UNION COLLEGE ANNUAL FUND VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Last updated: January 2014

Why volunteers are so importantVolunteers are vital to Union’s fundraising success. Head Agents and Associate Agents work collaboratively with College staff to meet class dollar and participation goals each year.

Direct personal contact is the most effective way for Union to receive support from its alumni. Volunteers from each class make up over 80% of Union’s direct contact with alumni. This is strictly a numbers game; the more attempted contacts the more contacts will be made, the more contacts made the more positive responses will be returned. The more positive responses returned the better for the students, faculty, and alumni!

Volunteer are directly responsible for bringing in over $20,000 a year.

Head Agent job description

Head Agents work directly with their Annual Fund liaison, Associate Agents and Leadership Gift Officers to meet or exceed the class goals for dollars and donors—focusing on increased gifts and alumni participation. 

Head Agent(s) are asked to do the following: • Make your own increased gift or pledge to Union before you ask classmates; • Recommend, recruit and enlist volunteers to serve as Associate Agents and Leadership Gifts

volunteers and maintain regular contact with volunteers;• Solicit increased gifts from Associate Agents and prospects;• Make a thank you phone call or send a note to those who make a gift;• Follow up with your assignments with letters and/or e-mails for those you are unable to reach in

person or by phone;• Participate in periodic conference calls to review the progress of your class, your assignments

and share experiences;• Prepare personalized class letter(s) for mail solicitation;• Provide the College with any biographical changes/updates shared by classmates during your

solicitation calls;• Allow name to be used on Annual Fund correspondence and agree to be profiled, featured

and/or quoted in Union College publications and other correspondence;

Associate Agent job descriptionAn Associate Agent serves as a liaison between members of his/her Class and the College. He/she works closely with the Head Agent(s) and Annual Fund staff to meet or exceed the class goals for dollars and donors—focusing on increased gifts.

 

Associate Agents are asked to do the following:

 • Make your own increased gift or pledge to Union before you ask classmates to do

the same;• Make a thank you phone call or send a note to those who make a gift;• Follow up with your assignments with letters and/or e-mails for those your are

unable to reach in person or by phone;• Participate in periodic conference calls to review the progress of your class, your

assignments and share experiences;• Provide the College with any biographical changes/updates shared by classmates

during your solicitation calls;• Allow name to be used on Annual Fund correspondence and agree to be profiled,

featured and/or quoted in Union College publications and other correspondence;

What to expect from Annual Fund staff

• Lists of classmates with updated contact and giving information

• Talking points on giving challenges, alumni events, and campus activities

• Trouble-shooting help for difficult alumni or technical support

• Stationery for thank you notes• Encouragement and gratitude

Volunteer schedule• July  - Aug

Start of Fiscal Year

Volunteers work with staff to update contact lists and send thank you notes to classmates who made a gift last fiscal year.

Volunteers make their gift to the Annual Fund 

• Sept

Outreach starts - Volunteers send emails/call/Facebook message people on their list. 

• Oct.

Ux2 challenge - Volunteers send emails/call/Facebook message people on their list about challenge. 

Share/update social media to promote challenge

• Nov

Head Agents write a letter to their class. 

• Dec

End of year outreach. Remind people to give before end of tax season

• Jan - Feb

Volunteers get updated contact lists send thank you notes to classmates who made a gift last calendar year.

• March - April

Volunteers send emails/call/Facebook message people on their list about challenge. 

Share/update social media to promote challenge

• May  - June

End of fiscal year outreach. Remind people to give before end of Union's fiscal year. 

Volunteer checklist Review class agent training model Make your own gift/pledge by visiting www.union.edu/give or calling (518) 388-

6175 Post on social media about making your gift Union’s Annual Fund Review your contact assignments and talking points. Contact your staff liaison

with any questions Prioritize your calls- be mindful of time zones

(and/or) Send personalized emails/Facebook messages/ texts to those on your contact

list Submit contact results to your staff liaison including the persons name, pledge

amount, and changes to their home or work address Personally thank your classmates for all gifts and pledges. Have Fun! This is an opportunity to catch up with old friends and update them

on what’s happening at Union Plan to attend the Volunteer Appreciation event during Homecoming & Family

Weekend.

