Alumni Engagement Resources

Offices
External Relations
Communication Resources and Requests
Alumni Engagement Resources

Organizations, Resources and Contacts

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Wisconsin Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni Association expand_more

The Wisconsin Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni Association (WALSAA) is the CALS alumni organization that connects students, faculty and alumni. Alumni can become a members, support outstanding students and advisors, attend events and learn about ways to engage with current students.

Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association expand_more

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) is a private, nonprofit corporation that encourages individuals and organizations to make gifts to the university and to connect with the UW. In 2014, the UW Foundation merged with the Wisconsin Alumni Association® to better serve a growing population of UW alumni and donors.

  • The Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA)
    • Alumni can become a member, find their local chapter and discover learning opportunities or other great ways to stay connected.
  • The University of Wisconsin Foundation (UWF)
    • Each department has a development director as a representative. To find out who represents your department, contact Jaxon Gross.

Helpful resourcesexpand_more

Important contactsexpand_more

Department fund giving linksexpand_more

If you would like your annual fund listed as the default gift designation, you can use your department’s link:

Engagement Opportunities

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Department websitesexpand_more

A website is one of your most critical communication tools for alumni, donors, and other supporters. If you have limited resources available for advancement activities, an easy to navigate, up-to-date website should be your first priority.

  • If listing current department employees, be sure it is up to date.
  • Check to be sure all links are working and directed to the correct location.
  • Include a section or separate page for alumni on your site (example: https://aae.wisc.edu/alumni/).
  • Describe your alumni – the types of careers they pursue and how they can remain engaged with your department (i.e., hosting interns, speaking to student organizations, making a gift).
  • Include a link to the UW–Madison alumni directory Badger Bridge.
  • Post past versions of your alumni newsletters, or any other relevant publications.
  • “Make a Gift” link prominently located on your homepage (example: https://aae.wisc.edu/).
    • Making a gift should be intuitive and easy for alumni.
    • Gifts to your department funds will be processed by UWF and should be mailed to:
      • UW Foundation
        U.S. Bank Lockbox
        Box 78807
        Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807
    • Note that checks should be made payable to the University of Wisconsin Foundation and the fund name (or number) should be written in the memo.
      • The general CALS point of contact at the WFAA is Jaxon Gross. (608-284-1633)
      • How to direct people to give to your department or program annual fund:
        • Explain why you would like them to support your annual fund:
          • What have you used the annual fund for in the past?
          • What could you do if you had more annual fund support?
          • Donors like to hear specific stories of gift impact, especially as they relate to students.
          • Make your case for support.
        • If you would like a custom link to a different fund, you can request it using this form.
        • Link for general giving form
        • Link for giving to the CALS Fund
      • How to direct people to give to your department or program annual fund:
        • Explain why you would like them to support your annual fund:
          • What have you used the annual fund for in the past?
          • What could you do if you had more annual fund support?
          • Donors like to hear specific stories of gift impact, especially as they relate to students.
          • Make your case for support.
        • If you would like a custom link to a different fund, you can request it using this form.
        • Link for general giving form
        • Link for giving to the CALS Fund
  • Add references to other alumni/campus organizations:
    • The Wisconsin Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni Association (WALSAA)

Eventsexpand_more

Events are a great way to engage alumni, donors, students, and friends of your unit and bring them back to campus. The CALS External Relations department can help guide you in the execution of your event by suggesting locations, caterers, registration services, invitations, and guest lists. Click here for the External Relations Event Planning Checklist. 

Newslettersexpand_more

A newsletter is a great way to stay in touch and make sure your alumni know about all the wonderful things happening in your department.

