The Changing Face of the 21st-Century Donor

North America is far more culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse today than ever before. College campuses are feeling demographic shifts, as record numbers of first-generation, international, female, and minority students are enrolling in college and attaining degrees. These changing demographics represent significant challenges for advancement offices, particularly in major giving, which has historically focused on a pipeline of traditional white male donors.

Advancement and alumni leaders can’t just recognize the need for change. They also must create and encourage innovative engagement and solicitation strategies for an increasingly diverse alumni base to impact participation and build a pipeline for future gifts.

This study examines three key populations where advancement leaders have the opportunity for focused quick wins that will establish groundwork for future alumni giving and engagement.

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The changing demographics of higher education

Colleges and universities are more diverse than ever before. As pressure from competing nonprofits mounts, tried-and-true development strategies are not enough to ensure future gifts. Institutions need to take inventory of their work with diverse alumni and understand how they can impact participation rates and dollars today—while still building a stronger pipeline of donors for the campaign of tomorrow.

Attracting dollars and participation today

Women have greater average wealth and philanthropic power than their male peers. College and university alumni bases are rapidly diversifying. LGBT alumni are more visible and vocal than ever before. To build a pipeline of donors for the future, advancement leaders and their teams must learn to engage diverse audiences today.

• The growing financial clout of women in the 21st century (p. 14)
• Colleges and universities now have a far more diverse alumni base (p. 16)
• Colleges can’t ignore LGBT alumni (p. 20)

Best practices to help you engage these three key populations

Cultivate and steward top female donors

Women today have greater average wealth and have longer average life expectancies than their male peers. As a result, women not only have more money in their own right, but also stand to inherit additional wealth from their partners. Recognizing this significant shift, advancement officers need to focus time and attention to cultivate and steward their top female donors by creating meaningful channels for alumnae engagement.

• Women of all ages want greater connections (p. 28)
• Rethinking alumnae philanthropy (p. 29) Supporting tool: Launching a Giving Circle Strategy Guide
• A shift in focus impact (p. 33) Supporting tool: Alumnae Listening Tour Worksheet

Enfranchise alumni of color as volunteer leaders

Thanks to dramatically shifting student enrollments, college and university campuses today look very different than they did 20 years ago. In 2015, students of color accounted for more than one-third of all first-time students enrolled. As these demographic shifts play out on campus, they will also shape and impact alumni bases. To connect with alumni of color, advancement leaders need to examine what they are asking for, who is making the ask, and how to enfranchise alumni leaders.

• Let alumni of color inform and shape advancement efforts (p. 38) Supporting tool: Alumni of Color Listening Tour Worksheet
• From misaligned asks to appeals that resonate (p. 39) Supporting tool: Diverse Fundraising Products Worksheet
• Strategically leverage peer-to-peer and student appeals (p. 40) Supporting tool: Diverse Alumni Survey Request
• Increasing diversity in talent management (p. 43) Supporting tool: Diverse MGO Training Scenarios

Engage with LGBT students and alumni

Varying estimates show that between 4–7% of the United States’ population identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). It’s also important to recognize that the median age LGBT individuals come out is 20, making their university and college experience a formative one. But despite the importance of this segment, colleges and universities have struggled with understanding, identifying, and coding who in their alumni population identify as LGBT. To sustain early progress, advancement leaders need to combat these data challenges, while ensuring gift officers and alumni relations staff are respectful of all alumni populations.

• Institutions face challenges in sizing the LGBT population (p. 48) Supporting tool: LGBT Demographic Survey Best Practice
• Main strategies to capture LGBT alumni data (p. 50) Supporting tool: Campus Newspaper Audit
• Adapt processes and databases to changing identities (p. 51)
• Connecting LGBT alumni with current students and the institution (p. 52) Supporting tool: LGBT Alumni Listening Tour Worksheet Supporting tool: Board Search Audit: How-to

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