University of South Carolina: ‘We are South Carolina Y’ALL’ (Young Alumni Leaving a Legacy)
- Exhibited by
- Lola Mauer
- Added
- June 16, 2011
- Medium of Communication
- Direct mail, face to face, online
- Target Audience
- Individuals, legacy, alumni
- Type of Charity
- Education/University
- Country of Origin
- USA
- Date of first appearance
- March 2008
SOFII’s view
Who says you can’t talk to people, even quite young people, about leaving a legacy? This positive, dynamic campaign strikes all the right chords and makes former students of any age feel proud of their alma mater and want to stay involved.
Combining the use of the university’s mascot and the ‘Face of Y’ALL’ idea (see related exhibit) was a stroke of complete brilliance. At present the phrase Young Alumni Leaving a Legacy appears to apply only to annual fund donations from graduates from the past ten years and not to bequest initiatives among older alumni. SOFII feels that adding this dimension to the campaign will be a natural and relatively easy next step, so we’re sure that before long the University of South Carolina will be receiving substantial bequests (legacies) from its alumni, directly as a result of this delightful initiative.
Creator / originator
Lola Mauer, Steve Farwick, the Pursuant Group, University Publications (postcard component).
Summary / objectives
The ‘We are South Carolina – Y’ALL (Young alumni leaving a legacy)’ campaign asks graduates to honour their time as students by making a donation for the benefit of current students. It also encourages graduates to stay connected with their alma mater by making the university a friend on Facebook or my MySpace.
Background
The ‘We are South Carolina Y’ALL’ campaign was launched in the spring of 2008 using a series of postcards. The postcards prompt alumni to think of their cherished memories as students at Carolina, and point out that many of the opportunities they had were thanks to alumni gifts, as state funding and tuition are just not enough.
Graduates are then asked to join the campaign, leaving anything between five dollars to US$25 or more, towards what used to be their college or department (the Carolina Fund) or scholarships.
Special characteristics
It helps when you can come up with a catchy phrase like the Y’ALL – Young Alumni Leaving a Legacy.
Merits
The campaign gets people involved in philanthropy from early on. It is an idea that any university can replicate or adapt in order to help generate more funds. Plus, the campaign slogan is just great!
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