Stronger connections, lasting results: How St. Olaf replaced its phonathon with a modern, student-driven outreach program powered by Raise

About St. Olaf College

Founded in 1874 by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants, St. Olaf College is a nationally ranked liberal arts institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. With a student body of approximately 3,000, the college offers a rigorous academic experience grounded in Lutheran tradition. St. Olaf is renowned for its commitment to integrating faith, values, and vocation within a globally engaged community. The college’s 300-acre campus is complemented by 350 acres of restored natural lands, providing a vibrant setting for both academic and extracurricular pursuits.

St. Olaf’s mission is to challenge students to excel in the liberal arts, examine faith and values, and explore meaningful vocation in an inclusive, globally engaged community nourished by Lutheran tradition.

The challenge: Traditional outreach methods no longer worked

For years, St. Olaf College relied on a traditional phonathon program to drive annual giving. Once a cornerstone of alumni engagement, the program had become costly, difficult to staff, and less effective each year. Alumni and parents often expressed frustration that the only time they heard from the college was when a student asked for money. Internally, high turnover and heavy administrative demands strained the small advancement team.

By 2024, the model was no longer sustainable. The team needed a better approach—one that engaged students, built genuine connections with alumni, and delivered long-term results.

The solution: A student-driven engagement model

St. Olaf reimagined outreach with a student engagement program powered by Raise. Instead of cold calls, students were assigned tailored portfolios and trained to build relationships across channels—email, text, phone, and video messages.

Key shifts included:

• Engagement first, ask second: outreach focused on alumni interests, not just giving.
• Student empowerment: students decided how best to connect, moving beyond rigid scripts and siloed channels.
• Smarter workflows: integrations with tools like NXT and Gratavid streamlined processes and reduced the load on staff.
  

This model gave students the tools and autonomy to communicate authentically, while technology ensured the process was efficient and scalable.

The program has created a sustainable model for student-led engagement that strengthens alumni relationships, develops future leaders, and builds on a pipeline for future giving, ultimately driving long-term fundraising success.

Solution spotlight

Gravyty is the AI-powered engagement platform purpose-built for higher education, K-12 schools, and nonprofits. From first engagement to first gift, Gravyty empowers institutions to deliver smarter, faster, and more personalized engagement at every step of the student and donor journey. With solutions for 24/7 student support, alumni engagement, fundraising and stewardship, Gravyty helps teams scale their impact, break down silos, and provide always-on support without burning out staff.

Raise from Gravyty significantly amplifies the capacity of fundraisers to engage with up to four times more donors, leading to improved outcomes. By leveraging AI technology, Gravyty creates a sustainable and scalable pipeline for donor discovery, integrates digital giving data, and ensures comprehensive portfolio saturation through omnichannel outreach.

The smart prompts, video messaging, and AI-drafted donor communications provided by Gravyty enable fundraisers to reach the right donors at the optimal time, enhancing both donor engagement and fundraising success.