What if you celebrated every single alumni job change?
A job change is a life pivot point that can be stressful, happy, sad, scary, or a mix of all these things (source: Forbes). If you’ve ever lived through a job change before, you know that it’s an emotional process. Promotions, layoffs, resignations, new jobs, retirements – they’re all a big deal. Job changes matter. Here’s […]
Waiting to Spend: Endowments Bound by Time or Amount Specifications
Anyone who has worked with endowment spending knows one thing to be true: there are as many ways to apply a spending policy as there are non-profit institutions. With practices related to spending varying so widely, it’s almost impossible to determine what is an industry “best practice.” Let’s leave aside actual spending calculations (we’ll save […]
Next Level Donor Reporting
We have a new topic to share! Shifting gears from the business office/endowment accounting side of the house, we want to talk about donor relations and the importance of showing donors the impact of their gifts through reporting. When advancement offices conduct donor surveys, the number one piece of feedback donors provide again and […]
What Should Video Request Instructions Include?
You’ve started a Video Request campaign and see that daunting “Instructions” section. Fear not, we’ve got you covered with tips and templates that will have you writing student and volunteer video requests like a seasoned pro. The instructions input field found in a Video Request campaign has a limit of 1500 characters. What should those 1500 characters […]
How WFAA sent 35,000 unique videos to donors and alumni
TLDR: Because of digital tools like ThankView (and a stellar data team!) the University of Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association quickly pivoted their spring appeal into a check-in to all current donors. 35,000 videos were personalized by name with the help of 7 student workers The campaigns average open rate was 50% and they received […]
The Basics of Unitization.
Part I This is the first in a two-part series of posts regarding unitization. Stay tuned for the next installment: An Overview of Unitization Models. Question: What is an integral part of tracking endowment funds that does not muster the same attention as spending policy and investment management? Answer: Unitization. The unitization model is the […]