University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
In preparation for the public phase of their $4.25 billion campaign, Chapel Hill initiated a partnership with Plus Delta to enhance the foundational elements of a university-wide fundraising culture grounded in a performance-based, shared approach to raising money. Additionally, Development leadership sought to build a forum for frontline fundraising managers to integrate new skills and behaviors into the fundraising organization, learn from one another, and collaborate around their management and coaching practices.
Challenges
- Wide variations in communication, processes, fundraising approaches, portfolio analysis and pipeline tracking existed across UNC’s historically decentralized advancement function.
- A donor-centric collaborative approach to engagement and pipeline management did not exist.
Benefits & Results
- Program participants self-reported $18 Million in new commitments raised as a direct result of the new skills acquired from the Plus Delta processes and practices, delivering a multi-million dollar return on Chapel Hill’s investment.
- Learning how to assess the donor’s preferred communication style allowed frontline fundraisers to adapt their personal styles to a donor-centric approach that improved outcomes with donors.
- A new shared language and cultivation process across the UNC frontline fundraising team enhanced donor-centric strategy and resulted in a shortened average cultivation cycle.
- Enhanced discipline with qualification coupled with more effective communication tools allowed gift officers to confidently move prospects through a defined philanthropic process more quickly and efficiently.
Implementing the Plus Delta process has truly transformed how our development officers approach fundraising at UNC. The impact is undeniable – increased revenue, shortened fundraising cycles, and increased collaboration among our frontline fundraisers. We have unequivocally adopted the principles of DFF and are spreading these best practices across our entire development enterprise.
Cynthia Butler, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for University Development
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill