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"Best Bang for the Buck: Tips and Tools for Engaging the Disengaged"

February 16, 2011 - Program Summary

Speaker Becka Yturregui, Director of Marketing and Stewardship at Wellesley College, drew a record crowd for a BBL with over 100 people in attendance. She relied heavily upon her experience working with development organizations in higher education to provide a lively discussion about brand creation and management.

Armed with data from her pre-event WID-specific survey as well as her current employer Wellesley College, Becka gave real time examples of her work and the effect her approach and the variety of methods she utilizes has had on donor acquisition, retention, and dollars raised. She spoke generally about making the case for support, and then talked about the guiding principles she employs at Wellesley, as follows: differentiating between providing and producing, leveraging the common alumnae desire to belong, and consistently conveying urgency.

Becka shared specific examples of her program at Wellesley along with the resulting print and electronic appeals. She encouraged participants to "know your audience," and to understand what motivates them to give. She also encouraged attendees to be creative and to try new approaches and techniques in their work.