Case study

How Boston College High School increased giving day revenue by 49% with a small & mighty team

43%

Increase in total giving day donors

41%

Of donors were new or had lapsed for 2+ years

49%

Increase in dollars raised over previous year

$41.5k

In challenge dollars unlocked

About Boston College High School

Boston College High School (BC High) is a Jesuit, Catholic college preparatory school located in Boston, Massachusetts serving young men in grades 7-12. With a strong commitment to academic excellence, character development, and community service, BC High has cultivated a deeply engaged alumni network. 

The challenge: Doing more with less on a tight timeline

Like so many small shops, BC High’s advancement team faced several obstacles in executing a successful giving day. With limited staff resources and a short planning timeline, they needed a scalable strategy to engage donors meaningfully while ensuring a seamless giving experience. Historically, the team ran two giving days per year, but they recognized the need for a more strategic approach—consolidating efforts into one major event to drive greater impact.

Additionally, donor experience was a top priority. The team wanted to make giving as easy as possible, integrating mobile wallet payments and ensuring real-time processing of gifts to avoid bottlenecks. Another key challenge was mobilizing ambassadors to expand outreach beyond what the small team could achieve alone.

The solution: Personalized engagement, strategic challenges & a strong partnership

To overcome these challenges, BC High partnered with Gravyty to elevate their giving day strategy. Advance, Gravyty’s digital fundraising platform, allowed them to personalize donor outreach, streamline gift processing, and track engagement in real time. The platform’s customization capabilities ensured that messaging resonated with different donor segments, making appeals more relevant and compelling.

“With Gravyty’s Advance, you’re paired with a dedicated partner who provides insights into what similar-sized institutions are doing for their Giving Days, assists with website design, and helps problem-solve challenges along the way.“

Christine Dahlheimer,

Sr. Director, Alumni Engagement, Boston College High School

By partnering with Gravyty and leveraging Advance, BC High was able to:

  • Engaging alumni leaders: BC High partnered with its Alumni Council and the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Leadership Circle to recruit Giving Tuesday Ambassadors. These ambassadors played a crucial role in spreading the word and driving participation. The team also mobilized our current parent giving volunteers who served as Ambassadors.
  • Refining the giving day approach: Moving from two giving days per year to one allowed the team to concentrate efforts and maximize impact, while using the spring for a different strategic fundraising initiative.
  • Enhancing donor experience: Simplifying the giving process was a priority, leading BC High to integrate Mobile Wallet options, ensuring a seamless donation experience.
  • Navigating backend challenges: Processing a high volume of gifts quickly required careful coordination, and Advance’s automation capabilities played a crucial role in managing transactions efficiently.
  • Utilizing Gratavid for donor engagement: BC High leveraged Gratavid to send personalized thank-you videos to donors in real time, strengthening relationships and reinforcing their appreciation for donor support. The team used Gratavid to issue their Challenge videos.
  • Mobilizing ambassadors: Given the small advancement team, empowering ambassadors allowed BC High to extend their reach and engage more donors through peer-to-peer outreach.

The outcome: 43% more donors on giving day

Overall, BC High achieved inspiring success on their giving day, engaging 43% more donors, with an impressive 41% of donors being new or lapsed for over two years. Strategic challenges played a crucial role in this success, unlocking $41,500 in additional funds. The team’s strategic use of personalized engagement and ambassador mobilization paired with Advance’s seamless giving experiences led to a 49% increase in dollars raised year-over-year.

School giving day ideas
“I never felt alone throughout the campaign from a support standpoint. If something needed to be changed or updated, I consistently received a response within 15 minutes. Her [Gravyty Customer Success Manager] dedication and efficiency truly made a difference!“

Christine Dahlheimer,

Sr. Director, Alumni Engagement, Boston College High School

By leveraging Advance’s customization, automation, and data insights—along with personalized outreach via Gratavid—BC High was able to transform their Giving Day strategy into a scalable, high-impact fundraising day.

Solution spotlight

Gravyty provides AI-powered solutions that connect and support the entire student and donor lifecycle. Serving over 2,700 education and nonprofit organizations, Gravyty helps institutions foster deeper connections, enhance engagement, and drive lasting impact. 

Advance from Gravyty empowers institutions like BC High to optimize donor engagement through data-driven insights, automation, and personalized outreach. By integrating with existing systems, Advance helps advancement teams work smarter, not harder—maximizing results even with limited resources. Want to see how Gravyty can help your institution enhance donor engagement and drive fundraising success? Contact sales today to get a custom demo.

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