What is the Annual Fund?Like all colleges today, Union cannot survive on tuition alone. Support from our alumni and friends is crucial if we are to ensure the quality education that is synonymous with the Union name. The Annual Fund supports the College's operating budget and provides funding for strategic priorities.

Gifts can be directed to financial aid, research, campus life, athletics or given as Unrestricted Annual Fund gifts (i.e., those that do not specify a particular use but allow the College to apply them as needed). These gifts are especially valued, as they provide Union with the flexibility to address the areas of greatest need.

Gifts that help build the College's endowment are also critical for generating the investment income that supports our day-to-day operations.

How AF dollars are spent

12%

9%

14%65%

Scholarship/Financial AidAthleticsAcademics, Campus Life, and OperationsUnrestricted

7 reasons to give to union• Tuition and fees don’t cover the full cost of an education at Union (or any other).

• Annual Fund donations help make up the difference between what the students pay and what an education actually costs• 28% of the cost of having a student at Union is paid for by sources beyond tuition. 

• You benefited from similar generosity when you were a student.• Past Alumni support helped keep tuition down and fund new equipment. Today’s students are asking for your help to do the same.

• Union’s Annual fund has been running consecutively for over 100 years – one of the oldest in the country.

• Our strength is your strength.• Your degree reflects our campus’s reputation. To keep up with technology, teaching standards, and quality education, we need your

help.

• We have a history of quality teaching.• Alumni donations help our campus hire the best possible instructors and hold down the student-teacher ratio.

• Your gift will help prepare the next generation for the work force.• Annual fund donations provide students with internships, international study opportunities, cooperative education, learning centers,

tutors, and research experiences that prepare them for today’s competitive job market.

• You’ll help improve the quality of student life.• Your donation helps fill academic needs such as student scholarships, lab equipment, and research assistance. Contributions also help

our campus offer many extracurricular activities that enhance the educational experience. The success of our fund-raising efforts will help fuel our continued growth.

• Every bit helps.• Corporations often look to the number of donors in choosing the level at which they will support the campus. Your gift can spur many

more.

By connecting with your classmates we can tap into the reservoir of goodwill existing in most all of us and help to rekindle the sense of community so unique to Union. People will contribute to a cause when they feel they are a part of something and they believe in what they are contributing to. Union’s recent changes, President Ainlay, the Minerva System, and converging technologies, have set the College up to contribute CEOs, statesmen and educators well into the 21st Century, as the College has done since 1795.

Alumni participation – why it’s so important

• Participation in the Annual Fund is important symbolically to President Ainlay, to the Union community at large, and to the outside world. It shows our alumni value the education they received, and believe that the College’s mission to educate leaders is important. We hope all alumni will participate in this year’s Annual Fund. Your work as a volunteer is important and vital to our success.

• Class participation percentage is an important metric considered by U.S. News and other college ranking publications to determine rankings. Your donation is integral toward helping the College offer scholarships, expand academic programs, and improve its national profile.

• Alumni participation is also considered when grant monies are awarded.

Ways to ask• Call • Write a letter• Email• Text• Facebook• Tweet• LinkedIn

Ways to give By Phone

Call The Annual Fund at (518) 388-6175 or (518) 388-6687 Mon-Fri from 8:30AM – 5PM

Online

You can choose to make a via our secure online giving page.

By Check

Checks should be made payable to Union College and mailed to:

Union College

807 Union Street

Schenectady, NY 12308

By Credit Card

Union College accepts VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. One-time gifts can be made online or by calling the

Annual Fund Office at (518) 388-6175

Transfer Stock Electronically

To  make an electronic stock transfer or a gift of stock in certificate form, please contact Lisa Mason at  (518) 388-6601 or via email at masonl@union.edu."

