Unprecedented Growth: The Impact of EAB’s First Year with Grambling State University

Grambling State University, a historically Black institution (HBCU) in Louisiana, is dedicated to educational opportunity, diversity, and the preservation of African American history and culture. However, their advancement team struggled to translate this strong mission and vibrant community into donor motivation. Facing increasing pressure to grow institutional support, they needed stronger strategies to connect with donors.

With a new VP of University Advancement and Innovation heading the team, Grambling State had a year of possibilities ahead. Their goal was to increase donor support and overall dollars raised as they built a new advancement program designed to fuel their mission.

Grambling State focused on making their annual giving campaigns more consistent, frequent, and personalized. Their efforts lead to stronger relationships with donors and a shift from transactional to transformational engagement, with donors viewing themselves as investors in the university’s mission. The result was a year of immense growth for Grambling State: they more than doubled the number of donors and raised more dollars than ever before.