  • CALS External Relations send CALS Connection and Grow magazine to alumni.
    • CALS Connection is a monthly electronic newsletter that is sent to all CALS alumni with an email address. It features news, events, and alumni stories.
    • Grow magazine is sent three times per year to all CALS alumni with a mailing address as well as some donors to the college. It features research news, alumni highlights, a message from the dean, and events.
    • External Relations is always looking for story ideas for both communication pieces. Your department newsletter can serve as a source for stories for the college-wide communications. Share a copy with CALS External Relations (kara.luedtke@wisc.edu or 136 Ag Hall) for possible story ideas for Grow and CALS Connection.
  • CALS communication resources (logos, style guides, mailing services, etc.)
  • To request a list of your alumni, visit https://about.uwadvancement.org/marketing/list-report-request/ You should consider the following before requesting your list:
    • Do you want to include all your alumni?
    • Is your newsletter going to be mailed, emailed, or both?
    • You may want to exclude international alumni for a print mailing to help control costs
    • Do you want to send your newsletter only to alumni from certain years?
    • Will your communication have a solicitation component?
  • Distribution of your newsletter
    • Email – there are several email marketing solutions that you can use (Constant Contact is used by CALS External Relations, but many other units on campus use Eloqua, Google Groups and Office 365.
    • Mail – United Mailing Services (UMS) currently holds a mail contract with the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration. UMS provides similar services to those that were available through UW–Madison Bulk Mail.
  • If it has been a while, consider the process, layout, format, and frequency:
    • How much does it cost to produce?
    • The College of Letters and Science put together this great toolkit for newsletters.
    • If you include a giving form, consider using this form as a guide for you to determine which fields to include.
    • Note that the address for mailing gifts is:
      • University of Wisconsin Foundation
        US Bank Lockbox
        Box 78807
        Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807
      • Checks should be made payable to the University of Wisconsin Foundation and the fund name (or number) should be written in the memo.
  • Request a new mail or email list from WFAA each time you distribute a newsletter since addresses change, constituents update their communication preferences and people become deceased.

Social mediaexpand_more

Social media is a great way to connect with alumni, donors, and friends. Social media is also a great way to obtain new supporters of your unit and its mission. Tell your great stories and connect!

  • If you have a Facebook page:
    • Try to add new content to your page on a regular schedule, at least once per week.
    • Post a mix of content, including department, CALS and UW–Madison news, updates and announcements about your students, fac/staff and alumni, event announcements, and other relevant items.
    • Photos and videos do well on Facebook. Attach a visual element to every post.
    • Monitor Facebook pages that are relevant to your department and interact with their content by liking, commenting, and/or sharing it.
    • Respond to comments you receive with a like or a reply.
    • Be sure to respond to messages sent to your page in a timely fashion.
    • Be thoughtful about the content you post and how it adds value to your followers. Fewer, more thoughtful posts are better than many posts of little value.
  • If you have a Twitter account:
    • Try to tweet regularly, at least once per day.
    • Tweet a mix of content, including department, CALS and UW-Madison news, updates and announcements about your students, fac/staff and alumni, event announcements, national news related to your field and other relevant items.
    • Attach a photo, video, GIF or other visual element to every tweet.
    • Follow your students, fac/staff, alumni, as well as businesses, organizations and thought leaders in your field.
    • “Listen” to the accounts you follow and interact with them. Like, reply to and/or retweet their content. If you want to reuse someone else’s content but add your own information, you can “quote tweet” the original post.
    • Be sure to monitor Twitter interactions such as mentions and retweets and respond appropriately.
  • The CALS LinkedIn Group:
    • Encourage your students, faculty, staff, and alumni to join the CALS LinkedIn Group.
    • LinkedIn is a social network focusing on professional development, allowing you to connect with your alumni and other people in your field.
    • The CALS group includes job postings and notifications about career fairs, conferences, and other events of interest to alumni and students alike.
    • If your department has its own LinkedIn page, share it with us.

Stewardship

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Donor stewardshipexpand_more

Proper donor stewardship leads to continued giving. It is important to thank donors for their support and tell them how their gifts were used before asking them to make another gift.

  • Check the Advancement Hub for donors to your department/program’s funds. You can pull a Donor Acknowledgement Report on your fund(s) to see gifts and donor contact information by selecting your fund(s) from the fund list and then selecting the Donor Acknowledgement Report option in the Report section below your list of funds. You are then able to select a specific timeframe from which to pull donor gifts.
  • Determine what approach is appropriate for your department. Suggested strategies:
    • Call and thank a donor (it only takes a minute, usually just involves leaving a message and is the most meaningful).
    • Send a hand-written note (also very meaningful).
    • Send a personal email.
    • Send a bulk email or letter (least meaningful approach but certainly better than nothing).
    • Consider a combination of these strategies based on dollar amount, number of donors and fund designations. Brooke Mulvaney (WFAA) and Kara Luedtke (CALS) can help you decide what the best strategy is for your unit.
  • Be timely with your stewardship – ideally donors are thanked within a month of their gift.
  • Change the content of your thank you at least once/year so regular donors continue to feel appreciated.
  • Stewardship resources
  • See Scholarship Recipient Acknowledgement Tips document for thank you note tips.

