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Autonomous Fundraising has reached two new major milestones: First, the Virtual Engagement Officer (VEO) has now officially and successfully crossed the $500,000 threshold for gifts raised with $503,205 in just four months, and is projected to reach $1 million by mid-2025. Additionally, Version2 is introducing its latest innovation, the Virtual Stewardship Officer (VSO), designed to autonomously maintain and enhance donor relationships.
"The nonprofit sector faces a universal challenge: there simply aren't enough fundraisers to personally engage with every donor who wants to make a difference. When we first introduced autonomous AI solutions to address this labor shortage, skeptics questioned their morality, feasibility and viability. Now, with our Virtual Engagement Officer surpassing half a million dollars in secured gifts, we've definitively proven that autonomous AI can successfully amplify the work of advancement teams. The introduction of our Virtual Stewardship Officer marks another breakthrough and the logical next step in our mission to accelerate and transform philanthropy, ensuring every donor receives the personal attention and engagement that they deserve." – Adam Martel, CEO of Givzey & Version2
Leading institutions across the country are already seeing the impact of Autonomous Fundraising. Brooks Hull, CFRE, Vice President for University Advancement at Texas State University and Executive Director, Texas State University Development Foundation, noted:
"With over 230,000 alumni in our Texas State family, the ability to add verticalized digital team members through Version2's autonomous solutions represents an unprecedented opportunity that staffing could never solve. These AI-powered officers allow us to meaningfully engage with our alumni base in ways that were previously impossible due to human capacity constraints." – Brooks Hull, CFRE, Vice President for University Advancement, Texas State University, and Executive Director, Texas State University Development Foundation
"The future of advancement requires innovative thinking about how we build and deploy our teams. The partnership William & Mary has developed with Givzey and Version2 enables us to develop a comprehensive digital labor plan specifically for advancement that expands our reach and the impact of philanthropy while empowering our human fundraisers to focus on their highest-value activities." – Matthew T. Lambert, Senior Vice President for University Advancement at William & Mary
Version2 invented the Virtual Stewardship Officer (VSO) because nonprofit organizations struggle to steward every donor to the extent they should. Significant 1:1 stewardship is traditionally prioritized based on what the organization considers a large gift. But this model is about valuing gifts from the organization’s perspective, rather than the donor’s. In today’s donor-centric world, Version2’s VSO offers an opportunity to successfully steward all donors, regardless of their level of giving.
In fundraising, great stewardship runs parallel to a donor’s sentiment and loyalty to an organization and mission. Version2’s VSO ensures all donors, regardless of the size of their gift, share a world-class experience and donor journey. Key functions include:
Personalized stewardship to donors at scale
Timely updates on impact
Maintaining ongoing engagement between giving cycles
Supporting donor retention through consistent, meaningful communication
Sustainable perpetual stewardship to donors who have made their last major contribution
"The launch of our Virtual Stewardship Officer addresses a critical need in the nonprofit sector. While securing donations is crucial, maintaining strong donor relationships through effective stewardship is equally important for long-term success and the lifetime value of a donor. The VSO ensures that every donor feels appreciated and informed about the impact of their giving, regardless of gift size." – Emily Groccia, Vice President of Customer Success, Givzey and Version2
Susan Lewers, Associate Vice President of Major and Planned Gifts at Illinois Institute of Technology, highlighted the importance of comprehensive donor stewardship:
"Personal, one-to-one stewardship has traditionally been reserved for our largest donors, but we know every gift makes a difference. The ability to provide individualized attention across the entire giving pyramid isn't just about appreciation—it's about creating meaningful dialogue with every donor. A Virtual Stewardship Officer empowers Illinois Tech to ensure each supporter feels truly valued and heard, which is essential for building lasting philanthropic relationships." – Susan Lewers, Associate Vice President of Major and Planned Gifts at Illinois Institute of Technology
"The fundraising labor shortage has been a challenge in philanthropy and it's not going away anytime soon. Now that we can finally envision and apply trusted digital labor to this challenge, we're opening up opportunities that were closed to our industry in the past. From engagement to stewardship, and more – autonomous fundraising empowers institutions like the College of Charleston to build, maintain, and grow relationships at a scale we haven't experienced before.” – Dan Frezza, Chief Advancement Officer of Institutional Advancement and CEO of the College of Charleston Foundation.
Version2's autonomous fundraising solutions are currently deployed across a diverse range of nonprofit organizations, including leading universities, healthcare institutions, and community foundations. The technology has demonstrated particular success in engaging donors who might otherwise receive limited attention due to traditional capacity constraints.