Spring back to campus: Unique campus events for top prospects

Allison Gomes and Ashley Keedy

Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing, 2019, vol. 4, issue 1, 63-75

Abstract: Development events played a vital role in the success of Smith College’s record-breaking US$486m Women for the World campaign — the largest total ever raised by a women’s college. In the midst of the campaign, Smith commenced a new, integrated, donor-centred events programme to help develop a pipeline to larger philanthropic gifts. A key component of the new programme was a unique series of multiday immersive back-to-campus experiences for small groups of high-level prospects. Designed to showcase the ‘Smith of today’, these events featured key administrators, faculty members and students who illuminated the college’s top fundraising priorities and engaged participants in meaningful conversations about Smith. One of the most successful examples was the Spring Back to Smith programme for 50th reunion donors, volunteers and leaders. Spring Back to Smith resulted in multiple major and planned gifts including the documentation of a more than US$9m estate gift. Using Spring Back to Smith as a case study, this paper examines how a well-planned campus event can engage donors in powerful ways, fostering deeper connections and greater philanthropy.

Keywords: events; fundraising; reunions; donor relations; relationship building (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aza:jeam00:y:2019:v:4:i:1:p:63-75

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