Maximizing Donor Experience and Minimizing Costs: The Future of Fundraising
From the Nominator
"Higher education is in a pivotal moment of constant fluctuation, external pressure, and intrinsic methodological divide. Currently, too many institutions are showing weak balance sheets and faltering income statements. Maintaining reasonable levels of liquidity, in many instances, is a significant and ongoing challenge within academia, and to remain a viable educational option to prospective students, colleges and universities need to contain tuition, increase affordability, and broaden access while adopting strategies that ensure all constituents (e.g. board, administration, faculty) embrace the need for urgent sustainable change.
Therefore, Juniata College conducted an aggressive multiyear comprehensive campaign of $100 million in seven years, with a significant unrestricted dollar goal of $30 million and keeping the cost to raise a dollar below 10 cents. On May 31, 2021, Juniata College's Believe Campaign concluded raising a total of $128,600,351.46, $32,404,472 in unrestricted dollars, and costing 7 cents per dollar raised. Capitalizing on the strength, passion, and commitment of Juniata’s alumni, we were able to raise dollars that offered the greatest amount of flexibility to the institution to not only survive the present competitive environment but thrive."
From the Judges
The new donor pipeline and 45% alumni participation that were achieved are both indicators of the huge accomplishments of this campaign. The present success of the campaign points to the future stability of Juniata College.