Throughout the summer, the University of Kentucky hosted two interns, Abby Ansorge and Averie Turner, with the CASE internship program. CASE—Council for Advancement and Support of Education—is a global association dedicated to educational advancement, serving professionals in alumni relations, communications, fundraising and marketing.
After eight weeks of work, here’s what they had to say about their experience and achievements:
“As part of our internship, we were responsible for finding solutions to reach and engage with young alumni. Reaching young alumni has been a challenge for many institutions, and we believe that we can begin to improve engagement through enhanced, targeted communication. To achieve this, we analyzed the current communication plans, conducted research and sought advice and recommendations from various employees within the institution. Drawing from our past work with the annual giving team at UK Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement, we also shared our expertise.
We believe that the future of higher education philanthropy directly correlates with future generations. People’s perspectives on philanthropy change with culture, age, upbringing, etc., and as an institution, we must adapt to ensure continued success.
Nonprofit organizations are experiencing a change in the fundraising landscape, with an increase in competition for resources, a decrease in donor retention and larger donations from a smaller pool of donors. It is crucial to examine how to engage donors from younger generations properly, and how to retain current donors from older generations. Through our research, we have gathered that the best way to engage young alumni is with data-informed narratives.
Younger generations are more confident in an institution that values transparency in their communication, making them more compelled to give. We should combat pseudo-inefficacy through data-informed narratives. Pseudo-inefficacy is a prospective donor’s belief that their potential gift is too small to make an impact; we can directly combat this belief in our communication plan by implementing data storytelling to combine the effectiveness of a social impact story and provide prospective donors with data.
Our internship efforts culminated in an extensive report containing numerous suggestions to enhance the current communication plan. Our work is in preparation for a presentation to the PAE Senior Leadership Team, marking the completion of our internships.
We have enjoyed our time with CASE and the UK Office of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement and are immensely grateful for the opportunities it has provided, as well as those it will offer in the future.”
Abby Ansorge: I am a senior in the College of Communication & Information looking forward to my graduation in December. I grew up in Pelham, New York, but I am a proud eighth-generation Kentuckian. Throughout my time at UK, I interned with the Center for Student Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement, gaining valuable experience with the annual giving team. My passion for philanthropy was ignited during my internship with Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City in the summer of 2023, an opportunity that inspired an aspirational career in healthcare philanthropy. Following my graduation, I plan to enter the workforce while continuing my education to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration.
Averie Turner: I am a rising senior in the Martin School’s public policy program at the University of Kentucky. I am from Hopkinsville, Kentucky and a third-generation UK student. I have been involved in annual giving as a student philanthropy supervisor, supporting the student callers’ fundraising project. My intention post-grad is to attend law school and leverage my education in law and the CASE internship program to kick-start a career in higher education.
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