Challenge:
West Chester University of Pennsylvania wanted to celebrate their new graduates in an engaging and memorable way while at the same time raising funds for programming. The Office of Parent and Family Relations partnered with their fundraising colleagues to put together a plan to achieve these goals.
Solutions:
The team at West Chester worked with Magellan to develop a campaign that would meet their goals to drive donations and create a positive experience for the families of newly graduated students.
In order to capitalize on the university pride, the team at West Chester sent targeted emails to families with graduating students, posted ads on Facebook, and included information in their monthly newsletter about their campaign.
The campaign offered families the option to purchase a garden flag mailer pack. The funds from the purchase of the flag would go toward the WCU Family Fund. The Family Fund helps provide support to a number of causes, including campus events such as home football tailgates, Family Weekend, and professional resources such as programs that connect students to the West Chester community.
The dual-sided garden flag displayed the school logo on one side and a message of pride for their graduate on the other. This messaging allowed parents to show their pride in their students while also spreading the West Chester brand to their community! The pack also included a full color thank you card that featured a message of gratitude.
In addition to creating the garden flag and insert card, the Magellan team handled the assembly and mailing to each donor.
Outcome and Feedback:
The garden flags were a huge hit – they nearly sold out and raised thousands of dollars for their Family Fund!
In addition to funds raised to support the Family Fund, West Chester was also able to expand their brand reach. Several recipients posted proud pictures of their garden flags on display in their yard on social media!
The success of the flags also led to similar projects to further support their cause. Lexie McCarthy, Director of Parent and Family Relations at West Chester, said, “The flag’s high quality prompted our decision to sell another package of goodies this summer!”
