Solicitation Tips
Making Effective Solicitations
A truly effective solicitation is a process, not a single call or email. It means developing a relationship over time and following up as often as necessary. The following information includes suggestions for how to approach your solicitations to make them as effective and enjoyable as possible, and also provide answers to some frequently asked questions.
Preparation
An important aspect of solicitation is what comes before the ask. A solicitation is usually most effective when preceded by some cultivation. Consider sending a Carleton post card providing information about recent campus happenings or a simple message, or inviting the classmate to meet you for coffee or a meal, to attend a local Carleton Club event, or a campus activity like Convocation or a performance.
- Consider why Carleton is important to you, and why your classmates will want to support the AAF.
- Most people enjoy giving to a worthwhile cause and will respond willingly. Present your classmates with an opportunity to give rather than an obligation or argument.
- Before you begin making calls, get up to date on Carleton happenings and your class using online resources, including the AAF Volunteer Portal (go.carleton.edu/portal).
- Set goals or deadlines for yourself. For example, making all of your initial calls by October 1 or if sitting down to make calls in the evening, talking to two classmates that night.
- Nervous? Make a practice call to one of your fellow volunteers, or your staff or board contact.
- Start with an easy call to get past the first hurdle. Why not call your classmates who gave last year first to thank them (especially if they’ve increased over last year, or haven’t given for a few years) and catch up? This should give you some good positive energy to make the rest of your calls!
Phone Solicitations
Each call is different and there is not a single approach that will work every time. Some volunteers begin calls with the ask and then move on to other topics, while others feel more comfortable breaking the ice and then transitioning to the solicitation. Generally, your calls will include the following aspects:
- Connect – Create or re-establish the link you share with your classmate.
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- Talk about Carleton today, the Carleton you remember, or other things entirely.
- Listen to your classmate to pick up cues on how invested they are in Carleton and which direction the conversation should go.
- Collect – When calling to make a specific ask for a gift to the Alumni Annual Fund:
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- Thank your classmate for previous gifts.
- Make the case for giving to Carleton.
- Be specific about the dollar amount for which you are asking.
- Provide information about the different giving options.
- Follow Up – to ensure the greatest success, keep the following in mind:
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- If you don't reach your classmate the first time, keep trying! It is up to you whether or not to leave a message, but the ultimate goal is to actually talk to your classmate.
- Your classmate may need some time to consider a gift to Carleton and may require a follow-up call. Allow a reasonable amount of time to pass before you contact them again.
- Write notes, as appropriate, to thank them for taking the time to speak with you and for their commitment to Carleton.
- Update your class agent and staff contact with gift, pledge, or refusal information. Also notify the AAF of any phone number and/or address changes or important anecdotal information such as a marriage, divorce, or employment change.
- Your classmate may choose to not give to the AAF this year. However, your positive attitude and endorsement of the College may result in a renewal of their relationship with Carleton in the future.
- Share successes with other volunteers so that everyone can feel good and learn tips from each other.
Email Solicitations
Email is an efficient way to communicate with your classmates about the Alumni Annual Fund, although it’s not always the most effective way. It can be used as an introduction to a solicitation call, a thank you for a classmate's time and/or support, a follow-up to a call or letter, or a direct solicitation.
Additionally, the use of Carleton's online giving website has skyrocketed over the last few years and email is a great way to steer your classmates to this easy and convenient way to give. Keep in mind that email communication works best when used along with personal contact such as phone calls. Some suggestions to get you started:
- Most emails are read within seconds. Try to make an immediate impact.
- The subject line should be attention-grabbing, but not misleading.
- State your purpose early in your text and be clear and upfront.
- Making the case for support in an email is more effective when using your personal style.
- If you don't know a classmate, try a thank you or invitation first. If your first email is a solicitation, subsequent email may be ignored.
- Always include the link to Carleton’s online giving page: www.give.carleton.edu.
- Include links to other pages on the College website. Fresh news is appreciated.
- Honor a classmate’s request not to be solicited by this method.
A Gmail merge can be for sending customized messages to a larger group of classmates, without having to send each message individually. To get help with this tool, email carl.merge@gmail.com.
Giving Methods
Information about giving online, by phone, by mail, making gifts of stock, and corporate matching gifts.
