For this edition of Almabase Spotlights featuring Liberal Arts Institutions, we shine the spotlight on Madonna University and how their heartfelt messaging resonated with their alumni, which led to Giving Day success.

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💙 A heartfelt idea that garnered tremendous donor support

Ahead of their St. Felix Day of Giving last year, the Alumni Office at Madonna University had a concrete communication plan laid out to boost engagement rates and maximize fundraising success. However, the pandemic forced them to rethink almost every aspect of their Giving Day plan. The Alumni Office took a step back and completely revamped their communication plan for Giving Day to focus on the immediate needs of students and the University. This helped them smash their fundraising goal of $20,000, and the University ended up raising over $30,000 from 120 alumni!

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Madonna University urged its community to contribute towards critical needs to ensure that students continue to receive the quality education they have always delivered. The Alumni Office brought the University Board Member DJ Boyd aboard for a special appeal to encourage the community to support their Day of Giving. With a communication plan focused entirely on immediate needs such as student scholarships, loaner laptops, student activities, or technology to facilitate online labs and coursework, the University was able to strike a chord with their alumni, as 120 people contributed to the campaign. We loved how their approach to messaging helped create a difference for current students of the University 💙.

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⭐Our Source of Inspiration

Katie Dougherty currently serves as the Alumni and Annual Fund Officer at Madonna University. Katie, who is an alumna of Madonna University, has spent the last 4 years working with her alma mater in alumni advancement and fundraising.

Katie has a passion for fundraising and creating affinity in the University’s alumni community. She is also an avid photographer, and photography was something she was focusing on full-time before taking up her current role.

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