From the Nominator

"To inspire donors to continue making consecutive annual gifts, we developed a strategy for stewarding donors of all levels that inspires them to renew their gifts each year. First, we researched peer institutions with formal loyalty societies. We found no statistically significant difference in the retention rates of those with loyalty programs vs. those without. Thus, we opted to create an annual direct mail piece to highlight loyalty giving without the use of a society.   

In fiscal year 2020, our first loyalty piece introduced “Pack Loyal” as a marketing theme. In fiscal year 2021, we enhanced the piece by adding donor giving history and customizing consecutive years of giving. Initially, we only included donors below the threshold of our leadership annual giving level, but after an incredible response, we brought our leadership-level donors into the fiscal year 2022 piece. The mailing includes a magnet premium featuring unique artwork created by an alumna.  

As a result of this piece, and as part of a larger, robust donor-retention program, we increased our donor-retention rate from 50 percent in fiscal year 2020 to 63.4 percent in fiscal year 2021, a new record for the program. While our overall retention rate went down slightly for fiscal year 2022, we continue to see growth in the segments of donors receiving the loyalty mailing."

From the Judges

The loyalty/legacy mailing campaign impressed the judges with its excellent utilization of research and data, resulting in a creative approach to honoring consecutive giving without relying on events or clubs. The thoughtful execution showcased their understanding of the importance of personalized engagement and recognition, making the campaign highly effective in nurturing donor relationships.