See Additional Options by Visiting www.union.edu/give

Tips for successful outreach: during the contact

• Be mindful of your class goals (review your Minerva report).

• Suggest a specific gift amount. Donors want and need your guidance about what is appropriate and necessary to reach the goals of your Class and the Annual Fund. An individual’s giving history, and more importantly, your sense of their capacity, will help you determine an appropriate ask amount. The direct approach, such as “Would you consider making a gift of X amount?” may work best for you.

• Encourage participation. Union needs broad-based and continuing support to reach its goals. No amount is too small. Every gift is important and deeply appreciated by the College.

• Remind donors about company matching gifts. If a classmate works for a company with a matching gift program, ask him/her to send in a form available from his/her company’s human resource office. Contributions made through corporate matching gift programs count toward the individual’s gift amount.

• Ask classmates if their home or business information has changed. If there has been a change, take down the appropriate information including phone numbers, zip codes, and preferred e-mail addresses and then forward it to the Annual Fund Office. This helps to ensure an accurate database for Union and your Class.

Tips for successful outreach : after the contact

• Contact the Union Fund Office. Once you have completed your calls, please email your staff liaison with updated contact information and pledge amounts. Once your follow up is received, the Annual Fund Office will guarantee follow-up with the donor on his/her gift/pledge.

• Thank classmates personally. Although donors are thanked by the College (and sent a gift envelope when a pledge is being acknowledged), a note from you will mean a great deal. Thanking donors personally will go a long way in helping your long-term fundraising efforts, by letting the donor know how much you appreciate his/her participation.

Overcoming objections As you contact potential donors, you may encounter objections. Below are some sample objections and responses. • I’m not interested.

“Even though you’ve said you’re not interested, I’d still like to tell you about some of the exciting initiatives taking place on campus, in case you’re able to help in the future.

• I already gave.

Check to be sure the gift was in the current fiscal year. If it was not, explain: “You may not be aware that Union operates on a fiscal year calendar from July 1-June 30. We are securing gifts for the current year and would like to encourage your participation in this year’s Annual Fund by renewing your pledge today. Would you be willing to consider a pledge of $______?”

• If gift was sent this fiscal year – apologize for the miscommunication and thank them for their generous support of the College.

• I gave last year.

“Thank you! That’s all the more reason why we’re counting on you this year. Your contributions are important in sustaining the excellence of the college. Would you consider continuing your support with a gift of $___?”

• I can’t afford to give now because of (new baby, retirement, new house).

“Alumni participation is critical to our ranking and success, and increases the value of our degrees. Any amount you would be able to contribute will help us in increasing the number of alumni who participate, regardless of gift size. May we count on you for a pledge of $___?”

• Explain that Union very much appreciates a gift of any size and that it can be paid in installments at their convenience through June 30th.

• I’m still paying off my student loans.

“I understand your situation. The cost of an education today is expensive. Would you consider helping other students to have the same opportunities you had with a gift of $___?”

• The amount I can give is so small it probably won’t help very much.

“Every contribution to Union is critical. It is not the size of the gift, but giving at a level that is meaningful to you, that is important.”

Reunion giving and volunteerism

• ReUnion gifts are often special increased gifts in honor of a 5 year ReUnion. They are still counted towards class goals and considered an annual gift.

• ReUnion years have higher goals for dollars raised and participation.

• ReUnion volunteers form a committee that works with the Annual Fund and Alumni Relations office to build a ReUnion program that is special for their class.

Gift matching options• Many companies offer gift matching opportunities to their

employees. • Matches count towards the alumni’s total giving (i.e. a

$1,000 gift will be matched $1,000. This is recognized as a Terrace Council level gift for the donor)

• Check if a contact’s employer participates in gift matching by checking the giving form online.

• Information should be available to you through the HR office. For more information, contact the Annual Fund Office at 1-888-THE-IDOL or visit our matching gifts site to search for a particular company.

