Higher Education Fundraising Agency: The Art of the Ask

Unlock Donations from Alumni.

Philanthropy Marketing: The Long Arc of a Relationship

Marketing of Capital Campaigns

toolkit for unlocking donations

Donors, large and small, don't part with their hard-earned money without endearment and softening of their hearts. Unlocking money requires creation of high fidelity, high impact, proof based, imaginative and endearing marketing assets including microsites, direct mail, emails, social posts, capital campaign brochure, videos, presentations and booklets.

University Magazines

REPUTATION ENGINES

The university flagship magazine has the potential to move the reputation needle further and faster than any other brand signal. Vital to its success is maximizing content productivity by creating a web-based story engine that treats each story as a Google page one ranking asset instead of bundling the entire issue into a PDF or an ISSUU formats.

Giving Websites

gateway to winning support

Giving websites are the digital soul of a capital campaign. They distill the entire argument for donating into a brilliant online case for giving. Weaving facts and stories, they bring campaign priorities and initiatives to life. They celebrate supporters on donor walls.

Engaging with Social Media

creating a culture of giving

Inviting donors into the giving funnel begins a long time before “the ask”. It takes constant care, enchantment and unfolding of stories. Stories celebrating students, faculty, staff and alumni. In the digital age, there is no better medium than social media to deliver these.

Higher Education Case studies

More Proof

Pursuit of the “right-fit”

St. Edward's University

Challenged by declining applicants and students in the graduate school, St. Edward's University turned to Elliance, a higher education marketing company. We created landing pages and ran a paid-advertising campaign, both of which told a story that resonated with the right-fit students.


Acquiring the holy grail of higher education

Concordia University

Can the most elusive adult audience in higher education be motivated to raise their hands on the web? Absolutely. By ensuring that carefully written “you-can-do-it” messages appear on search engines when the reluctant adult students are exploring their options.


Become the unquestioned market leader

Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon

Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University reversed a four-year enrollment decline, increased enrollment by 118%, raised student quality and became the unquestioned market leader for IT Leadership. All with the help of Elliance’s expertise in higher education marketing.


Higher Education Clients Served

  • Appalachian Bible College
  • Assumption College
  • Bryant University
  • Concordia University Irvine
  • Manchester Busines School
  • North Central College

Recent Higher Education Blog Posts

  • Five Roles Vice Presidents for Advancement Play in Capital and Comprehensive Campaigns

    January 08, 2022

    This post was informed by our agency experience with clients and partially inspired by my reading of Jim Langley of Langley Innovations’ books on fundraising. “If I only had an hour to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes sharpening my axe.” – Abraham Lincoln. This sentiment specifically applies to vice presidents for advancement when planning, launching and implementing capital and comprehensive campaigns. They create ... Continue reading →

  • Five Characteristics of Successful Capital and Comprehensive Campaigns

    January 08, 2022

    This post was informed by our agency experience with clients and partially inspired by my reading of Jim Langley of Langley Innovations’ books on fundraising. There are hundreds of ways for capital campaigns to go wrong, but these five characteristics define all successful ones: Consequential: They set goals for lasting, measurable impact and for improvements to community, society and the human condition i.e. goals that transform the instit ... Continue reading →

  • Characteristics of Alumni, Major Donors, Corporations and Foundations Likely to Donate Funds to Capital and Comprehensive Campaigns

    January 08, 2022

    This post was informed by our agency experience with clients and partially inspired by my reading of Jim Langley of Langley Innovations’ books on fundraising. It’s naive to think that everyone associated with the college is a prospective donor. It’s equally naive to expect that alumni who show up at glitzy events or receive slick campaign marketing materials will end up donating. A college can, however, increase the chances of r ... Continue reading →

  • Ten Roles College Presidents Play in Capital and Comprehensive Campaigns

    January 05, 2022

    This post was informed by our agency experience with clients and partially inspired by my reading of Jim Langley of Langley Innovations’ books on fundraising. College presidents, vice presidents for advancement, and board members form the trifecta for envisioning, executing and consummating a successful capital or comprehensive campaign. College presidents play these 10 crucial roles: Visioning The Visionary: Knows the fundraising goal and ... Continue reading →

  • Three Roles Boards Play in Capital and Comprehensive Campaigns

    December 30, 2021

    This post was informed by our agency experience with clients and partially inspired by my reading of Jim Langley of Langley Innovations’ books on fundraising. College presidents, vice presidents for advancement, and board members form the trifecta for envisioning, executing and consummating a successful capital or comprehensive campaign. Board members do far more than simply fundraise. They also quietly direct and choreograph the fundraisin ... Continue reading →

  • Daniel Pink on communication and symphonic thinking

    April 20, 2020

    Communicating before, during and after a capital campaign requires the kind of symphonic thinking that author Daniel Pink explores in A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Strategic visions and campaign priorities can quickly deconstruct into campaign inventory and itemization — losing all connection to a larger and more compelling story about why a college matters and to the invitation for how donors might conn ... Continue reading →

We have presented successes at

  • American Marketing Association