chris harmon director, annual giving gettysburg college charmon@gettysburg

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Volunteers in Advancement Series:ALUMNI RELATIONS & ANNUAL GIVING: CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS

Chris HarmonDirector, Annual Giving

Gettysburg [email protected]

http://www.gettysburg.edu/

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• Recruiting the best volunteers• Training your volunteers in person and remotely• Managing your volunteers in person and remotely• Keeping your volunteers motivated and on task• Common volunteer challenges and solutions

• How not to accept a volunteer for a certain committee or position• How to remove a volunteer from a particular assignment• How to use moves management to keep your volunteers involved in

different roles• How to ensure your volunteers are doing what they’ve agreed to do• How to identify what primary responsibility your volunteers can handle

• Forum on your challenges

Learning Outcome:Improve your alumni relations and annual giving volunteer management with recruiting, support, and engagement practices.

AGENDA


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Tools for Recruiting the Best Volunteers

Clear information on volunteer roles Acknowledge volunteer interest immediately Assess proper communication;

mass vs. personal Assess capability and commitment Identify realistic timeline for the volunteer

role or initiative


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Tools for Recruiting the Best Volunteers Build the volunteer opportunity first then recruit

the volunteer – what’s the job description? Know your campus partners’ needs Start with who you know – hand selection is not

a bad thing


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Tools for Recruiting the Best Volunteers Be smart with your marketing and segment

where possible Develop online sign-up options Social media is a great way to market

opportunities


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Gettysburg College Volunteer StrategyLooking Back: • Volunteer opportunities spread throughout university• Lack of cohesion OR whatever you realized that made you

want to put together the SummitLooking Forward:• Realized need to connect volunteers with each other• Energy from all volunteers together in one space• Recruiting tool• Great way to retain volunteers / steward volunteers


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Menu of Fundraising OpportunitiesMenu of Fundraising Activities for Alumni Board Members

PRIORITIZED

Currently Involved – Left Interest – Right

1. Assist with phone calls to targeted alumni under direction of Office of Annual Giving.

Alumni Board of Directors Solicitation Calls Peer Solicitation Calls Reunion Calls (as Chair of Committee Member) Class Agent (as Class Chair or volunteer) Affinity Groups (as Affinity Group Member) Welcome calls to new BOLD members to alumni association Volunteer to staff the Call Center with students Thank you/invitation calls to attendees of Affinity Events Thank you/invitation calls to attendees of Regional Events


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Menu of Fundraising Opportunities1. Explain the colleges need for alumni funding – take the alumni perspective at

gatherings on and off campus. Represent Alumni Board at gatherings with the goal of gathering diverse perspectives and championing the Gettysburg Fund.

Off Campus Presidential Inauguration Rollout Events Cupola Events Orange and Blue Events Bright Lights Big City Summer Send-offs Alumni Club Activity On Campus Reunion Weekend Alumni College Homecoming Weekend Parents Weekend Senior Surprise and other SCGC events


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Menu of Fundraising Opportunities

1. Be a part of focus groups, mail and email lists and phone calls and give feedback on College fundraising materials and programs

Participate in Focus Groups for finite topics On-going reception of all materials for feedback and comment. On-going feedback on mygettysburg . On-going feedback on myvolunteering. On-going feedback on student phonathon calls. On-going feedback on Gettysburg Fund website.


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1. Letter writing to fellow alumni – either to raise funds or to say "thank you" Thank you to classmates and affinity associations for gifts (first

gift, first cupola, continuous giving, substantial gift, etc.), participation/volunteering (college events, alumni events, etc.)

Affinity and Class appeals Congratulations and welcome to the new alumni encouraging them

to give back to BOLD Comment and feedback to mailings, student calls.


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1. Mentor with a class agent or reunion chair on annual calls within class Serve as resource to new class agents and new reunion chairs


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• SUPPORTING VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT AND SOLICITATION • The focus of this team is to support the Office of Annual Giving with alumni

volunteers to assist in recruiting volunteers and securing Gettysburg Fund gifts.

