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Autonomous Fundraising
Customer Stories

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Meet Samantha,
Indiana State's Virtual Engagement Officer

Strengthening the
Base of the Pyramid

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Strengthening the Base of the Pyramid at Indiana State University

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About Indiana State

  • Public University founded in 1865

  • Location: Terre Haute, IN

  • Alumni: ~110,000

  • Frontline Fundraisers: 7

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Opportunity: Strengthening the Base of the Pyramid

Indiana State University closed its second-ever comprehensive campaign on June 30 of this year, surpassing its $100M goal more than a year ahead of schedule. Yet as the campaign wound down, leaders recognized a gap in their advancement structure.​

 

With 110,000 alumni and only seven frontline fundraisers, the vast majority of annual giving donors were not receiving the one-to-one engagement needed to stay connected and give consistently. Most of Indiana States’s resources were dedicated to major gifts, leaving the base of the giving pyramid under-resourced.​

 

To sustain momentum beyond the campaign, Indiana State needed a way to engage this large group of loyal but unmanaged donors—improving retention, boosting participation, and setting the stage for future philanthropy.

Solution: Trusted Digital Labor

Indiana State University became the first institution in Indiana to launch a Virtual Engagement Officer (VEO).

 

Samantha was given a portfolio of annual giving donors with recent gift activity who were not assigned to a gift officer, along with foundation members who opted in. The goal: strengthen retention, increase participation, and build sustainable support from this under-engaged segment.

 

Through personalized outreach, stewardship touches, and real-time engagement tracking, the VEO expanded Indiana State’s reach while seamlessly handing conversations to staff when human connection was needed. This consistent, scalable coverage at the base of the pyramid created new fundraising capacity without adding staff—helping Indian State close its campaign strong and carry forward its culture of care.

Meet Samantha, Indiana State's Virtual Engagement Officer

  • $47,485 raised from the portfolio

  • 527 gifts secured, including $4,000 from lapsed donors

  • 6,994 outgoing messages sent with 190 donor conversations

  • Increased alumni event attendance through VEO-to-staff handoffs​​

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"Most of our team’s resources are dedicated to major gifts. Samantha allows us to strengthen the base of the pyramid and give more alumni the personal engagement they deserve."

Andrea Angel, Vice President of University, CEO of the Indiana State University Foundation

Results

In its first 4 months, Indiana State’s Virtual Engagement Officer demonstrated the ability to strengthen donor relationships and generate meaningful results. Samantha raised $47,485 from 527 gifts, including more than $4,000 from lapsed donors who re-engaged after years of inactivity.

 

Over this same period, the VEO sent nearly 7,000 personalized messages and held 190 conversations with alumni—interactions that often translated into renewed giving, increased event attendance, and even new stories that Advancement staff used in appeals and campaigns.​

 

These outcomes went beyond dollars raised. By creating consistent, personalized engagement at the base of the pyramid, Indiana State expanded its reach without adding staff, improved retention in a critical donor segment, and laid the groundwork for long-term growth

Ready to explore how Autonomous Fundraising can help you?

Book a Version2.ai demo today.

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