Blog

AGN’s blog features stories, case studies, and advice from some of the industry’s leading experts and practitioners. Filled with tips and techniques, they offer great ideas to help educational institutions improve their annual giving programs. Read the most recent posts below.

Evaluating Direct Mail

Published on November 1, 2024  

Determining the Right Ask Amount

Published on October 1, 2024  

Maximizing Employer Matching Gifts

Published on September 1, 2024  

Sending Renewal Appeals Early

Published on August 1, 2024  

Testing Backward

Published on July 1, 2024  

Listening to Donors

Published on June 1, 2024  

Getting Prospect Meetings Right

Published on May 1, 2024  

Leveraging Second Asks

Published on April 1, 2024  

Constructing a Successful Challenge

Published on March 1, 2024  

Determining When to Have Your Giving Day

Published on February 1, 2024  

Cleaning Up Your Data

Published on January 1, 2024  

Optimizing the Season of Giving

Published on December 1, 2023  

Thanking Donors in Genuine Ways

Published on November 1, 2023  

Planning a Giving Day

Published on October 1, 2023  

Developing Effective Email Subject Lines

Published on September 1, 2023  

The Role of Annual Giving

Published on August 1, 2023  

Using Central Tendency to Analyze Results

Published on July 1, 2023  

5 Reasons Alumni Participation Is Important

Published on June 1, 2023  

Calculating Donor Coverage Ratios

Published on May 1, 2023  

Boosting Fiscal Year-End Giving

Published on April 1, 2023  

Rating Donor Capacity and Inclination

Published on March 1, 2023  

5 Important Annual Fund Metrics

Published on February 1, 2023  

Annual Fund vs Annual Giving

Published on January 1, 2023  

Structuring Appeal Letters

Published on December 1, 2022  

Hiring the Right People

Published on November 1, 2022  

5 Elements of an Annual Fund Plan

Published on October 1, 2022  

Measuring Gift Officer Activity

Published on September 1, 2022  

Responding to Donor Complaints

Published on August 1, 2022  

Starting a New Fiscal Year

Published on July 1, 2022  

Soliciting Managed Prospects for Year-End Gifts

Published on June 1, 2022  

Soliciting Trustees for Annual Fund Gifts

Published on May 1, 2022  

Boosting Phone Contact Rates

Published on April 1, 2022  

Identifying Productive Volunteers

Published on March 1, 2022  

Introducing First-Year Students to Philanthropy

Published on February 1, 2022  

Improving Online Giving Forms

Published on January 1, 2022  

3 Rules for Managing Volunteers

Published on December 1, 2021  

Thanking Donors in Personal Ways

Published on November 1, 2021  

Making the Ask

Published on October 1, 2021  

Setting Giving Day Goals

Published on September 1, 2021  

Circled Caller Postcard

Published on August 1, 2021  

Mapping the Life Stages of Alumni Donors

Published on July 1, 2021  

Redefining What Counts in Your Annual Fund

Published on June 1, 2021  

Tackling the Annual Fund Planning Process

Published on May 1, 2021  

Improving Parent Data

Published on April 1, 2021  

Preparing for Out-Of-Town Donor Visits

Published on March 1, 2021  

Targeting Key Lapsed-Donor Segments

Published on February 1, 2021  

Building a Strong Team

Published on December 1, 2020  

Working with Volunteers to Secure Leadership Gifts

Published on November 1, 2020  

Benchmarking Annual Fund Results

Published on October 1, 2020  

Running a Giving Day on a Budget

Published on September 1, 2020  

Creating a Gift Impact Page

Published on August 1, 2020  

Incorporating Incentives Into Appeals

Published on July 1, 2020  

Engaging Alumni in Online Communities

Published on June 1, 2020  

Stewarding New Donors in Difficult Times

Published on May 1, 2020  

Engaging Young Alumni in Meaningful Conversations

Published on April 1, 2020  

Empowering Student Callers to Work Remotely

Published on March 1, 2020  

Writing Donor Contact Reports

Published on February 1, 2020  

Managing Your Annual Fund During a Crisis

Published on January 1, 2020  

Selecting Locations for Prospect Meetings

Published on December 15, 2019  

Calculating Alumni Engagement Rates

Published on December 1, 2019  

Improving Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Collaboration

Published on November 15, 2019  

Celebrating Reunion Zero

Published on November 1, 2019  

Highlighting Gift Impact

Published on October 15, 2019  

Engaging Alumni with Nostalgia

