Diversifying Your Donor Pipeline
Drawing on our more than 50 years of experience in advancement, we frequently partner to deliver workshops and presentations across the U.S. on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We start these sessions with the smooth and thought-provoking 1980 song “Where Did We Go Wrong” by L.T.D. featuring Jeffrey Osborne. This sets the stage for a candid conversation about the challenging landscape of DEIB within advancement.
There have been undeniable strides made in improving DEIB across higher education, and just as undeniably, there's more work to be done. Our student and alumni populations have become more diverse—yet the philanthropic engagement of alumni of diverse backgrounds by higher education institutions has not kept pace. This is one area where we have gone wrong.
The approach we’re advocating for in this article is that using DEIB for increasing philanthropy isn’t about pushing a political agenda, being “woke,” or endorsing political correctness. We’re explicitly making the case that DEIB is fundamental to the best practices of advancement.
If you focus on best practices, then leveraging DEIB is primarily a strategy to improve engagement and philanthropic investment from more alumni, particularly those of color who tend to be underrepresented as donors.
Communities of color hold untapped potential for higher education fundraising. The 2021 Diversity in Giving report from the Blackbaud Institute for Philanthropic Impact found that although donors of color express a willingness to give, they are solicited less frequently than white donors. Realizing their philanthropic potential requires fundraisers to abandon outdated, one-size-fits-all models in favor of strategies targeted to diverse donors.
As financial strains lead to college and university closures, philanthropy has become a more urgent vehicle to address current needs and long-term sustainability. Engaging diverse donors, therefore, is not just an ethical imperative but a strategic necessity to weather present storms and respond effectively to the dynamic higher education landscape. Simply put, engaging more people means raising more money—and integrating DEIB with advancement strategies is the key to getting it right.
Strategies to Turn the Tide
It is heartening to see the DEIB strides being made in advancement, as colleagues engage in awareness training within their ranks and make greater efforts to attract diverse individuals into the profession. To continue that work—and focus outward on the constituencies we wish to engage—consider the following strategies.
Advocate for diverse leadership representation.
Having diverse leadership within your advancement teams and volunteer committees is paramount. This practice not only promotes inclusion but also ensures that decision-making includes a wider range of viewpoints. And it goes a long way when prospective donors can see that diversity in leadership is an institutional value. However, this advocacy needs to be authentic and not performative. It requires a commitment to do the work necessary to maintain and deepen relationships with potential leaders.
As a leadership gifts officer at Princeton University, New Jersey, U.S., I (Henry) covered a territory that included a professionally prominent African American alumnus who was disillusioned with the university. I focused on rebuilding his relationship with the university and made a point of understanding his personal story, what was important to him, and how he wanted to be engaged with Princeton. After two years of genuine relationship-building, the alumnus’s attitude shifted, and he went on to host a lunch for the president, make a major gift, and join the Board of Trustees. Not only was the relationship with a philanthropically capable alumnus restored, but his presence as a diverse leader on the board reinforced to other alumni of color that Princeton’s commitment to inclusion was authentic.
Institutions strengthen their credibility with constituents of different lived experiences when they confirm words with action. As a result, they establish and maintain trust, which is essential for these donors to give generously and consistently.
Provide opportunities for affinity engagement.
Alumni engagement leads to giving, as the CASE Insights on Alumni Engagement survey continues to demonstrate. Looking at alumni engagement strategies in relation to DEIB efforts is an important step to create greater donor diversity.
During my tenure as the Chief Development Officer for the former Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin, U.S., I (Robiaun) prioritized intentional and deliberate efforts to connect with alumni of diverse backgrounds. Among these groups was a particularly significant cohort known as “The Precursors,” African American undergraduates who bravely integrated the university between 1950 and 1970. Their compelling narratives were immortalized in the book As We Saw It: The Story of Integration at The University of Texas at Austin.
I engaged with The Precursors in candid and sometimes challenging dialogues, actively listening to and learning about their lived experiences on campus. These interactions required a commitment to empathy, understanding, and reconciliation—which are important for interpersonal development relationships but also institutional ties. An institution acknowledging issues that caused disaffection and disconnection can be tense but cathartic for both sides. It can heal wounds that may have limited diverse constituents’ interest, involvement, and investment.
Institutions strengthen their credibility with constituents of different lived experiences when they confirm words with action. As a result, they establish trust—essential for these donors to give generously.
