Comprehensive Donor Relations and Stewardship Strategy

(Achieving Our Potential || Stakeholder || Purposeful Engagement)

Project Chair: Alan Taylor
Project Vice Chair: Heather Tart

Project Members:
Kayla Esan
Nicole Peterson
Sonia Murphy
Kate Zearing
Bree Hall
Kathy Whaley
Jessie Blekfeld-Sztraky

Project Description:

To strengthen University Advancement’s role in building critical partnerships that empower our students, invest in faculty-led research and break down financial barriers that impede the university’s work to create an inclusive campus, we acknowledge the necessity to steward philanthropic partners in meaningful ways that deepen their relationship with the university. The Comprehensive Donor Relations and Stewardship Strategy committee will engage an outside consultant to conduct a universitywide inventory of stewardship activities to identify areas of extraordinary achievement and opportunity. Using data gathered during the assessment, the committee will deliver a multidisciplinary/cross-unit stewardship plan that outlines donor journeys to communicate gratitude, impact, community and a sense of well-being in all we do.

Project Outcomes:

Piloted the centralization of acknowledgments <$1,000 (managed by Annual Giving).
Piloted the centralization of scholarship reporting (managed by DCS) to alleviate the significant duplication of time spent by units in this area.
Onboarded 2 Scholarship Officers: Scholarship and CNR shared position