Expanding your philanthropic reach with non-traditional fundraisers

Advancement professionals at independent schools commonly hear that everyone at the school was, in one way or another, a gift officer. Sure, each organization has its office of institutional advancement or fundraising or philanthropy—it goes by many names.  But without teachers, coaches, dorm parents, deans, athletic directors, administrators, and other functions, there is no fundraising.

Even outside of the K-12 world, fundraising is rarely limited to those within development departments. Physicians often make appeals to former patients, board members often connect with supporters at galas or golf tournaments—the list goes on.

So, why do we depend solely upon fundraisers to manage relationships with donors? What if non-traditional fundraisers could manage a smaller, more targeted group of donors?

For example, perhaps the chairperson of your visual arts department has worked there for many years and has greatly expanded the program. Logic would dictate that chairperson should spearhead the relationships with supporters that made that expansion possible.

Or perhaps a donor is generous enough to donate funds for a new dorm on campus. How much more meaningful would that “thank you” be if it came from the director of residential life or even the Dean of Students?

Leveraging non-traditional fundraisers for donor outreach

These types of interactions are not commonplace within fundraising because typically, these employees are time-constrained with the duties of their primary job function.

In their defense, it is a perfectly valid reason not to carry a portfolio. It is not what they were hired to do. However, in many cases, the work that they do for the organization is possible through donors’ generosity. Despite this, fundraising is still siloed and managed only by on-staff gift officers.

Setting aside that fundraising appeals are not in the job descriptions for non-fundraisers, the argument can also be made that because of their regular job duties, these individuals lack the time to effectively carry a portfolio of donors. Fortunately, that is where the role of artificial intelligence comes in.

Artificial intelligence to streamline donor outreach

By providing non-traditional fundraisers with individual prompts and authentically drafted emails, Raise from Gravyty allows them to personally engage with their donors at the click of a button. This way, traditional stewarding is taken to another dimension and level of specificity.

Imagine being able to personally connect with a group of supporters while waiting in line for coffee. All without sacrificing any time or focus on their primary job at the organization. 

Success stories

Avon Old Farms School currently has many alumni working on campus in a variety of different roles. Raise from Gravyty allows for some of these faculty alums to manage different segments of the alumni base.

For instance, there is an admissions officer who graduated in 2014 as the president of the school, so on top of his primary responsibility in admissions, Raise allows him to keep the young alumni engaged. The school’s athletic director is a legendary faculty member and alumni, so not only is he engaging with his former classmates, but he is also managing relationships with his former students and their families. 

Time, or lack thereof, is no longer an insurmountable obstacle. Raise from Gravyty is allowing for non-traditional fundraisers to personally steward donors with whom relationships have already been established. This is providing donors with a much more genuine experience, which contributes to their growing affinity for the organization.

See for yourself how Raise from Gravyty’s AI makes involving non-traditional fundraisers simple and expanding your philanthropic reach. Get a free consultation.