When Emporia State University Foundation trustees were unable to gather in person for their 2020 annual meeting, the advancement team at the Kansas, U.S., university created a shared virtual experience instead.

“When bringing people to campus, a lot of times there would also be a meeting in town for a lunch or coffee—some sort of social aspect, whether that’s intentional or not—[and] through that you have a shared experience. How could we create that experience and send if off to people?” explains Sarah Eimer, former Director of Donor Relations.

The solution was the Just a Taste project, on which Eimer took the lead. The team decided to host a virtual meeting and mailed boxes containing local delicacies to trustees. They structured the agenda to include three tasting breaks.

The boxes contained the flavors of downtown Emporia, featuring food and beverages from small businesses owned and run by alumni or partners of the university.