CALS stewardship coordinated via WFAAexpand_more

The UW Foundation acknowledges gifts to CALS funds and sends receipts.

Gift receipts and acknowledgements (receipts go out automatically as gifts are processed):

  • Generally, gifts over $5,000 (including gifts in kind), gifts from BOV members, faculty and emeritus faculty, and gifts over $1,000 to the CALS Fund receive a letter from the Dean.
    • For gifts of any amount, the development director determines which to acknowledge in their assigned “division” (phone call, email, handwritten note, or nothing).
    • Best practice: Departments should be acknowledging gifts to their areas at least once a month.

Endowment Reports

UWF sends Endowment Financial Reports to donors with established endowment funds each year in May/June. The report shows the activity and performance of the fund in the previous year.

Stewarding and updating donors of named professorships/chairs, graduate support funds and undergraduate support funds

A strong partnership between departments and WFAA is essential in acknowledging our most generous supporters and providing meaningful impact of their gifts.

  • When a faculty member is awarded a professorship/chair, the appointment letter will include required stewardship information (e.g. thank you letter or report from recipient).
  • Each spring, WFAA will reach out to named professors/chairs to encourage them to provide an update on their work to the donor (brief report, one-on-one meeting, phone call, lab visit, lunch, dinner, etc.)
  • Copies of reports to a donor or stewardship activities with a donor should be recorded in the central database managed by WFAA.
  • Departments are encouraged to collect thank you letters from graduate student award recipients and to send those letters to the donor with a cover letter.
  • Copies of thank you letters should be recorded in the central database managed by WFAA.
  • For undergraduate student awards NOT managed and administered by the CALS scholarship office (see Scholarships below), departments are encouraged to collect thank you letters from students and to send those letters to the donor with a cover letter.
  • Copies of thank you letters should be recorded in the central database managed by WFAA. This applies to letters NOT collected by Karen Martin, CALS Scholarship Director).
  • Stewardship guidelines and best practices will be provided but may change from time to time.

Questions can be directed to Brooke Mulvaney (608-308-5330).

Tips for writing thank you notesexpand_more

It’s “thank you” time and once again you’re facing a blank page and the task of writing yet another note of appreciation. You want your words to sound genuine and personal. You’re stumped and frankly, uninspired. What to do? Give these tips a try and writing thank you notes will become faster, easier, and ultimately, better.

  • Why re-invent the wheel?

What was it about a thank you letter you received that touched you? Was it handwritten? Did it share something personal or special between you and the writer? Was it a little rough around the edges which made it even more personal and memorable? Or was it obviously a form letter?

If you received a thank you letter or note you can’t forget or you might even have saved, use it as a template and inspiration for the letters you write. If it touched you, chances are it will touch someone else.

  • It’s not the great American novel. It’s a thank-you letter.

What’s wrong with beginning a thank-you letter with a simple, sincere thank you? The key is to be specific and to mean what you say.

Thank you for your gift to the Department of Nutritional Sciences. Your investment means a great deal to me and everyone in the department.

Your gift to the VandenBosch Student Experience Scholarship Fund means so much to us and even more to the students who will be able to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Thank you.

I am writing to extend a sincere thank you for your generous gift to the Department of Life Sciences Communication.

As director of development for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, I have the privilege of writing to thank you for your gift to support research in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science.

Sure, you could come up with a hundred wonderful openings, but you don’t have to and your letter will probably be better if you spend your time on step 3.

  • When I say your gift is important, I’m not just blowing smoke.

Prove that your gratitude is genuine. Again, it is not necessary to invent the wheel, just share some excitement/news/basic facts/pride/goals with the reader.

If you are blocked—and it happens to everyone—say these words in your head: Ms. Smith, I want you to feel good about your gift because… Now just write.

You may not know since its origin in 1883, the biochemistry department has consistently ranked among the best departments in the country or that it has been at the helm of important biochemistry research breakthroughs. Your gift will help us maintain our position and advance our goals. [Insert a few goals here.]

Just this year, two of our outstanding faculty received recognition for their work. Professors Jack Bucket and Jill Pail were inducted into the National Academy of Science. They also received outstanding teacher awards. Their work in the lab and the classroom is touching many lives. Thank you for supporting these extraordinary faculty members.

