Does a $10 Donation Really Matter? Showing Donors their Tangible Impact
Many non-profits are masters at sharing how your gift of $25 will change a life through their organization. It is much harder for educational institutions with big tuition or endowments to articulate the impact of smaller gifts.
We owe it to our donors and school to track down the impact data and share real-life examples of gifts at all levels.
Not communicating the tangible impact of gifts of all sizes is one of the factors leading to the nation-wide declining trend of alumni donor participation and annual giving. Failing to cultivate annual fund donors today, particularly among recent graduates, threatens the future of major, principal, and planned giving. Without a strong pipeline of satisfied annual donors, future philanthropic support could diminish significantly.
The RNL 2024 National Alumni Survey uncovered that 54% of alumni who report never donating to their alma maters are actively supporting other causes. “Alumni are giving to their alma maters at lower rates than other charities. The contrasting trends should be a wake-up call and prompt higher education institutions to contemplate why they are being overlooked.”
One blaring reason…
A staggering 44% of college graduates recently surveyed by GiveCampus said a gift to their alma mater must be at least $1,000 for it to make an impact. Meanwhile, only 26% believe a donation under $100 would make an impact.
The challenge is clear: How can we demonstrate the tangible impact of annual fund gifts, especially when tuition costs are so high?
Take a page from successful non-profits’ playbook and apply it to benefit your educational institution.
Here are some examples of how you can break down the impact of an annual fund gift at different levels:
Note: These examples may or may not map onto or apply to how your university utilizes gifts to your annual fund but the list will hopefully serve as inspiration to get brainstorming.
A $10 donation can fund:
Class supplies such as composition books and notebooks
Ruler/protractor math set
Chemical goggles for a lab
Sheet music composition paper
A $25 donation can fund:
One meal in cafeteria for a student
Scrubs for a nursing student
Pencil set for an art student
Scientific calculator
Collectively all the $25-$49 gifts last year totaled more than $XX,XXX
A $50 donation can fund:
Fee to participate in intercollegiate athletic teams
Medical or nursing kit for a student
Pastel or painting art supplies
Collectively all the $50-$99 gifts last year totaled more than $XX,XXX
A $100 donation can fund:
X meals in cafeteria for a commuter student
Health center fee
Technology infrastructure fee per semester (supports campus-wide technology)
Associated Student Body fee per semester (supports student body-sponsored events and includes admission to most on-campus events, including intercollegiate athletic contests)
Collectively all the $100-$249 gifts last year totaled more than $XX,XXX, providing:
One academic year of full tuition for X students
One academic year of housing for X students
A $250 donation can fund:
Online course fee for an online/continuing education student for a semester
Technology Infrastructure fee per academic year (supports campus-wide technology)
Associated Student Body fee per academic year (supports student body-sponsored events and includes admission to most on-campus events, including intercollegiate athletic contests)
Medical kit and diagnostic equipment for a nursing student
Collectively all the $250-$499 gifts last year totaled more than $XX,XXX, providing:
A semester of full tuition for X students
A year of housing for X students
A $500 donation can fund:
Laptop for a student
Online course fee for an online/continuing education student for an academic year
Collectively all the $500-$999 gifts last year totaled more than $XX,XXX, providing:
A full year of housing for X students
A year of full tuition for X students
A $1,000 donation can fund:
Study aboard program fee
Collectively all the $1,000-$2,500 gifts last year totaled more than $XX,XXX, providing
A year of full tuition for X students
A year of housing for X students
A $2,500 donation can fund:
All meals for a student in the cafeteria for one semester
Start up costs of a new faculty member
Collectively all the $2,500-$4,999 gifts last year totaled more than $XX,XXX, providing:
A year of housing for X students
A year of full tuition for X students
Full four-year tuition for X students
A $5,000 donation can fund:
All meals for X students in cafeteria for one academic year
A double occupancy room on-campus for a semester
Study abroad program fee for a semester
Collectively all the $5,000-$9,999 gifts last year totaled more than $XXX,XXX, providing:
A year of full tuition for X students
Full four-year tuition for X students
A $10,000 donation can fund:
On-campus housing for a student for the academic year
Study abroad fee for X students
Collectively all the $10,000-$24,999 gifts last year totaled more than $XXX,XXX, providing:
Full four-year tuition for X students
A $25,000 donation can fund:
Full tuition for a student for one semester
Collectively all the $25,000-$49,999 gifts last year totaled more $XXX,XXX, providing:
Full four-year tuition for X students
What are some ways to effectively communicate this impact information to your prospects and donors?
Pick the most compelling bullets from a few giving levels and include them in direct appeals, giving websites, annual reports, and crowdfunding or day of giving campaigns
When stewarding donors who have made a gift at that level, write them a personal note or call them to thank them for the specific difference their gift will make for a student
Share compelling info points in student newsletters, digital or physical ads around campus or the student newspaper to drive a culture of giving and student and young alumni philanthropy
With any of these data points you pick, don’t just simply list the item that it secures for a student, make sure you make that story come to life. Share what that donor’s gift enabled a student to accomplish or participate in that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do
I’d love to hear from you!
What ways have you found effective in sharing with your donors how their annual fund gifts make a difference?
If you have any questions or need further guidance, connect with me. I’m here to support you!
You got this!
Jen Stirling
Principal Consultant, Brighter Philanthropy —
Fundraising consulting for higher ed and K-12
As your partner, I’ll bring my considerable expertise, high-energy efficiency, optimistic realism, relational approach, and fresh perspective to guide your team and help your institution reach its goals, enabling more students to thrive. I offer support for campaign services, development organization assessments, staff coaching and board development.
