An issue with the Greek system … An athletic program under investigation … Faculty members in hot water … Or any of the myriad of issues that require gift officers to manage donor relations through a crisis.
Sooner or later, a university advancement office must manage through a high-profile crisis, and these moments can be quite delicate for major gift relationships. Which relationships do the crisis impact? Should you reach out, or will reaching out only publicize the issue more? Answering this question is difficult when you are not aware of a donor’s level of engagement with the situation.
But what if you could know? What if you knew the donor had visited your media page and read the university press releases on the crisis. Or that he was searching web pages on your site related to the situation?
This is where a marketing automation tool helps gift officers understand the unique needs of major donors during a crisis. By monitoring traffic on the institution’s web pages — including press releases and media relations — an advancement office can better understand which donors are tuned in to the issue.
This information is the difference between reaching out in a productive way to strengthen the relationship and being caught off guard when an upset major donor calls.
Donor relationships are built on a trust that can be strengthened during times of crisis — that is, if you have the right resources to respond to individual donor needs.
Learn more about how Capture’s marketing automation for higher education can help your advancement needs.
By Kevin Bauman, Director of Philanthropic Initiatives, Capture Higher Ed