Gifts to the ____________ Fund are used to support graduate students in the application of [science] through assistantships, scholarships, travel awards, and support purchases of equipment needed for research programs for qualifying students. Thank you for supporting our world class graduate program.

CALS Student Experience Fund supports out-of-classroom experiences for undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The college seeks to provide broad access to a variety of experiential learning opportunities, from research apprenticeships to hands-on internships to field study programs around the globe. Your support of the fund helps fund internships, field camps, and summer lab experiences complimenting a student’s work towards a CALS degree.

  • Keep the communication channels open. 

A closing is a closing. Why overstay your welcome?  Provide contact information and the offer to be of further assistance. For example:

Again, thank you for your gift to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. If you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me at: The Arboretum is where ecological restoration began. Thanks to you this important work will continue. We are grateful for your support. Please feel free to contact me at _________________ with any questions.

  • P.S. The most frequently read part of a letter is the P.S.

It has been said that the first and usually only part of a direct mail letter people read is the P.S. And, if it is handwritten, your chances of getting read are even better.

I am planning a trip to Cincinnati in June and hope we can meet then so I can thank you in person. The next time you are in Madison, I would be happy to arrange a tour of Dr. Smith’s lab. I know she would love to thank you in person.

Students

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Scholarshipsexpand_more

Karen Martin (262-3001) in the Office of Academic Affairs manages many of the undergraduate scholarships in CALS for college and departmental scholarship funds.

  • From early November through early February, students apply for CALS scholarships through the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) application system; funds awarded are for distribution in the following academic year.
  • Recipients of college funds are notified through WiSH in mid-March.
  • Recipients of CALS departmental awards are notified through WiSH in mid-April.
  • After accepting their awards, recipients are required to answer post acceptance questions in WiSH that will be formatted into student recipient profiles.
  • The CALS Academic Affairs Scholarship Unit coordinates a mailing to scholarship donors in September which tells the donor that their scholarship has been awarded (and to whom) and includes the profiles.

Scholarships administered completely by departments should handle collecting thank you letters from scholarship recipients and mailing the letters to the donors. Send copies of thank you letters and other impact materials to Jaxon Gross.

Best practices and a toolkit exist on the Advancement Hub (stewardship resources).

Some donors request or they are invited to meet their scholarship recipient which is coordinated by the UW Foundation.

Questions can be directed to Karen Martin (262-3001).

Student engagementexpand_more

It is important to engage with students because, after all, they are future alumni, friends, and supporters. Good relationships have long-term benefits for your program. Early engagement and understanding of the importance of staying connected and giving back to one’s alma mater means a stronger connection and likelihood that alumni will add the university to their list of annual philanthropic contributions.

CALS students are already highly engaged in student organizations, but the message of continued connection and giving to the university, the college and the departments are not a part of the conversation. If your unit has an affiliated student organization, talk to them about alumni engagement. You can also add the topic to your exit interviews for graduating students.

Fund and record management

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Fund managementexpand_more

Departments can review fund balances at any time using the Advancement Hub, the WFAA’s fund management tool.

To request access to this fund management tool for your department, contact Angie Seitler in CALS Business Services. After approval, you will receive your credentials and video training from WFAA.

Direct your questions about the Advancement Hub to Brooke Mulvaney at WFAA (608-308-5330).

How-Tos:

  • Request a new department-initiated fund (e.g. program fund or faculty research fund):
    • Be prepared to provide the information about the purpose of the fund and how it will be initiated. Minimum threshold amounts: $1,000 to open a callable fund; $25,000 to open an endowment fund. A fund and account number will be created and a Fund Operation Agreement will be completed that requires approval and signatures from the department, college and WFAA.
  • Request money from a UWF fund:
    • Use the Advancement Hub to fill out a Check Request.
    • Submit the check request and UW gift routing slip to the CALS Business office for signatures. They will then send the request to WFAA to process the check.
    • Submit the check request and UW gift routing slip to the CALS Business office for signatures. They will then send the request to WFAA to process the check.
  • Transfer money from one fund to another:
    • Complete an Accounting Transfer Form from the Advancement Hub.
    • Once completed, obtain the required signatures, and attach the completed form in an email to the Help Center (help@uwadvancement.org). Subject line: “Accounting Transfer Form attached”. WFAA will respond to your request.
  • Close a fund:
    • Request a transfer of any remaining balances with a Check Request from Advancement Hub.
    • Also complete the Fund Closure Request form from Advancement Hub.

