• About Us
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • What We Believe
• Services
  • Developing Vision & Leadership
  • Philanthropic Support
    • Development Counsel
    • Campaign Design
  • Executive Search
• Clients/Case Studies
  • Case Studies
    • Culver Stockton College
    • Mary Baldwin College
    • ELF/ACPA
    • St. Joseph's College of Maine
    • The Catholic University of America
    • Hartwick College
  • Client List
• Professional Resources
  • Current Newsletter
  • Newsletter Archives
  • Fundraising Tips
  • Industry Links
  • Job Board
• Meet Our Experts

Meeting or Exceeding Your Annual Fund Goal:
Year End Closing Reminders

Now printed in full, but initially adapted for printing with the: Moves & Management newsletter (May 2003) for The Osborne Group
Cynthia Woolbright, April 21, 2003
Last updated: April 13, 2004

While these may seem like ordinary year end closing items, we often need reminding of strategic ways to reach or exceed our annual fund goal:

Part I: Dollars First!
Part II: Donor Participation Follows!
Part III: Stewardship of Annual Fund Donors

Part I: Dollars First!

• Careful review of LYBUNTS: have they all made their commitment this year? Who is outstanding? Who is the best person to contact and close this gift? Run your list in descending order of last year’s gift. Priority is important.
  
  
• Close review of the SYBUNTS: who missed last year? Who is the best person to contact and close this gift? Run your list in descending order by largest gift received. Again, priority is key.

(Depending upon the level of your annual fund, you may consider segments in each of these two areas. For example, S/LYBUNTS with prior gifts of $5,000+ may be contacted by a volunteer or development staff while gifts under this amount may be contacted by student callers or development staff ---whatever works best in your environment. OR, another segment may be major, athletics, city, class year groupings, etc. Think about what makes the most sense for your constituency. Know, however, this is a perfect opportunity for a major gifts officer to make a move with his/her major gift prospects/donors---asking for a leadership commitment to the annual fund.)

• Complete all asks over $1,000: what is the specific strategy for closing these gifts?
• Complete all asks for reunion classes---and make sure your class volunteers have a list of “no response yet” for those attending reunion this spring; and ask at reunion; secure the gift with a credit card or check.
• Consider second asks for reunion gifts, especially to those alumnae/i who did not initially make as large a gift as expected.
• Consider a reunion challenge gift to those who haven’t made their leadership gift yet.
• Seek an honorary gift for members of the senior class. If you’ve not already invited these parents to make a special gift in honor of their daughter/son, you should ask them before commencement.
• Review your database for alumni/ae with email addresses: email an appeal and provide an on-line ability for responding (or provide your 800 telephone number!).
• Mail pledge reminders every three weeks; include a special message each time about completing their pledge by the end of the fiscal year.
• Better yet, call your pledgers and secure a payment with a credit card. If you employ student callers, give them a bonus for percent of credit cards used.
• Review your database for alumni/ae with matching gift options; make sure each is contacted for his/her gift---increase gift opportunities!
• Seek a challenge gift from trustees for matching any new gifts between May 1-June 30 of $1,000+. (Or your respective leadership gift level)
• Review the past few years for those who made fiscal year end gifts and make sure that they are contacted and their gift is secured.

Part II: Donor Participation Follows!

• Focus on s/lybunts, regardless of giving level.
• Develop a participation challenge from a trustee with any new gifts from May 1-June 30.
• Review your database for alumni/ae with email addresses: email your appeal and provide an on-line ability for responding (or provide your 800 telephone number!).
  

Part III: Stewardship of Annual Fund Donors!

For those at a college, university or independent school, take photographs at commencement of the seniors; turn the photographs into a postcard; send to all those who made an annual fund gift this year and thank them from those seniors! And, if you have a parent who is a major donor, make sure you take a commencement photo with the student and parents/family or faculty member. Frame it and send with a special note.

For those in other organizations, find a great photo from your organization and make it into a postcard; send to all those who made an annual fund gift this year and thank them for their support!

For those with gifts of $10,000+ (or whatever you believe to be a significant annual fund gift), send a special, personalized note from the president and/or board chair and show them the significance of their leadership support in such a letter. Consider including a book from a faculty member, signed---or something very special from someone in your organization.

In your gift report, continue to list your donors by gift levels and mark repeat donors (five years or more!) with a STAR---show them that participation counts.

Above all else, lay the groundwork for next year’s annual fund gift with your stewardship message.