Take a nuanced approach to prospect research.
Unlocking sustainable philanthropic support from alumni of color requires deliberately, accurately assessing their potential for major giving. Traditionally, this has been hindered by challenges in tracking the financial assets and philanthropic behaviors of people of color through conventional means. However, there are creative strategies to bridge this gap, like exploring alternative sources of information while respecting the cultural nuances within underrepresented ethnic and racial groups. Tapping into unique cultural institutions and traditions—such as prominent Black churches and fraternal organizations like the Boulé, The Asian American Foundation, Asian Professional Exchange, National Hispanic Medical Association, and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers—through the U.S. tax Form 990 and other giving documents and reports can provide invaluable context on alumni wealth, professional success, and charitable interests.
Innovative prospect research approaches can also involve qualitative methods, such as collecting and analyzing personal narratives, testimonials, and oral histories from diverse alumni. During campus, local, or virtual meetings and events, ask to interview attendees about their time as students and what they’ve accomplished since graduation. This can help you gain deeper insights into their motivations, values, and philanthropic interests. Using a graduate’s stories in your admissions, academic, career services, and advancement activities acknowledges them as an example of the best of their alma mater, fostering a sense of pride and connection that can increase giving and engagement.
Proactively seek feedback from alumni of color through surveys and focus groups, and then incorporate that information into prospect research processes. This ensures that strategies are inclusive and responsive to diverse community needs. For instance, as Vice President for University Advancement at Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California, U.S., I (Henry) used a partnership with a vendor to gain digitally recorded stories from alumni that resulted in almost 10,000 alumni updating their contact, demographic, career, and related information. Almost 1,000 of them made small gifts that totaled more than $20,000 in an incredibly low-cost project.
Data from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy underscores the importance of institutions demonstrating cultural understanding and inclusion to foster meaningful engagement with communities of color. The schoolʼs 2023 research report The Speed of Trust: An Experiment Examining the Effect of Trust on Giving Among Members of Diverse Racial/Ethnic Groups, argues “the way in which institutional trust has been historically defined impacts individual perspectives.” This means that, to forge lasting connections with alumni of color, academic researchers and fundraisers should acknowledge negative racial experiences alumni may have endured as students and not make assumptions about the philanthropic interests of and initiatives that resonate with alumni of color.
Elevate your fundraising programs.
To cultivate inclusive donor relationships, building relationships through personalized outreach, robust stewardship efforts, and relevant gift opportunities is essential. Creating different levels of fundraising priorities can give staff a comprehensive set of gift opportunities that speak to a broader range of prospects and their interests without compromising progress toward goals. Lower-priority items for the institution, called “targets of opportunity,” may be particularly compelling, because they support more niche areas that may resonate with diverse prospects. This allows a fundraiser to follow up an initial pitch for a higher-priority gift with the donor’s interest in mind by sharing the impact that a gift to one or more of these targets can have. For donors interested in supporting DEIB, that may involve making a gift to a student cultural center or academic/research program that conducts scholarship and advocacy for diverse communities. Now, with the graduate already giving to an area of the institution, they may be more likely to engage in a discussion about supporting other interests and priorities.
Equitable donor recognition efforts are also essential. Acknowledging and celebrating the impact of diverse donors’ gifts in ways that resonate with their identities and values strengthens donor relationships. Highlighting smaller gifts or gifts to less mainstream areas of the institution can attract the attention of similar alumni, who can see themselves in the donor(s) being celebrated. This recognition of alumni of color contributing their time, talent, and treasure reinforces a perception that the values they care about are genuinely shared by their alma mater and strengthens the trust and connection they feel with the institution.
Assess communications strategies.
Assess your advancement communications across print, online, and social media at both the message and messenger levels to consider how well they reflect and connect with diverse audiences. Start by conducting comprehensive audience research to confirm the demographics, interests, and communication preferences of diverse stakeholders. Segmenting audiences based on factors like race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and cultural background can help effectively tailor messaging that advancement teams may typically segment by major, class, giving history, and student activities, among other categories.
