Teams Bringing Inclusion to Fundraising
All teams within OUD strive to advance DEI in their work. Below are select highlights from FY21.
Accessibility in a Remote Environment
When COVID-19 shifted our work to fully remote, OUD expanded its accessibility efforts to enhance our business operations. Multiple teams including Development Services and Strategic Solutions (DS3), Marketing and Communications (MarCom), University and Development Events (UDE), as well as the Performance Support Program (PSP), led in creating, implementing, and supporting other teams to adapt accessibility standards. Many members of the mentioned teams participate in the university’s Web Accessibility Community of Practice. Many of these practices will continue when we transition to a hybrid environment in the future.
PRACTICES INCLUDE:
Expansion of Inclusion in Donor Events
UDE and partners provided many cost-free virtual donor events. By increasing virtual engagement opportunities, OUD interacted with alumni, prospects, and donors, expanding access for many from across the world and with different levels of giving capacity and engagement.
UDE continued to arrange speakers and featured guests that represent U-M’s rich diversity across gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, ability, and religion, with a focus on intersectionality of identities.
Donor Events
In converting in-person event programming to virtual, UDE centered accessibility to advance equity in donor engagement.
Event Preparation
Added language to event communications’ footers (Save the Dates, invitations, and reminders) about available ADA accommodations and OUD contact information for guests to connect with staff about specific requests.
During registration, guests are invited to indicate other accommodations for participation that UDE provides on an event-by-event basis e.g., American Sign Language interpreter.
Reinforce accessibility standards with event speakers by requesting slide content descriptions be shared during the presentation for guests with visual impairments.
Event Implementation
Record verbal instructions that play at the start of all webinars for those with low-vision.
Provide closed captioning for guests with audible impairments.
Post-Event
Ensure event recordings and closed captioning are made available both online (community access to guests who were not invited to the event) and to all registrants (personalized follow-up message with link to recording) for accessibility and increased event exposure.
2021 Commencement
Made public announcements reiterating COVID compliance at spring commencement in-person viewing experience for those with vision impairment.
Implemented a wheelchair strategy and COVID compliance for Michigan Stadium photo-op, ensuring all eligible graduates could participate in the event.
Closed Captionings and Transcripts
OUD teams include closed captioning in virtual meetings and events. Captions are helpful in multifold ways. For individuals who are unable to hear audio, captioning allows them to access multimedia so that they are able to engage with the content or interact with others. Individuals who are English language learners or have limited English proficiency also benefit from captioning.
When events are recorded, we also provide a transcript which is essential to equitable engagement. As explained by web accessibility in mind (WebAIM): “Transcripts make multimedia content searchable by search engines and users. Screen reader users may prefer a transcript over real-time audio, since most proficient screen reader users set their assistive technology to read at a rate much faster than natural human speech.”
Websites
DS3 and MarCom continue to lead in making OUD websites more accessible. DS3 and MarCom are working on identifying and adding OUD websites to the university’s automatic monthly accessibility testing.
MarCom, DS3, and OUD DEI are creating OUD Web Accessibility Statements which will be posted on OUD websites (public-facing and DevConnect). The statement reiterates our commitment to ensuring our websites are accessible to users and provides U-M contact information so that users can email us about any accessibility issues they experience while navigating the website.
Communications and Publications
MarCom considers accessibility early in their projects’ process. Emails, websites, videos, social media posts, and print materials are designed and tested to confirm that they pass accessibility tests and remediation. In October 2020, UDE created a PDF agenda for the U-M DEI Summit, ensuring that it was compliant for screen reader software.
PSP Support
Even before the pandemic, PSP made transformative efforts to better connect our remote staff and our staff at Wolverine Tower. In transitioning to full remote status, PSP provided essential support and addressed teams’ unique technology, remote workspace, and internet challenges to make sure that our staff have the tools and updated programs to put on accessible meetings and events. For instance, PSP gathered feedback from OUD colleagues about issues they were experiencing with Zoom and remedied the most commonly reported issues.
DS3: Spring Retreat and DEI Data Requests
At their spring retreat, the Integrated Data Services team utilized StrengthsFinders to understand how team members’ talents work with one another. They discussed how the diversity of thought and approach within the team enhances their future work.
