Fundraising for DEI
Campaign Planning
DEI is a critical element in each part of the campaign planning process. At the university-wide level, the Campaign Strategy and Initiatives team and partners have developed an inclusive process that will include a wide group of stakeholders and DEI expertise involved in the facilitation of each working group.
Additionally, DEI is also a critical piece of the content of our campaign themes, and university leadership has further emphasized the need to include DEI fundraising within university-wide initiatives.
At the unit level, campaign planning meetings with each school, college, and unit include discussion of their DEI-specific priorities and how they can be supported by the unit's campaign plan.
Fundraising Successes
INTERDISCIPLINARY FUNDRAISING
Over the past five years, the Michigan Development community has taken significant steps to increase fundraising activity for university DEI initiatives and unit-based programs. OUD continues to work in collaboration with Chief Development Officers in every school, college, and unit to identify their top DEI fundraising priorities and which of the university’s active gift funds serve a purpose related to DEI. Of those units that were able to identify their DEI funds, U-M raised $14,594,746 for DEI initiatives from 15,061 unique donors in FY21. The OUD DEI team plans to revisit the fundraising reporting process as we enter into the next campaign and the DEI 2.0 planning process.
The OUD DEI Team also continues to extend support to our colleagues across all three campuses and the health system as they seek to diversify Michigan’s donor base. For example, the OUD DEI Team provided feedback and support to Southern States gift officers’ efforts to diversify their donor and volunteer base in the region.
ODEI FUNDRAISING SUPPORT
OUD DEI Team continues to execute the fundraising strategy for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI). This year, the OUD DEI Team expanded fundraising efforts to include grassroots campaigning and continued to enhance and implement processes for stewardship and gift expenditure tracking. In partnership with Stewardship and Donor Relations as well as Marketing and Communications, OUD DEI created the Wolverine Pathways Impact Report to send to all Wolverine Pathways donors. In partnership with key colleagues, OUD fundraised $803,150 for ODEI from 269 unique donors in FY21.
Other key initiatives include:
George Floyd Memorial Scholarship:
At the memorial service for George Floyd, Dr. Scott Hagen, president of North Central University in Minnesota, announced the challenge for university presidents across the nation to join them in creating a George Floyd Memorial Scholarship. Alumna Marchell Willian proposed establishing a George Floyd Memorial Scholarship Fund at U-M and made the first initial gift. The George Floyd Memorial Scholarship is the first Michigan-led grassroots campaign for ODEI. With the establishment of this scholarship, ODEI aims to diversify both the kinds of scholarships offered and their approach towards giving. In FY21, $68,000 was raised from 58 donors.
Giving Blueday:
On Giving Blueday, OUD DEI and partners raised $20,825 from 67 donors for the Wolverine Pathways fund and $10,643 from 82 donors for the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship. Terra Neukam, Janel Alpert (LSA), Kat Walsh, and Jenny Howard (LSA) stewarded Daryl and Dana Kenningham toward making a $10,000 matching gift for Wolverine Pathways. With the help of the ambassadors and the matching gift from the Kenninghams, the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship won a donor challenge, and the Wolverine Pathways Program placed second in the faculty and staff challenge. On Giving Blueday, Kyle Nowels and Sara Michaels closed a $25,000 gift from Jonathan Kellner for Wolverine Pathways.
DEI Leadership Council:
The DEI Leadership Council entered its second year of work. This council is a university-wide volunteer network of philanthropic alumni and friends who are deeply committed to ensuring that the University continues to be a community of leaders and best in which all individuals are afforded an equal opportunity to thrive. The council met twice this year to continue addressing community engagement, campus reactivation, and DEI fundraising for the next campaign.
ODEI Ambassador Program:
Following the success of the initial George Floyd Memorial Scholarship campaign in November, ODEI recruited its staff and affiliates to be ambassadors for the fund. As the inaugural members of the ambassador program, the ambassadors surpassed their goal to reach out to 70 donors for Giving Blueday, engaging a total of 84 donors.
