Reaching More Donors, Personally: How Virtual Engagement Officers Supercharge Giving Days

Giving Days are powerful moments for organizations—rallying supporters, building excitement, and driving crucial funding in just 24 hours. However, most donors don’t receive personal outreach from a fundraiser—they may get a phone call from a student or a direct mail appeal, but they aren’t actively engaged. The reality is that fundraising teams simply don’t have the capacity to personally reach every potential donor—until now. Virtual Engagement Officers (VEOs) finally make it possible to do more, ensuring that more donors receive the one-to-one connection they deserve from a trusted fundraiser on their team.

Maximizing Impact by Expanding One-to-One Engagement

Just as human fundraisers focus on high-touch relationships and real-time strategy, VEOs work alongside them—running personalized campaigns, responding to donor signals, and keeping supporters engaged. This means your fundraising team can finally reach more donors directly, creating meaningful touchpoints that weren’t possible before.

Real Results in Action

Bucknell University: A 20% Boost in Giving Day Contributions

At Bucknell, their VEO was hard at work even before One Herd One Day began—sending personalized emails to alumni, reminding them why their support matters, and ensuring they were primed to give. During last year’s Giving Day, Lauren, Bucknell’s VEO, secured an incredible 20% of all gifts made during the 24-hour campaign. By expanding personalized outreach to more donors, she helped drive record participation.

SDSU: Pushing Past the Goal Line

At San Diego State University (SDSU), Sandy, one of the university’s VEOs, played a crucial role in its Day of Giving. With SDSU halfway to its goal, Sandy sent timely outreach messages that helped push the campaign across the finish line. Whether it was sending reminders, highlighting matching gift opportunities, or responding to donor inquiries, the VEO ensured that every donor was informed and inspired to give.

And SDSU and Bucknell aren’t alone. At 11 other organizations, VEOs are actively segmenting donors, analyzing past giving history, and ensuring that each message is sent at the right time to the right person—turning potential donors into active supporters.

Expanding Your Reach: How VEOs Drive Donor Engagement

Real-Time Engagement - The VEO continuously monitors donor behavior and adapts outreach dynamically. Matching gift deadlines? The VEO ensures donors know when time is running out, maximizing every opportunity for giving.
Handling Donor Responses - Efficiently Giving Days generate excitement—and lots of questions. VEOs are on standby, answering FAQs, providing direct giving links, and ensuring donors get the information they need instantly. This real-time responsiveness keeps the momentum going and removes barriers to giving.
Personalized Outreach at Scale - No donor slips through the cracks. Whether they gave last year, have shown interest but never donated, or are first-time supporters, the VEO tailors messages to meet them where they are in their giving journey. This level of personalization makes donors feel valued and increases their likelihood of contributing.

Set the Stage for a Record-Breaking Giving Day

Giving Days are high-energy, but they don’t have to be overwhelming. With the support of a VEO expanding personal outreach at scale, institutions can engage more donors, drive greater results, and ensure that every potential supporter has the opportunity to give.

Ready to see how a VEO can transform your Giving Day strategy? Schedule a demo today and take your fundraising efforts to the next level!