Published on October 1, 2019  

Setting High Expectations for Volunteers

Published on September 15, 2019  

Promoting Recurring Gifts

Published on September 1, 2019  

Planning for Slow Periods in Fundraising Cycles

Published on August 15, 2019  

Counting Volunteer Hours in Campaign Achievement

Published on August 1, 2019  

Adding an Ask to Stewardship Communications

Published on July 15, 2019  

Using Text Messages to Communicate with Donors

Published on July 1, 2019  

Using Social Media to Promote Giving

Published on June 15, 2019  

Avoiding Analysis Paralysis

Published on June 1, 2019  

Showing Young Alumni How to Stay Connected

Published on May 15, 2019  

Acquiring New Donors through Crowdfunding

Published on May 1, 2019  

Sending Annual Fund Appeals to Major Prospects

Published on April 15, 2019  

Preparing for Cold Calls

Published on April 1, 2019  

Promoting a Giving Day

Published on March 15, 2019  

Segmenting Donor Populations

Published on March 1, 2019  

Building Connections Between Students and Donors

Published on February 15, 2019  

Increasing Giving by Faculty and Staff

Published on February 1, 2019  

Revising Appeal Letters

Published on January 15, 2019  

Renewing Past Donors

Published on January 1, 2019  

Finding the Right Appeal Frequency

Published on December 15, 2018  

Stewarding Donors with Simple Holiday Gifts

Published on December 1, 2018  

Creating a Job Description for Volunteers

Published on November 15, 2018  

Utilizing Social Media as a Donor Research Tool

Published on November 1, 2018  

Retaining Student Phonathon Callers

Published on October 15, 2018  

Promoting Restricted Gift Designations

Published on October 1, 2018  

Using Your Phonathon to Secure Gift Officer Visits

Published on September 15, 2018  

Featuring Students in Appeals

Published on September 1, 2018  

Renewing Donors on their Gift Anniversary

Published on August 15, 2018  

Targeting Donors with Digital Ads

Published on August 1, 2018  

Creating a New Donor Welcome Package

Published on July 15, 2018  

Asking Donors for a Second Gift

Published on July 1, 2018  

Incorporating Texting into Volunteer Outreach

Published on June 15, 2018  

Using Video to Personalize Donor Stewardship

Published on June 1, 2018  

Making It Easy for Faculty & Staff to Give

Published on May 15, 2018  

Uncovering the Hidden Benefits of Crowdfunding

Published on May 1, 2018  

Launching a Women’s Giving Circle

Published on April 15, 2018  

Creating RFM Scores

Published on April 1, 2018  

Annual Giving in a Decentralized Organization

Published on March 15, 2018  

Putting Teasers on Evelopes

Published on March 1, 2018  

Lapsed Donor Surveys

Published on February 15, 2018  

Soliciting Blended Gifts

Published on February 1, 2018  

The Alumni Population Boom

Published on January 15, 2018  

Picking a Date for Your Giving Day

Published on January 1, 2018  

Mining Social Media Data

Published on December 15, 2017  

Can Gifts Be Too Small?

Published on December 1, 2017  

Does Your Annual Fund Need a Tune Up?

Published on November 15, 2017  

Gamifying Reunion Fundraising

Published on November 1, 2017  

Raising Giving Society Levels

Published on October 15, 2017  

Renewing Donors Around Tax Cycles

Published on October 1, 2017  

Retargeting Donors through Digital Ads

Published on September 15, 2017  

The Hal Ripley Society

Published on September 1, 2017  

Employing Students as Development Officers

Published on August 15, 2017  

Giving Day Selfies

Published on August 1, 2017  

Young Alumni “Participate” Events

Published on July 15, 2017  

Leadership Gift Proposal Mailing

Published on July 1, 2017  

“You Are Perfect” Campaign

Published on June 15, 2017  

Building a Student Foundation

Published on June 1, 2017  

Cultivating Young Leaders

Published on May 15, 2017  

Student “Black Cat Week”

Published on May 1, 2017  

“Answer The Phone” Postcard

Published on April 15, 2017  

Student Grad Fair Days

Published on April 1, 2017  

Young Alumni “March Mayhem” Campaign

Published on March 15, 2017  

Insider Access for Gift Society Members

Published on March 1, 2017  

Creating Gift Impact Reports

Published on February 15, 2017  

Asking Alumni for Advice

Published on February 1, 2017  

The Benefits of Recurring Gifts

Published on January 15, 2017  

“Build The Damn” Recognition Wall

Published on January 1, 2017