Giving levelsUNION DONORS

Up to $99

FRANK BAILEY LEAGUE

$100 to $249

JOHN HOWARD PAYNE ASSOCIATES

$250 to $499

FOUNDERS SOCIETY

$500 to $999

RICHMOND ASSOCIATES

$1,000 to $1,794

1795 SOCIETY

$1,795 to $1,999

Leadership giving levelsSOCIETY OF THE IDOL

$2,000 to $2,999

SEAT OF STONE SOCIETY

$3,000 to $4,999

CHARLES STEINMETZ INNER CIRCLE

$5,000 to $7,499

RUTH EVANS PATRONS

$7,500 to $9,999

THE GARNET SOCIETY

$10,000 to $24,999

CHESTER ARTHUR ALLIANCE

$25,000 to $49,999

WILLIAM SEWARD PARTNERS

$50,000 to $99,999

THE MINERVA CIRLCE

$100,000 and above

The Terrace Council

• Terrace Council was formed in 1970 as a way to show the College's appreciation for leadership gifts to Union College. Members of Terrace Council are recognized for their leadership philanthropy, are invited to annual events both on and off campus. Terrace Council members know they have made a financial commitment that enhances Union College's ability to attract and retain the best students and faculty.

• All donors giving $2,000 and above are named as Terrace Council members, whether you give a specific gift or an unrestricted gift to the Annual Fund. As the expenses associated with scholarship, faculty support ,and the maintenance of the campus increase, unrestricted leadership gifts make a profound impact on the day-to-day life of the College. Each year, more than 5% of the College's operating budget comes from gifts to the Annual Fund, led by Terrace Council donors.

• Young alumni giving at a leadership level are recognized as members within Terrace Council. At a reduced rate, Young Alumni can benefit from Terrace Council membership.

Class Year Donation Amount for TC Membership

Current Seniors $100

First Year – 4 Years Out $250

5 Years - 9 Years Out $500

10 Years Out $1,000

All other classes $2,000

Recurring gifts & pledges• Recurring Gifts can be set up online. They charge the

alumni’s credit card a designated amount each month for a designated number of months. This often allows alumni to reach the next giving level without bearing the burden of a one –time big gift.

For example for someone to reach TC, ($2,000) they would need to give $167 a month for 12 months within the fiscal year. • Pledges are promises to make a gift during the year.

Pledges are counted in class totals and reminders are sent out to open pledges throughout the year.

Frequently asked questions• Why does Union need the money?Union’s mission is to create in students a lifelong commitment to truth and joy in learning, to learn about other cultures and one’s own, and to create close relationships between faculty and students to motivate the learning process. The College allocates its funds toward a world-class faculty, cutting edge-technology, and teaching materials, which are current and global in scope. Union requires funding to maintain its preeminent position among liberal arts colleges, and to continue to provide a transformational learning experience for its students.

• How will my gift be used? Can I designate my gift for a particular purpose?The mission of the Union College Annual Fund is to secure primarily unrestricted annual income for the College. Since 83% of the Union endowment is restricted in some way, unrestricted funds give the College the flexibility to respond quickly to new and urgent needs and opportunities.

While restricted support is very important to the well being of the College, we also understand the desire of many alumni to control how their donations are used. As always, donors also have the opportunity to establish individual endowed funds to support activities at the College in which they have a special interest. Such funds require a minimum initial contribution.

• How long will I have to fulfill my pledge?The Union College Annual Fund coincides with the College’s fiscal year and closes on June 30. Gifts must be postmarked by that date in order to be counted in this fund year.

• I already made a gift this calendar year, why do I continue to receive appeals?Remember the fund year runs from July 1 through June 30. Although it may appear to the donor that he or she is being re-solicited, these appeals fall in different fund years.

Frequently asked questions• I need a duplicate copy of my gift receipt for tax purposes. Who do I contact?