• The team’s task will be primarily phone calling: reunion calls, affinity group calls, peer solicitation calls, and welcome calls to new volunteers. In addition, this team may work closely with the Gettysburg Fund Call Center and our students. This team may also be asked to assist with the mentoring of class agents using the Gettysburg Fund Volunteer Guide that provides the explanation and instruction of the class agent role. The team member’s commitment will be a minimum of 2-3 hours 2-3 times a year, but more time is gladly accepted and appreciated.


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Focal Points

• Mentor class agents (establish contact and assist them) and reunion chairs (younger classes)

• Contact affinity groups • Identify possible class agents and

reunion chairs for the College• Lead by example with continuous giving • Promote continuous giving with calls to

previous donors (ex. end-of fiscal year calling to obtain gift)

• Focus on calling donors in the $500-$750 range

• Script examples of phone calls and elevator speech for Alumni Board using Volunteer Guide (Marsha)

• Deliverables from Annual Fund Office• Ask phonathon leaders to visit February

meeting• Provide Class Agent list


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Highlights for the weekend include:

• Luncheon hosted by President Riggs and Board of Trustees Chairman, featuring keynote speaker Claire Gaudiani, former president of Connecticut College and champion for American philanthropy and citizen engagement

• Cocktail Party and Dinner; Celebration of the Commission on the Future

• Informative sessions and workshops

• Fun activities and tours

• A special presentation by President Riggs

• Parents Advisory Board, Alumni Board of Directors, and BOLD COUNCIL meetings

• Celebrating our Volunteers cocktail reception and dinner with Cupola Society and 1832 Society

• Breakfast hosted by President Riggs and Board of Trustees

http://www.gettysburg.edu/alumni/events_reunions/VLS/c_gaudiani.dot

http://www.gettysburg.edu/alumni/events_reunions/VLS/c_gaudiani.dot


http://www.gettysburg.edu/vls/

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Training in Person & Over Long Distance

Volunteer Training Guide Class Agents Board Members Reunion


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• Credit Card• Automatic Monthly

Payment• By Mail• By Corporate

Matching Gifts• Securities and

Mutual Funds


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MORE• Residential Life• Spiritual Life• Off Campus Study • Endowment• Financial Aid• Majors and Programs• Student/Faculty Ration• Average Class Size

• Tenured and Tenure Track• Honor Societies• Library• Academic Facilities• Computing Facilities• Career Development


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Successful Strategies for Keeping Volunteers Focused, Motivated and Dedicated

Realistic timeline for volunteer involvement Encourage feedback throughout process Thank and recognize


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Take A Volunteer Centric Approach

Volunteer should express what they want Benefits and recognition are important Capture best "knowledge capital" Volunteer is challenged Develop mutually satisfying relationship The volunteer is your best ambassador


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Tracking and Coding Your Volunteers

Develop tracking system that:• records "moves" or actions on volunteers• assigns "rating" for volunteer• assesses/quantifies knowledge capital


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Develop tracking system that:• flags/reminds you to take actions (e.g.,

"check-in" with volunteer and volunteer client)

• ties into other prospect management systems and volunteer relations module


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Develop tracking system that:• flags/reminds you to take actions (e.g.,

"check-in" with volunteer and volunteer client)

• ties into other prospect management systems and volunteer relations module


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Career Pathing: Thanks and Recognition Private recognition:

• From volunteer client (campus partner)• From organization

Public recognition:• Print, electronic, events

Leverage every opportunity Be creative; web spotlights, Twitter, LinkedIn


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Volunteer Challenges and Solutions: Your Problems & Queries

How do you gracefully excuse a volunteer who is related to a Trustee (or other major donor/high potential donor)?

Are on campus training programs “dead” in lieu of online, and/or on demand sessions?How can we get more men to volunteer?

How do we empower our volunteers to do the drudge work—the agenda setting, event organizing, budget managing?

How much is too much? What are reasonable expectations for volunteer roles? Does this vary by age?

Please address recognition: How often? When?


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Final Questions?

Chris HarmonDirector, Annual GivingGettysburg [email protected]


chris harmon director, annual giving gettysburg college charmon@gettysburg

Documents

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alumni relations annual

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