In addition to updates previously mentioned, DS3 routinely receives DEI-related data requests. DS3 pulls important data that empower the development community to reach their DEI related strategic goals. Additionally, DS3 is a critical partner in implementing the Data Acquisition and Usage Policy.
Integrating a DEI Lens in Print and Online Materials
Every year, the Annual Giving (uAG) team sends nearly one million pieces of print mail. This year, the DEI Business Operations and Systems (BOS) committee reviewed school-, college-, and unit-specific versions for the majority of email and print mailings. This committee of colleagues from across OUD thoughtfully assesses each piece through a DEI lens, providing constructive feedback as well as suggestions for future efforts. This review process enables uAG to not only produce more inclusive communications but to share learnings with campus partners, amplifying DEI principles across U-M in a way that was not possible before.
For the past two Leaders & Best publications, MarCom has included an initial DEI review of proposed stories. Intentionally incorporating DEI early on in the process allows for a greater degree of inclusion so that featured stories — from the interview and writing process to the full story line up review and the final design — benefit from diverse perspectives. Once the publication nears its final stage, the BOS Committee reviews it for edits and suggestions, enhancing our abilities to align its final content with our DEI values.
Engaging Global Constituents
The International Giving team explored creative ways to engage global constituents in FY21. With support from UDE, MarCom, and colleagues across campus, International Giving developed a new series of virtual events under the brand "Going Global." These monthly events featured speakers from around the world and drew a diverse global audience. Five of the events were designated "Pan-Asia" virtual gatherings as an adaptation of our typically in-person Pan-Asia Reunion; the events included participation from many U-M leaders including President Schlissel and drew special attention to U-M's important relationships in the region.
International Giving also co-hosted U-M's inaugural Africa Week from February 15-19 in concert with the African Studies Center. Africa Week brought together leaders in higher education, industry, and government for a series of discussions on the key issues and opportunities that will shape Africa in the coming decades. More than 65 speakers participated, nearly half of whom did so from the continent. Approximately 700 unique attendees joined the event, averaging more than 100 attendees across 17 conference sessions. Ahead of posting the event recordings online, meticulous attention was given to correcting the Zoom automatic closed captioning transcript which at times, misidentified topic-specific vocabulary and words spoken in a regional accent.
OUD Virtual Kitchen
As we transitioned to full remote, the Stewardship and Donor Relations team developed the OUD Virtual Kitchen series as a welcoming, informal virtual space where colleagues can interact with the spotlighted team or Leadership Team member of the week. While colleagues interact in Zoom meetings, Google chat, and U-M workplace groups, many in our community miss the unscheduled and unstructured moments when we would run into one another and strike up a conversation. The OUD Virtual Kitchen promotes a positive culture where colleagues can find meaningful and informal ways of connecting with one another, helping to reduce social isolation and inspiring hope, belonging, and community connectedness.
Planned Giving: Inclusive Donor Engagement
The Office of Planned Giving (OPG) promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in many aspects of their work. Through its marketing strategy, OPG aims to feature stories and images of donors representing diverse backgrounds. OPG continues to incorporate accessibility protocols in its website, making our online donor engagement more equitable and accessible for those with disabilities. In 2020, OPG conducted a study of its constituent database to review profiles by age and gender and identify opportunities for more inclusive engagement. Beyond their work, OPG staff are actively involved in staff-led committees that are committed to advancing DEI across the university such as the U-M Women of Color Task Force, Development Professionals of Color (DPOC), OUD DEI committees, and the OUD Alternative Work Arrangement (AWA) Committee.
Women in Leadership Event
In collaboration with the Western States team and unit-based gift staff, UDE hosted the first “Women in Leadership” event, with featured programming, networking opportunities and attendance from prominent women university leadership and alumnae in senior business leadership roles across the west-coast region. Thirty-four individuals attended the event. The second event in the series is underway; through these virtual events, we hope to cultivate and steward U-M's most successful alumnae in the western states.
Foundation Relations: A Focus on Equity
The Foundation Relations (FR) team pivoted this year to be responsive to calls for proposals from foundations on race, justice and equity. Three faculty teams secured $5M grants from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's "Just Futures" call. Staff and faculty leading equity projects have also applied to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Racial Equity 2030 initiative and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s health equity funding opportunities. The FR team provided extensive information on these major foundation initiatives. FR also supports Wolverine Pathways, Detroit Center for Innovation, the School at Marygrove, and sustainability work led by the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS).