The Illinois State University Foundation has selected digital marketing agency JHG for digital and mobile services to help in its fundraising efforts.
“A lot of colleges and universities are struggling to bring younger people into their fundraising programs,” said Elizabeth Estes-Cooper, EVP and chief strategy officer at JHG. Several factors are contributing to the issue, including that a lot of younger people prefer donating to causes over institutions and that many only have cell phones and not land lines, making telemarketing difficult, explained Estes-Cooper.
JHG will be helping Illinois State University Foundation to provide alumni and current students with relevant content and engaging them via cell phones and social media Web sites. Then, “giving becomes something they are comfortable doing and don’t just do once,” said Estes-Cooper.
In order to bring this strategy to life, the Illinois State University Foundation has acquired its own vanity short code. The short code will appear in print ads in the alumni magazine and as part of various promotions put on by the university’s different departments, including the athletics department, giving students and alumni a way to sign up to receive regular information that is of interest to them.
Once people are engaged, JHG will follow up with specific campaigns around fundraising efforts. The work is scheduled to begin in the fall.
Illinois State University Foundation engages JHG for mobile effort