Contact your Union College Annual Fund Liaison to request a duplicate gift receipt. Please note that there may be a slight delay in

preparing these receipts during the month of December due to the heavy volume of gift activity at this time. We will try to accommodate all

requests a quickly as possible!

• What is the Union College endowment? Who handles it?

Five different investment companies handle the Union College endowment. The endowment is $322 million as of June 30, 2012.

• What does "confidentiality of records” really mean?

As a member of the Union College alumni body, you need to be assured that the information you have given to the College remains within

the boundaries of the College. As a volunteer you are provided gift information to aid you in your task to ask others to join you in making a

gift to the Annual Fund. Under no circumstances should this information be shared with anyone who is not affiliated with the College.

Please be sure, when discarding reports that are no longer useful, that name information is separated from giving information. We

certainly would not want this information to fall into the wrong hands.

• How do my classmates get their assigned contacts?

In years past, you may have heard stories about people “just appearing on my list!” This should not happen! When a volunteer steps

forward, we provide them with a list of classmates that are not assigned to another classmate for contact, have good telephone

information and are not coded in any way to indicate we cannot contact them. We also enclose a sheet on which the volunteer records

his/her selections . This is kept on file and, of course, if a volunteer wishes to have someone added or removed, we will do so.

Resources• Information about current students and campus events:

http://www.union.edu/

• Information about alumni events: http://www.union.edu/alumni/

• Information about past AF numbers: http://www.union.edu/giving/annual/

• Information about athletics: http://www.unionathletics.com/

Glossary• Annual Fund: The Annual Fund is comprised of gifts from alumni, parents, friends, students and College employees.

The goal of the Annual Fund is to secure unrestricted annual income for the College. Since 83% of Union’s

endowment is restricted in some way, unrestricted gifts give the College the flexibility to respond quickly to urgent

needs and opportunities.• Alumni Relations: This office handles all alumni events for the College including the capital region and clubs across

the country. Visit http://www.union.edu/Alumni/Events/index.php for more info.• Parents Fund: Current and former parents who contribute annually to support initiatives at the College. The Parent

Fund provides critical monies that are integral to life at Union. It helps to enrich the lives of the many students here

today. • Terrace Council: A group of donors who give to the Annual Fund at a leadership level. *See Terrace Council Slide• Fiscal/Fund Year: Describes the calendar for donations counted. Union’s fund year begins on July 1st and ends on

June 30th. • Prospect: An alum, parent, or friend that you are speaking to on the phone. • Specified Pledge: A specific gift amount stated over the phone but will be sent via check through the mail or paid

online via credit card. • Unspecified Pledge: The prospect does not wish to state an amount over the phone but would like information sent

to them in the mail. • LYBUNT: Gave to the Annual Fund Last Year But Unfortunately Not This• SYBUNT: Gave to the Annual Fund Some Years But Unfortunately Not This • Non-donor: An alum, parent, or friend who has not given to the Annual Fund ever or in a very long time• Recurring Gift: A gift made over a period of time. The gift will be charged to the donor’s credit card each month. • Minerva Report: The Minerva report is used to compare the dollars raised and participation of each class to their

goals and the decade. This report is used to determine the Minerva race winner which is announced at the volunteer

reception during Homecoming.

Contact Us!• Director of Alumni Affairs Marna Redding : 518-388-6157 • Director of Annual Giving  • Assistant to the Director of Annual Giving Jennifer Tys 518-388-6175 • Associate Director of Annual Giving Diane Brisnehan : 518-388-6175Class of 1972 and prior

• Associate Director of Annual Giving Elizabeth Epstein : 518-388-8380Terrace Council programClasses of 1973 – 1987

 • Assistant Director of Annual Giving Chelsey Hochmuth : 518-388-6094Class Management of 1988 – 2012 • Assistant Director of Annual Giving Alex Simon : 518-388-6456AffiliatesSenior Class gift • Administrative Assistant, Annual Giving Elyse Brown : 518-388-6175