A First in Fundraising: Virtual Engagement Officers Secure Multi-Year Gifts with Autonomous AI

For the first time, Autonomous Fundraising has secured multi-year gift commitments from donors—first at The University of Toledo Foundation, followed shortly after by College of Charleston—a major milestone for fundraising technology and Givzey | Version2.ai.

As part of Version2.ai’s ongoing research, development, and deployment of Autonomous Fundraising, the Virtual Engagement Officer has now reached a pinnacle milestone in its technological evolution. This achievement proves not only the VEO’s ability to identify opportunities based on personal giving patterns, but also to deliver a carefully crafted solicitation and guide the donor through to a fully executed pledge document via Givzey’s integrated Gift Agreement Platform.

Multi-Year Giving for Mid-Level Donors is A Game-Changer for Fundraising

Fundraisers have always known that multi-year giving is a game-changer. These commitments increase revenue predictability, donor retention, and are key indicators of future major gift or planned giving interest. But, the reality is that most mid-level donors are never asked for multi-year commitments until they enter a gift officer portfolio. These nuanced asks require individual engagement that demonstrate an understanding of the donor’s past loyal support. The labor shortage we have in fundraising and the sheer ratio of fundraisers to individual donors means that organizations don’t have the capacity to engage with mid-level donors in one-to-one relationships at scale.

With this breakthrough, that changes.

Autonomous Fundraising just took a major leap forward. Not only can VEOs engage, steward, and cultivate donors, but now they can recognize loyalty, personalize multi-year asks when appropriate, and even deliver a digital gift agreement that turns intent into commitment and bookable revenue. All without requiring another staff member to sacrifice any of their time.

"Since introducing our Virtual Engagement Officer, we’ve seen real momentum. Donor engagement, participation, and outcomes that drive the College of Charleston forward continue to be at the center of our decision making process. To now see a VEO secure multi-year gifts is a clear sign that this technology is evolving into real, strategic fundraising. It’s meeting our donors with the right message at the right time—and now, recognizing opportunities to expand relationships,” said Dan Frezza, Chief Advancement Officer of Institutional Advancement and Chief Executive Officer of the College of Charleston Foundation. “This truly is a remarkable moment for the history of our industry."

A Breakthrough for Technology & A Breakthrough for Fundraising

This evolution in Autonomous Fundraising is powered by two key innovations:

Intelligent Pattern Recognition

Version2.ai identifies giving behaviors that indicate donors who are loyal and would be open to the idea of a long-term commitment, rather than one-off gifts annually. This pattern recognition shows that VEOs are capable of more than just identifying the right time to make an ask, but also selecting the right ask for each individual donor, just as fundraisers do.

Autonomous Pledge Agreements

The VEO is also uniquely positioned with access to Givzey’s Gift Agreement Platform, the industry’s only dedicated gift documentation solution. This gave the VEO the ability to independently create and send pledge agreements for College of Charleston and The University of Toledo Foundation that align with industry best practices and compliance standards, and to turn those into bookable commitments.

"It’s incredibly exciting to see our VEO take this next step. Our VEO, Doug, is a trusted member of our team, strengthening connections and helping us engage with more alumni. We are thrilled that so early in our journey we can be a part of this groundbreaking milestone not just for The University of Toledo Foundation, but for all of Autonomous Fundraising,” said Maren Kurtz, Associate Vice President of Human Resources & Advancement Operations, The University of Toledo Foundation.

This is about more than scale. It’s about depth. Reaching thousands of donors who are ready to deepen their relationship with your mission, but have neither been engaged nor asked.

From Communication to Commitment: A New Era in Donor Engagement

This breakthrough represents more than a new tactic for closing out the fiscal year, it signals a deeper shift in what’s possible in donor engagement. For decades, mass communications and automated campaigns have helped organizations stay visible, but they rarely sparked the kinds of conversations that lead to lasting philanthropic relationships. By securing multi-year pledges at the mid-level, VEOs are forging a critical bridge between annual giving and major gifts—turning passive supporters into active partners in your mission.

This matters for organizations of any size. Whether you have 3,000 or 300,000 rated but unassigned donors, Autonomous Fundraising is now capable of identifying and engaging donors at scale and securing multi-year support that lays the foundation for future growth. College of Charleston and The University of Toledo Foundation are leading the way by taking full advantage of Givzey | Version2.ai’s R&D mission, showing what’s possible when AI is empowered to act on behalf of the organization.

The opportunity is here and it’s happening now.

Welcome to the next era in fundraising.