From the Nominator

The University of Dayton (UD) hosts an annual Alumni Leadership Conference (ALC), bringing together the UD Alumni Association board, day10 Executive Committee (a young alumni group), and alumni community leaders. The Volunteer Summit, Feb. 24-25, 2023, united 175 diverse volunteers, aiming to energize support for the We Soar campaign and foster passion for UD. The summit included ALC groups, reunion volunteers, Black alumni executive committee, peer-to-peer ambassadors, law alumni board, campaign cabinet, parent leadership council, students for university advancement, and academic advisory councils. The event energized volunteers, showed gratitude for them, and emphasized their crucial role in the upcoming campaign, which includes a goal of recruiting new volunteers. Day one focused on campaign pillars and goals, and university leaders, faculty, staff, and students engaged volunteers in discussions. Day two saw volunteer groups exploring their roles and their strategies for engaging their regions. Volunteers were welcomed with a red-carpet salute and learned about the impact of their volunteerism through a domino effect. They reflected on their connection to UD, articulated their “why” and their own UD story, and explored ways to support We Soar in their networks. Since the campaign began, 2,554 new volunteer leaders have joined, serving as brand ambassadors, with 900 active volunteers annually. Their emails achieve a 63% open rate, surpassing the 20% industry benchmark. The We Soar campaign kickoff engaged our broad alumni base in person and virtually with the support from these volunteers.

From the Judges

This program ingeniously used the domino metaphor to engage multiple stakeholders, creating a tangible and memorable experience for volunteers. The detailed statistics highlighted significant volunteer growth and underscored the program's impact. The program effectively used resources and aligned with the institution's Marianist heritage. This creative approach not only reinforced the "domino effect" theme but also achieved substantial goals and outcomes.