Best of CASE District V Award
 

Institution: Miami University

Title of entry: What Will Your Legacy Be? Class of 2025

About this entry: The Senior Class Gift campaign targeted the Class of 2025, with secondary outreach to senior parents. The strategic goal was to reestablish a culture of student philanthropy by encouraging first-time giving, educating students about the impact of private support, and providing seniors with a meaningful opportunity to leave a lasting legacy at Miami University.

Following several years of minimal Senior Class Gift engagement—raising less than $100 the previous year—Miami University rebuilt the campaign from the ground up beginning in January 2025. A staff-led, student-supported committee was formed, co-chaired by seniors and supported by Annual Giving and campus partners.
Students were challenged to raise $5,000 to name a stone bench in the Formal Gardens in honor of the Class of 2025. Donors could also direct their gift to any area of Miami that mattered most to them, reinforcing donor choice. A multi-channel strategy included in-person tabling, peer outreach, student and parent calling, targeted parent emails, social media engagement, ThankView stewardship, and the option for students to give through their MUlaa, on campus debit, accounts.

The campaign exceeded expectations, raising $13,070 from 508 donors, more than doubling the original goal. Over half of all donors were Class of 2025 students, many making their first-ever gift to Miami. Average MUlaa gifts increased dramatically—from less than a dollar in prior years to $13.70 during Grad Fest—demonstrating a meaningful shift in student engagement. The campaign resulted in a named, permanent campus legacy while reestablishing the Senior Class Gift as a vibrant tradition.