In 2023, Guilford College’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations developed a new approach, entitled "Guilford Madness," to the college’s traditional annual giving day. The idea was a spin on college basketball’s March Madness marketing. The giving day was extended from a one-day to a three-day campaign that encouraged all "Guilfordians" and friends to participate. With this format being new to our constituents, our team had to develop a new marketing approach to introduce and explain the campaign. We developed a number of communications and marketing pieces to explain the campaign’s purpose and how to participate. We made a conscious effort to focus on giving philanthropically (Invest), but emphasized the importance of spreading the word (Inform) and participating in-person through campus service initiatives and celebratory events (Involve).This project had no dedicated budget, and staff worked on it outside of their normal duties. Through their efforts to create a video and other marketing materials, the Guilford Madness campaign brought in over 1,000 gifts and more than $235,000. This was an 6% increase over the previous one-day campaign that had been executed in previous years.
From the Judges
A very well-executed and creative approach for a giving campaign. Great marketing and tie to March Madness.
