St. Lawrence Fund: Tips, Tricks & Common Objections

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The success of the St. Lawrence Fund is built on the strength of the St. Lawrence volunteer network. Here are some tips and tricks to help you effectively reconnect with classmates.

Prepare

  • Plan before you reach out. Ask who has already made a St. Lawrence Fund gift (remember, the system only shows you St. Lawrence Fund giving because that's our focus), review your classmates' profiles and what their St. Lawrence interests are, and check their St. Lawrence Fund suggested ask amount. 
  • Learn more about the St. Lawrence Fund. 
  • Learn about what's new at St. Lawrence. Check the latest news and announcements. See how your favorite Saints teams are doing. Stay up to date on the University's generous financial aid offerings. 
  • Make your own gift first. It's much easier to ask your classmates to give once you have made your own gift.

Make The Ask 

  • Connect with your classmates. You are the main contact between St. Lawrence and your classmates. Classmates want to hear from you at other times during the year, not just when you're contacting them about the St. Lawrence Fund. Send a message during the summer just to say hi, or dedicate your first contact to reconnecting rather than making an outright ask for the St. Lawrence Fund. 
  • Share why you think it's important to support St. Lawrence. Tell classmates why you volunteer your time and why you give back. 
  • Listen. During the conversation, listen to what your classmate is saying. Ask your St. Lawrence staff contact for help if you hear questions for which you don't have the answers. 
  • Don't be afraid to ask for a gift. Remember: You are not tricking someone into making a gift they don't want to make. You are helping an interested classmate match their desire to be generous, get involved, and help make a difference with the needs of St. Lawrence University. 
  • Ask for a specific gift. Offer a gift range tailored so that the lower number is what you hope your classmate will give and the higher number is more than you expect. "Would you consider making a gift in the range of $100 to $250?" 
  • Take notes. Jot down any questions, issues, problems, or opportunities that come up in your conversations and share them with your St. Lawrence staff contact. 

Say Thanks! 

Thank your classmates. Send a personal thank you to every donor on your list, especially first-time donors. Thank non-donors for taking the time to talk and share your hope to have them join next year. It doesn't take much time to send a quick note, and next year's contacts will be easier when classmates feel appreciated. Note cards (available from the Office of Annual Giving), emails, and texts are all great ways to say thanks. 

Common Objections

Here are some common objections and how you can address them: 

Commend your classmate for their philanthropy and ask if they'd consider adding St. Lawrence to their list of charitable contributions. Share the powerful impact of participation.

Emphasize the importance of alumni participation. Gifts between $1-100 on any given year raises more than $200,000 for the University. Additionally, external funders like corporations and foundations use our alumni participation rate as a means of measuring how supportive alumni are of the institution. This can help us secure grants and other forms of external funding that can be truly transformational.

Emphasize the importance of alumni participation. Share the impact it makes on the University’s ability to secure corporate and foundation grants and how it can enhance the value of their degree. Suggest considering the monthly recurring giving option.

Recognize that education is important to your classmate. Note that many of your classmates are in a similar situation, but that any amount will boost our alumni participation rate and be appreciated by current students and faculty.

Thank your classmate for their support. Remind them that, like all institutions, annual support is critical to keeping St. Lawrence competitive.

Remind them that every gift, no matter the size, is important and greatly appreciated. A gift is a way to voice your alumni pride. Gifts between $1-100 on any given year raises more than $200,000 for the University.

Express your hope that their child has had a fulfilling experience wherever they've enrolled. Note that St. Lawrence has far more qualified applicants than spots available in each class. Convey that you hope that your classmate's disappointment dissipates over time and that they distinguish between their own St. Lawrence experience and their child's admission experience.

Acknowledge that the residential college model is expensive, but that it's still a good investment. Cost increases are driven largely by the cost of healthcare and technology - both of which have become dramatically more expensive. Remind them that tuition is considerably subsidized for all students (even those who pay full tuition). The endowment's disbursement and annual gifts make the St. Lawrence experience possible, so St. Lawrence is actually controlling tuition expenses through smart investment and annual fundraising to support operations.