The Full Story:
The University of North Dakota Alumni Association & Foundation rethought donor stewardship by focusing on one idea: let students tell the story.
With a small team and growing demands, they needed a scalable way to share authentic student impact. Instead of building complex production processes, they kept things simple. Using ThankView, they built a straightforward workflow: identify students through campus partners, invite them to share a quick message of gratitude, and send those videos directly to donors.
Strong relationships across campus were key. Partners within each college helped identify students with meaningful stories, making outreach easier and more effective. The team kept instructions minimal and flexible, encouraging students to speak in their own words rather than follow strict scripts, which led to more genuine and impactful messages.
The approach worked across multiple efforts, including Giving Day, scholarship ceremonies, and targeted stewardship campaigns. Donors responded to authentic student voices and specific stories of impact, while students shared gratitude in a natural and personal way.
By keeping the process simple, collaborative, and student-centered, the university built a repeatable stewardship program that strengthens donor connection and brings impact to life in a meaningful way.
