DENIZ MENEMENCI
Director of Advancement Communications, 
Reed College, Portland, 
Oregon, U.S.

In its fall 2023 annual fund campaign, Reed College’s team showed donors how recurring giving is a convenient, powerful way to make a difference. The Portland, Oregon, U.S., college won a Circle of Excellence Award in fundraising for its revitalized campaign, which focused on consistency and impact. Here’s why it worked.

What were you hoping to achieve in your now award-winning annual fund campaign?

One of our strategic fundraising priorities was to increase donor retention and maintain it steadily once the desired retention rate was achieved. This particular appeal focused on recurring giving to support a sustainable annual giving program, as the expected lifetime value of recurring gifts is significantly higher than that of one-time gifts. Through messaging consistency and storytelling, we hoped to make a strong case for why it’s critical for Reed to have consistent and reliable support for the annual fund through recurring gifts.

What makes recurring giving a challenge?

Recurring giving requires a different kind of commitment compared to one-time gifts. Our donors are critical thinkers and ask important questions. In that vein, a big part of our job is demonstrating to our donors the impact of recurring gifts and why they are essential for Reed to thrive. Why should someone make a commitment to support Reed in this way? Our appeals and other supporting materials needed to answer that question. We took on that challenge, and through the voices of a student, a graduate, and a faculty member, we demonstrated the profound, long-term impact that recurring gifts make by providing consistency and dependability for the college.

How did you adjust your messaging?

We created an overarching messaging architecture for all annual fund communications focused on demonstrating the impact of donors’ gifts, positioning the donor as the hero, and featuring individual student, faculty, and alumni-donor stories. Paired with our new Evergreen Society for recurring donors, the fall appeal demonstrated the impact of monthly giving on the heart of Reed’s mission and culture: the academic program. Our pieces talked about how recurring gifts provide foundational support to ignite a passion for learning, create essential spaces that propel discovery, and provide access to resources that fuel academic exploration.

What impact did you see from the appeal?

Putting the donor at the center and the agility of the “fill-in-the-blank” concept worked really well together. The rotating copy blocks allowed for the repetition of this structure while enabling us to explore different facets of the academic experience and highlight faculty, student, and alumni-donor perspectives. 

Credit: Reed College

When we say, “Your impact on,” followed by a line filled with words and phrases that embody the essence of Reed, we allow the donor to see the myriad of ways they support Reed and Reedies with their gift. The strong emphasis on donors’ impact and consistency in messaging throughout different channels allowed us to generate 42% more new recurring donors in just eight weeks compared to the median of new recurring donors generated annually in the prior six years. 

What’s one lesson you learned from this project?

Lean into storytelling and put your donors at the center of those stories. One of the most exciting things about the work we do at Reed is that our students, alumni, and faculty make a meaningful difference in the world in countless ways, big and small. So, in a way, we’re surrounded by remarkable stories. I’m sure that is true of many other institutions. Identifying stories that will resonate well with your audiences and weaving them together effectively are critical to demonstrating to your donors the connection between these stories and their gifts. 

Learn more about Reed College's giving campaign and see all the 2024 Circle of Excellence recipients in fundraising.