Installment Giving
You can now give to the Alumni Annual Fund on your schedule. Go to www.give.carleton.edu or call the AAF office at 800-745-2275 to set up monthly, quarterly, or yearly installments for a few months, the entire fiscal year, or indefinitely! This is a great option for donors who would like to schedule a one-time gift for a future date, spread out their gift for the year, or give each year without having to resubmit their payment information.
Gift in Honor/in Memory
Classmates can make a gift in memory or in honor of special people in their lives. The honored individual(s) do not necessarily need to be affiliated with the College. The honorees’ name will be listed in the College’s online Annual Report on Giving.
Leadership Giving
Recognition levels are used as a means of recognizing an individual’s giving, capitalize on competition within the class to persuade donors to increase to the next level, and serve as an example to other classmates. Using this approach varies from class to class and may not work in every situation.
Case for Carleton
Commitment to the Liberal Arts
Carleton exists to provide a wide-ranging education in the humanities, arts & literature, the natural sciences, and the social sciences for young women and men who will become leaders in their communities, our country, and the world. Annual alumni support helps to provide the academic resources, cutting-edge technology and facilities, and talented and diverse faculty that are essential in accomplishing this mission.
Providing Access
Carleton is one of a handful of institutions in the country that continues to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all accepted students. That policy is expensive and gets more so each year. Last year the College spent more than $25 million on scholarships, more than half of which was “unfunded”, meaning that it was not covered by designated gifts or the endowment. The Alumni Annual Fund helps make up the difference between the cost of tuition and what a student can afford to pay.
Supporting Operating Expenses
The unrestricted support provided by the Alumni Annual Fund each year allows Carleton to maintain its educational excellence by supporting day-to-day operating expenses that are not fully covered by other sources. Unrestricted annual gifts are particularly important because they allow Carleton to place resources where they are immediately needed, providing vital funds that impact every area of the College, especially during periods of increased fiscal pressure and restraints.
Tradition of Giving Back
There is a rich tradition of alumni support at Carleton that enables the College to offer current students the outstanding learning environment and opportunities from which they benefit. Your education was made possible by the contributions of the alumni who came before you, and in turn, your contributions help to ensure that Carleton is able to offer the same educational experience to today’s students. Your participation in the Alumni Annual Fund connects you with the thousands of alumni who have helped create and maintain the institution that has given us all so much.
The Living Endowment
“Carleton plays in the big league without big league resources.”- Frank Wright ’50, Treasurer Emeritus. Although Carleton’s endowment is half the size of its peer schools, gifts from the Alumni Annual Fund help Carleton compete financially with wealthier schools. The Alumni Annual Fund is our “living” endowment – nearly $145 million additional endowment dollars would be needed to generate the more than $7.25 million of income provided by alumni, parents, and friends through the Annual Fund last year.
Every Gift Counts
At its essence, the Alumni Annual Fund is a collection of many gifts – last year, nearly 13,000 alumni contributed more than $6 million to the Alumni Fund. This exceptional level of support would not have been possible without each and every gift. Participation is an important measure of alumni satisfaction and confidence in Carleton. Your gift, no matter the size, shows gratitude for the education you received, and support for the students and faculty who follow you. Only you can account for your participation.
Responding to Objections
No Money
- Your support of the Fund is more than just the amount of your gift. Alumni participation demonstrates tremendous confidence in the College and Carleton’s high level of alumni support (51% gave last year) increases Carleton’s ability to secure funds from other sources.
- Carleton’s endowment is smaller than its peer schools. More than $145 million additional endowment dollars would be needed to generate the $7.25 million of income provided last year by the Annual Fund.
- Last year, gifts under $100 and less totaled more than $370,000. Your individual gift may not seem significant, but it does make a difference.
Business/Economy Is Bad
- Carleton faces the same financial pressures as you and I. The College needs to continue providing the best faculty, academic resources, and financial aid to its current students. Your gift, of any amount, to the Alumni Annual Fund helps Carleton provide these important services.
- Gifts to the Alumni Annual Fund are tax-deductible.
- You can pledge now and pay later (before June 30).
- You can pay your gift in installments on your credit card.
Give Later In The Year
- Please consider making a pledge now in support of our class gift, which you can pay at any time before June 30.
- You can also set up a gift on a credit card to be paid on a future date by calling 800-745-2275.
