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The Story Behind Success
The Challenge
As the school's top donors age, a critical gap emerges: current and past parents, the next generation of major donors, have been systematically under-cultivated for years. With limited bandwidth for one-to-one cultivation, most parents only received mass communications, leaving a significant gap in the fundraising pipeline.
The Solution
DeLaSalle launched Isla—a Virtual Engagement Officer managing a portfolio of 1,000 constituents. Isla's goals are to strengthen retention, increase participation, and build deeper relationships with the parent community.
The Results
Since launch, Isla has raised $117,000 from 146 gifts—including high-value wins of $3,500 and $2,500 gifts. The portfolio also saw multiple $1,000+ Annual Giving Fund renewals and two donors who activated recurring giving.
Impact By The Numbers
$117K
Raised
$31K+
Upgraded Giving
146
Gifts
Cultivating the Next Generation
DeLaSalle High School has a strong tradition of philanthropy, but with only three frontline fundraisers, the team has limited bandwidth to cultivate meaningful relationships with every parent and alum who deserves personal 1-to-1 engagement. After assessing pipeline needs, leadership recognized that current and past parents were the most under-resourced segment and represented the greatest opportunity for building sustainable support through Autonomous Fundraising.
Strengthened Connections Lead to Deeper Philanthropy
The results showed a strong correlation between engagement and giving: donors who engaged in conversation with Isla often converted shortly after. Beyond fundraising dollars, Isla uncovered opportunities for deeper engagement. One parent reached out wanting to volunteer their professional expertise with students. Others asked about involvement opportunities beyond giving, opening pathways to build stronger long-term relationships with the school.