This means doing what higher education researcher and professor Noah D. Drezner calls “philanthropic mirroring”: using social identities shared by alumni and current students to foster a connection for alumni to the institution. For instance, Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, U.S., sent alumni personalized solicitations that aimed at supporting student scholarships by showcasing compelling success stories of scholarship recipients. These students shared similar backgrounds or encountered comparable challenges to the targeted alumni group, such as being first-generation college students. This approach reflects the principles of philanthropic mirroring, strategically aligning the fundraising message with the donor audience’s identities and experiences. This tailored approach significantly enhances the likelihood of fostering meaningful engagement and garnering support.
It’s also essential to ensure that communication materials have diverse representation in imagery, stories, and examples. This depicts the richness of the community and fosters the sense of a common bond among all alumni. Employing inclusive language that respects and acknowledges diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives—while avoiding stereotypes and biases—is crucial for fostering belonging and respect among diverse audiences.
Offering communication materials in multiple languages and providing translation or language interpretation services for non-English-speaking audiences, as well as other accommodations for sight- and hearing-impaired alumni and donors, will enhance a sense of inclusion.
Further, utilizing a variety of communication channels, such as digital platforms, social media, email, newsletters, print materials, and community-based outlets, helps effectively reach diverse constituents. Collaborating with diverse campus and community organizations, affinity groups, and cultural institutions to co-create communication initiatives fosters partnerships that reach underserved communities and signals the institution’s DEIB commitment.
Employing inclusive language that respects diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives—while avoiding stereotypes and biases—is crucial for fostering belonging.
Provide training to enhance your efforts.
For communications, alumni engagement, and development staff (and volunteers) to embrace these strategies, training is key. Professional development opportunities on DEIB topics can help team members cultivate cultural proficiency and sensitivity, and address potential biases to enable effective engagement with diverse audiences. The goal of this training is to ensure that those representing the institution understand the importance of strategically engaging as many alumni and friends as possible to secure critical philanthropic resources.
At numerous institutions, I (Robiaun) collaborated with chief diversity officers to conduct training sessions during annual advancement retreats. These training sessions were meticulously tailored based on surveys in which staff highlighted alumni experiences, challenges, and areas requiring support. These experiences then served as invaluable examples during these training sessions. Staff reported a myriad of scenarios, ranging from alumni feeling alienated by the institution’s diversity initiatives to alumni feeling the university had not advanced enough with its diversity efforts for students, causing them to disengage from giving. This feedback underscored the importance of addressing such concerns to foster a more inclusive philanthropic environment.
Seek feedback.
Actively solicit feedback from the constituencies you aim to engage. To maintain relevance and effectiveness, engage diverse stakeholders to review communication materials and messaging. This can be achieved with an advisory council of alumni and donors who reflect the diversity of the institution and can offer candid feedback on materials, messages, and messengers before they reach constituents. Having individuals of different lived experiences help shape how we communicate plans, priorities, and progress is essential. This can give staff a breadth of alumni perspectives and help alumni and donors feel connected and committed.
During my tenure as a major gifts officer at the University of Evansville, Indiana, U.S., I (Robiaun) spearheaded a fundraising campaign for a faculty diversity initiative that the university president identified as a top priority. The university organized informational sessions with prospective donors to gather feedback on the gift opportunity and communication strategy. Donors’ insights were invaluable. Their feedback showed how the institution needed to refine the gift proposition to better align with the institution’s commitment to diversity and how important it was to engage prospects of color beyond diversity-related opportunities.
Looking Forward
The possibilities for colleges and universities to broaden their alumni engagement and philanthropic support pipelines are exceedingly bright, particularly as teams use intentional and proactive approaches to leverage DEIB. Institutions are increasingly prioritizing inclusive alumni networks by actively involving alumni of color and other underrepresented groups in decision-making, leadership positions, and fundraising endeavors. This approach not only fosters a greater sense of belonging among all alumni but also taps into a rich tapestry of perspectives, experiences, and resources that enrich campus communities and propel institutional missions forward.
Furthermore, as demographic dynamics continue to evolve, colleges and universities recognize the strategic necessity of diversifying their donor bases. Alumni of color and historically marginalized groups represent a segment with growing economic and social clout. Through more authentic and engaging outreach efforts, institutions can forge deeper connections, instill trust, and nurture lifelong relationships that translate into enduring philanthropic backing.
Dive Deeper:
CASE's Opportunity and Inclusion Center provides a wealth of resources, including training opportunities to enhance your efforts on DEIB initiatives. Learn more here.
