While some institutions ask for money over and over, the smartest schools manage a strategy that informs — and thanks — as often as it asks. Iowa State University Foundation partnered with Zehno to find the right balance with a foundation-wide master communications plan and magazine redesign. Zehno mapped out a plan that targeted messages to each audience segment and transformed the magazine into the strategic centerpiece of all development communications.
![1Iowa state university foundation Who belong](https://zehno.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1Iowa-state-university-foundation.jpg)
Challenges
- Analyze audience segments by giving potential. Document the foundation’s entire range of communications.
- Test the validity of this complaint: “You only contact me when you want money.” Prove the impact of fundraising.
- Use the magazine to frame big-picture issues that set the stage for fundraising.
- Assess communications structure to optimize work environment, unify communications function and break down silos.
Results
![Circle Graphic EX Circle Graphic EX](https://zehno.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Circle_Graphic_EX-150x150-1.jpg)
IMPROVED TargetING
Identified how to target the 90% of households in the donor database that represented lapsed donors or prospects who had never given.
![Circle Graphic ell Circle Graphic ell](https://zehno.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Circle_Graphic_ell.jpg)
CONTENT Strategy
The communications plan recalibrated the foundation’s content strategy so that hundreds of separate communications synch with the magazine’s strategic content.
![Circle Graphic star Circle Graphic star](https://zehno.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Circle_Graphic_star-150x150-1.jpg)
Awards
The magazine captured top awards from CASE, UCDA and the Educational Advertising Awards.
What Zehno did
- Marketing communications planning: Audience segment analysis, discovery of new fundraising opportunities, foundation-wide communications flow, post-campaign messaging platform, new integrated communications structure and communications coaching for in-house team.
- Position paper: Audit and strategic recommendations.
- Prototyping and template preparation: Print magazine redesign and content strategy.
![2Iowa state university foundation Who belong](https://zehno.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2Iowa-state-university-foundation.jpg)
Tips for your team
- Analyze audience segments by giving potential. Balance the types of messages so that you’re not always asking for money.
- Write every bit of content to highlight the impact of development, not the mechanics of raising money or the donors themselves.
- Centralize communications so that your brand message delivery is consistent every time.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Zehno can help you move the needle. Read more about our development campaign services.