On the Line...with Jason Fisher

3 Obstacles to Mass Text-in Campaigns for Higher Education Fundraising

Fundraisers are always looking for the next great solicitation tool that can help bridge the gaps they face and achieve their objectives, and rightly so.   Funding needs are greater than they have ever been and most non-profit institutions are being asked to do more with less.  Higher education is certainly no exception.   Within the last several years, we’ve seen organizations like the Red Cross use text-in campaigns as an opportunity to raise needed funds following a disaster.  By texting a code word to a pre-determined 5 digit number the cell phone subscriber can donate a $5 or $10 amount to the organization that is soliciting funds.  But as a recent article in the New York Times suggests, using text messaging for solicitation purposes may not be a viable tool for most other non-profits.  [i]

In our world of higher education development, the methods used by the Red Cross and other national organizations are almost unrealistic, mainly due to logistical challenges in advertising the campaign and motivating people to get involved.  Even if our creative marketing staffs were to consistently find a way to accomplish this task, there are other serious obstacles in the way of making this a useful solicitation tool. 

What's In a Name?

Want to confuse somebody you just met?  Start talking to them about your Sybunts.  Have you ever gone to a conference and struck up a conversation with the person at your table, only to realize several minutes into the detailed discussion that you haven’t heard half the terms the person was using? Join the crowd.  Our industry is littered with acronyms, descriptions, and a slew of names for each component of our programs.  Yet, most of them mean the exact same thing- or something close to it.  Region or location doesn’t seem to have much to do with it.  Tradition and creative managers are the factors usually responsible for what terms are used on campus.  Many people outside our industry, or even somebody new to their position within the industry, are probably confused by our lingo.  Maybe we should try to clear it up here, to the extent that is possible.