Once both forms are completed, obtain the required signatures, and attach the completed forms in an email to the Help Center (help@uwadvancement.org). Subject line: “Fund Closure Request form attached”. WFAA will respond to your request.

Alumni and donor recordsexpand_more

WFAA manages the alumni and donor database (known as ABE – Advancing Badger Engagement) and partners with the Office of the Registrar to ensure alumni and donor records are up to date. WFAA runs their entire database through National Change of Address (NCOA) every week to ensure information is current. This is the best way to track contact information for your alumni and donors.

  • Updating records: If you obtain new information from your constituents (new address, phone, email, deceased, employment, etc.), send an email directly to the Help Center at help@uwadvancement.org or submit a ticket to the Help Center through the Advancement Hub. Constituent updates can be requested directly in a constituent record, but ABE database access is required in order to do this.
  • Currently enrolled students are added to ABE with minimal information.
  • To request a list of your alumni, visit https://about.uwadvancement.org/marketing/list-report-request/.
  • To gain access to ABE, contact Kara Luedtke (608-890-2999) in the External Relations office. After approved, you will receive your credentials and video training from WFAA.

CALS gift check deposit processexpand_more

University Gift Guidelines:

• The gift must provide funding for activities: This might include professorships, scholarships, building projects, fellowships, and other activities in support of the research, instruction, and service mission of the University. The donor may restrict the use of funds to a specific program area or purpose.

• No detailed technical or fiscal reports are required as a condition of the gift: The unit or faculty member involved may provide the donor with a brief summary of the results of supported activities and a statement that expenditures were made in accordance with the intent of the gift.

• Certain restrictions are not applied: The gift does not grant the donor with rights to, or impose any restrictions with respect to patents, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights that result from activities supported by the gift.

• The gift contains no restrictive provisions: This might include delays or advance notice concerning publication or dissemination of data and information derived from activities supported by the gift.

• The gift is irrevocable by the donor.

Due to IRS regulations, employees of the University are prohibited from making a tax-deductible gift, either individually or through a foundation or donor advised fund, that is restricted to support or directly benefit their own work or that of an immediate family member at the University.  However, a gift is permissible, including support to an employee’s own department, when:

  1. The gift is for general purposes and control over the use of the gift lies with the employee’s school/college/division Dean, Department Chair, or Director.
  2. Any personal benefits to the employee as a result of the gift are incidental.

Bench fees and reimbursements for travel expenses paid by the UW are not gifts. Bench fees are processed as sponsored projects and reimbursement to the UW are processed via a Check Deposit Form.

Please contact your CALS Business Services accountant if you are unsure which criteria the payment fits. They will be able to help determine the correct routing process and funding source to use.

Gift Check Deposit Procedure:

1. Department representative will receive check, determine as a gift, verify that the check is written out to “University of Wisconsin Foundation”, and is accompanied with a gift letter.

WFAA will not accept checks made out to any variation of “UW Board of Regents”. Please contact donor for a new check.

2. Write WFAA fund number in the memo line of check

3. Stamp or write “for deposit only” on back of check.

4. Department Chair/Director (or representative) will complete and sign a WFAA Gift Deposit Form.

5. Signed deposit form, endorsed check, and required gift letter can be mailed in a sealed envelope to:

University of Wisconsin Foundation
US Bank Lockbox
Box 78807
Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807

6. Department sends acknowledgement letter to donor.

7. Department must maintain records and reconcile the deposit at WFAA by logging in to the Advancement Hub website.

Please reach out to Sandy Fowler or Cheryl Gabel with any questions or concerns about the gift  process.

Alternate Gift Giving WFAA Options:

• Credit Card Online Processing: One time or recurring donations can be made at https://secure.supportuw.org/give/.

• Checks or Credit Cards via US Mail: Donors can mail the WFAA’s Gift Form with their check or credit card info to:

University of Wisconsin Foundation
US Bank Lockbox
Box 78807
Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807

• ACH/EFT automatic payments can be set up for either monthly or quarterly transfers. Authorization Agreement for Direct Payment ACH Debits forms can be mailed with a voided check to:

UW Foundation
Attn: Gift Processing
1848 University Ave

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