Already Gave This Year
- Do you remember when you made that gift? The reason I ask is because it is possible that you gave during the calendar year, but not in the current fiscal year (Carleton’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30). My apologies if we are soliciting you for a second gift. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d be happy to check and get back to you.
- Was your gift to the Alumni Annual Fund? The College has several hundred funds and it could be that you gave a gift to a different fund. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d be happy to check on your gift and get back to you.
Support A Restricted Fund
- Unlike restricted gifts, contributions to the Annual Fund are used immediately, helping the College to meet its ongoing expenses and to bridge the gap between what a student can afford to pay and the actual cost of a Carleton education. Your support to this vital fund is greatly appreciated!
Support Other Causes
- There are many worthy causes out there, and I realize your priorities may be different at this time, but alumni giving is crucial to maintaining the Carleton experience for today’s students. Even if you give to other causes, please consider how unique and important a place Carleton is to you.
- Carleton develops qualities of mind and character that prepare its graduates to become citizens and leaders, capable of finding inventive solutions to local, national, and global challenges.Please help future generations make a difference by supporting Carleton today.
Tuition Should Cover Costs/Paid Full Tuition
- Full tuition and fees cover less than half of the actual annual cost to educate a Carleton student. The gap between what is paid and the real cost has always been subsidized by the College and annual gifts from alumni, parents, and friends, as well as earnings from endowment gifts.
- Your support will help bridge the gap between what the student can afford to pay and the actual cost of a Carleton education.
College Budget Concerns
- Carleton controls its expenditures very carefully. Financing an educational enterprise is not the same as managing a business.
- Carleton made significant cuts to the budget while keeping financial aid growing. Since each student’s education is highly subsidized by the College, belt-tightening can only help at the margins.
- The College is a prudent manager of all its resources and is committed to keeping Carleton fiscally sound today and in the future without compromising its standards of excellence.
Doesn’t Agree With College Policy Or Decision
- It seems a shame to cut off your support for one reason, although an important one, when there are so many great reasons to support Carleton!
- One of the wonderful things about Carleton is the diversity of ideas and students. I hope you will reconsider.
Child Wasn’t Accepted By The College
- I am sorry to hear that your son/daughter was not accepted to Carleton. Some excellent students are not accepted for various reasons.
- Carleton has experienced a significant increase in admissions applications during the past decade, and a drop of the acceptance rate in the most recent cycle. By any standard, the application process has grown much more competitive.
- Where is your son/daughter attending college?
- Is he/she enjoying it? I hope that you will consider giving to Carleton because of YOUR positive experience.
Stretch Giving (Reunion Classes)
- Your gifts have always been generous and most appreciated! During reunion years, we hope our classmates will consider making Carleton a philanthropic priority.
- Your increased gift of $___ will help our class meet its ambitious goal and help the College maintain its excellence. You may also split your gift into monthly or quarterly installments.
Letter Solicitations
One of the most important tasks you will complete each year is writing a fall class solicitation letter. This mailing is generally the first and most in-depth appeal your classmates will receive about giving to the Alumni Annual Fund.
Check out sample text for this year, and examples of past class letters written by volunteers just like you.
Writing Effective Class Letters
- Make the case for giving to the Alumni Annual Fund. Why do you give? Evoke memories of college life, share your own Carleton experiences, and incorporate items that elicit pride in the College.
- Make your letters warm and personal. Use humor or a light-hearted approach when appropriate - this can be effective in making the case for support and keep your classmates reading.
- Keep your letter to one page if possible.
- Be positive. Concentrate on the successes your class has experienced. If you feel your class is capable of doing more, mention it, but be sure to focus on the positive. Everyone likes to be associated with a successful cause.
- Be appreciative. Thank donors for gifts they have made in the past and for those you expect them to make in the future. Make them feel good about what their past support has meant to the Alumni Annual Fund, and how much their future support means to the students at Carleton.
- Clearly specify what action you want your classmates to take. Don’t “hide” the message or make it seem like an afterthought. Don’t apologize for asking classmates to support the Alumni Annual Fund.
- Include an ask amount. This gives classmates a specific level to consider.
- Tell your classmates how to give to the Alumni Annual Fund and encourage classmates to set up automatic installment payments.