Grab Grads Early to Keep Them Giving

Much like many educational institutions, Rice University’s alumni population has been growing faster than the number of donors each year, due to the increased size of recent graduating classes. We surmised that by honing our solicitations to these younger classes, our participation rate within this segment would increase. Additionally, we believed that while emphasizing the amount of the gift was important to our steadfast donors, the thought of contributing $10,000 or even $1,000 was inconceivable to younger alumni. They were more likely to appreciate being recognized for their annual loyalty versus the amount of their contributions.