Onward campaign moves into next phase
After the success of the Onward Campaign’s Red Tie Launch event during Dakota Days, organizers of South Dakota’s largest campaign in history are working to figure out what comes next.
The campaign has raised $135,223,415, more than half of its $250 million goal. Now, the public phase of the Onward Campaign, which will focus on raising awareness of the campaign to potential donors of all backgrounds, will begin in the coming months.
Steve Brown, president and CEO of the University of South Dakota Foundation, said the Onward Campaign will connect to potential donors.
“Now it’s about reaching out to those annual giving donors who have been very loyal to us, and reaching out to other groups where we may not have had a lot of engagement or involvement with to encourage their participation as well,” Brown said.
Brown said one of the goals of the public phase of the campaign will be to acknowledge all of the donations already contributed.
“That’s part of the work that we’ll do during the public phase — to start reminding people that gifts have already been given and how they’re impacting the campus already,” Brown said.
A possible new branch of the Onward Campaign is tentatively scheduled for this spring.
“One of the things that we’re talking about right now that I would anticipate we’ll have in place by this spring is a faculty and staff campaign — an opportunity for faculty staff to be involved, and some incentives and opportunities to build a campaign around that,” Brown said.
Michelle Green, director of marketing and strategic communications at the USD Foundation, said most of donors give back to the school generally for the same reason.
“Most of the people who give to the university do it because of the students,” Green said.
Jackie Austin, a 1969 USD education school graduate, and Mike Austin, a 1968 business graduate and 1971 law school graduate, have a long history with USD, including a son who is currently attending law school.
“For several years, we donated a scholarship to the business school in my parents’ name,” Mike Austin said.
Both attended the Red Tie Launch event, and found out what the Onward Campaign focuses on the most — USD’s students.
“Most of the funds are being used for student scholarships, that is a great idea. The cost of education has really gone up,” Mike Austin said. “It’s a really good thing to do to attract more students to Vermillion, and to compete with other schools.”
From their attendance at the launch, they now plan on donating to the campaign soon.
“We haven’t made a donation to the Onward Campaign yet, but definitely would like to support it with a gift in the future,” Jackie Austin said.
Student engagement is another point the Onward Campaign wishes to include now that it is beginning its steps into the next stage.
“We’ll want to engage students also and start having conversations with students about how they may wish to participate in the campaign and be part of it,” Brown said.
Donations to the campaign do not need to be large to make an impact, Brown said.
“We do celebrate the large gifts that make a significant difference, but to be able to reach the goal and to accomplish hitting all of those pillars, it’s going to require everybody to participate at whatever level they can. That will make the difference at the end of the day,” Brown said.
In fact, many of the campaign’s donations are much lower than one would expect.
“Eighty-five percent of the gifts to the campaign have been at $500 or less,” Brown said. “That will need to continue, just with more and more folks having an opportunity to participate.”
The ambiguity of the word, ‘onward’ will work to the campaign’s advantage, Brown said. Each individual may interpret its meaning in different ways, and donate because of their own specific reasons.
“That’s the magic of the word ‘onward’ and the campaign for South Dakota. It doesn’t really define something necessarily, it defines a lot of different things,” Brown said.
(Photo: University of South Dakota President James Abbott speaks during the USD Onward Campaign Red Tie Event Oct. 10 in the Muenster University Center ballroom. To date the campaign has raised $135,223,415, which is more than half of its $250 million goal. Megan Card / The Volante)
