnosis
• The questions you should ask:– What is an alumnus?– How many are there?– Do you have an accurate and up to date database with their details?– Are the alumni proud of their qualification?– Who are your most famous alumni ?– What ties were kept with them after graduation?– Only one or several existing alumni associations?
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Different possible scenarios
Case 1• The university did not maintain ties with its alumni;• It doesn’t know where they are;• There is no alumni association or it only involves a very
small number of people.
Significant investment will be required to start your fundraising activities
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Different possible scenarios
Case 2• The university did not maintain ties with its alumni;• It doesn’t know where they are;• There is a dynamic alumni association which
maintained links to alumni independently of the university.
Work with the alumni associationScience-Po found itself in this situation
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Different possible scenarios
Case 3• The university maintains links with the alumni
community. It has embedded the usual goals of alumni associations in its structures. It already communicates regularly with them to keep them informed about the life of the institution and to reinforce their sense of pride in their qualification.
If this is your scenario, you are already busy with fundraising...
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Two preliminary tasks
Before communicating with your alumni, two essential things must be done:
• Prepare an ambitious speech;• Involve the leadership at your university
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Two preliminary tasks
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• The key elements of your speech :– Ambition,– Realism,– Innovation,But above all !– Instill passion, not pity.
Two preliminary tasks
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• The role of management:– Legitimization;– Removing internal blockages
Be careful not to personalize the discourse too much around a single person
Target alumni with the greatest potential
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Contacting
Creating close ties
Finding
Involving
A virtuous circle to implement
Target alumni with the greatest potential
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• The first circle of major donors will play an essential rol in your campaign;
• There are several ways of involving alumni with the greatest potential;
• Your major donors are the best ambassadors to convince further donors.
Friendraising : an essential step
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• What is friendraising ?• Why is it essential ?
– Science-Po’s example• Key elements:
– Information,– Developing a sense of pride– Have alumni come back to their place of study
The role of alumni associations
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• Necessary but sometimes cumbersome organisations
• Don’t ignore them, particularly if they are powerful
• How can they be involved ?– Control them– Associate them in a win-win partnership
Future alumni
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• Your current students are tomorrow’s alumni. Prepare them!– Develop their pride in their degree and their esprit
de corps,– Make them aware of fundraising while they are
still studying,– Let them share in the donations you raise
Summary of key elements
• Know your point of departure• Instill passion ! • Your alumni do have a wallet but they also
have an address book• Inform and involve students in the life of the
institution• Don’t treat them simply like potential donors
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Merci!
Albin [email protected] 01 45 49 63 5227 rue Saint-Guillaume75007 ParisFrance
Sciences Powww.sciences-po.fr
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