Learn More at CASE Summit
Strategies for engaging diverse donors is the topic for the third annual CASE Insights Research Symposium in July. Sponsored by Huron | GG+A, the symposium will take place at the 2024 Summit for Leaders in Advancement, July 22-24, in New York City, U.S. A panel of advancement leaders will discuss why a diverse pipeline of donors is essential to the future of advancement. The session will highlight the practical challenges of collecting data and new approaches to engaging donors.
CASE’s Summit for Leaders in Advancement brings together thought leaders from around the world and across advancement disciplines to explore leading an ever-changing environment.
About the author(s)
Robiaun R. Charles, Ed.D. brings over 25 years of professional experience in maximizing philanthropic support for institutions of higher education. A Certified Fund Raising Executive, CFRE International, she has developed and enhanced the advancement programs of multiple institutions. Robiaun founded Enonye Consulting Group (ECG) to leverage her extensive experience as an advancement leader to ensure that philanthropic best practices are understood by as many non-profits as possible. Prior to launching ECG recently, Robiaun served as Vice President for College Advancement at Agnes Scott College, where she was responsible for providing strategic direction and fostering relationships with individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations to garner philanthropic support for campus priorities. Through her leadership, Agnes Scott exceeded the goal of the College’s largest ever comprehensive campaign, raising $116 million, exceeding the $100 million goal. Robiaun's strengths with principal gifts, strategic planning and team building resulted in securing a record-breaking total of $21.1 million in new gifts and pledges, as well as a record $200K on Giving Tuesday in FY20.
Prior to Agnes Scott, Robiaun was the Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Development at the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to raising $6 million for annual operations, capital needs, and special projects as part of a university-wide $3 billion campaign, she led the strategic planning, annual fundraising goals and objectives, management of fiscal and personnel resources, and program development for the University. Additionally, she served as Special Assistant to the President and Chief Diversity Officer and held development positions at the University of Evansville (Evansville, IN). Robiaun has also held development positions at Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, NC), Atlanta Symphony, and United Cerebral Palsy.
Robiaun has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions and holds an Ed.D. in higher education leadership and policy from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, an M.P.A. in nonprofit administration from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, and a B.A. in philosophy from Rollins College. She is a sought after professional development speaker and serves as a board member of several organizations including as president of her undergraduate alma mater's Alumni Advisory Board.
Henry W. Taylor is the Founder and Managing Partner of Legacy Consulting Group (LCG), a strategic consulting practice serving non-profits, higher education institutions, churches, religious organizations, K-12 schools and other entities seeking to enhance their mission driven impact. LCG builds on Henry's significant experience in advancement and strategically addresses opportunities for improvement in non-profit management, fundraising, alumni/constituent engagement, communications and marketing, diversity, board relations and operational effectiveness. Most recently, Henry led Golden Gate University's (GGU) advancement division as vice president. His team focused on rebuilding GGU’s fundraising, alumni engagement and communications efforts resulting in improved outcomes and CASE awards recognizing their achievements.
Prior to GGU, Henry served as Senior Director of Development at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. He managed the office of development, which included annual giving, corporate & foundation relations, donor relations, leadership and legacy giving, as well as research & prospect management. Under his leadership at Agnes Scott, the college saw a 62-percent increase in money raised from FY19 to FY20, totaling a record-breaking $21.1 million. For FY21, Agnes Scott boasted its highest annual giving total in college history for The Fund for Agnes Scott. Prior to Agnes Scott, he was vice president for institutional advancement at Clark Atlanta University, where he was tasked with strengthening the advancement function and elevating the professionalism of staff, infrastructure and activity to deliver increased outcomes.
In total, Mr. Taylor’s advancement career spans more than 25 years and includes work at California State University-East Bay, Georgia State University, Princeton and Stanford as well as the KIPP Foundation and Level Playing Field Institute. He has successfully solicited more than $65 million personally and has led teams responsible for securing over $150 million throughout his career. His significant experience and expertise as well as passion for philanthropy and commitment to the advancement profession have made him a frequent keynote speaker and workshop presenter at professional conferences including for CASE and AFP. Mr. Taylor received a bachelor’s degree in government and religion from Claremont McKenna College and a master’s degree in leadership at St. Mary’s College of California.
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Article appears in:
May-June 2024 Issue of Currents
FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS: Best practices for responding in high-stakes situations. Also, how to diversify your donor pipeline, why mentoring matters, and harnessing the narrative with the seven basic plots of storytelling.