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Xavier Athletics Development
Scale Personal Engagement. Capture Generational Wealth.
Xavier Athletics operates with just 3 full-time development staff managing 115 major donors and targeting $3-4M in annual fundraising. With planned giving positioned to capture $15 million in generational wealth transfer over the next decade, the team needs scalable tools to deepen engagement across all giving tiers — from $10/month donors to $50K+ contributors — while maintaining the personal touch that drives major gift success.
Current Realities & Challenges
Small Team, Big Ambitions
Seth Breitenstein leads just 3 full-time staff managing 115 major donors ($25K+), 30 donors at the new $50K level, and countless lower-tier supporters. Challenge: Limited bandwidth to provide personalized engagement across all giving tiers while cultivating major gifts and planned giving prospects.
Lower-Tier Donor Engagement Gap
While major donors receive personal calls, dinners, and exclusive experiences, $10/month donors only get mass communications during giving days and seasonal pushes. Challenge: No ongoing engagement strategy for lower tiers means missed opportunities to build the pipeline for mid-level and major gifts.
Planned Giving Critical Window
Xavier sits at the center of a massive generational wealth transfer over the next 15 years. Seth's goal: Build dedicated endowments like a $5M baseball fund covering half the sport's budget. Challenge: Capturing planned gifts requires consistent cultivation and strategic positioning — difficult with a lean team juggling annual solicitations.
Goals & Progress
Multiply Team Capacity
Automate routine tasks and surface high-priority donor opportunities so the team can focus on relationship-building.
Build Lower-Tier Pipeline
Create scalable touchpoints for lower-tier donors to broaden the base and increase mid-level giving.
Capture Planned Giving Wave
Position Xavier to capture generational wealth transfer with sport-specific endowments and planned giving programs.
The Playbook
AI-Powered Team Multiplication
Smart automation handles routine work and surfaces the donors who need personal attention.
- AI tracks engagement gaps and alerts team when donors go 90+ days without contact
- Automated message drafts save hours on routine communications
- Donor segmentation by giving level, sport affinity, and engagement history
Multi-Channel Engagement at Scale
Personalized outreach across email, text, video, and web — tailored by donor tier.
- Lower-tier donors receive consistent impact updates and team stories
- Video messages from coaches and athletes create emotional connections
- Centralized inbox manages all donor replies across channels
Sport-Specific Storytelling
Olympic sports and alumni engagement tied to team-specific campaigns.
- Head coaches send targeted asks to former athletes
- Alumni giving rates increased through personalized sport content
- Coaches notified via app when video content is needed
Planned Giving Cultivation Engine
Automated stewardship campaigns position Xavier for long-term endowment success.
- Legacy messaging integrated into year-round communication calendar
- AI identifies planned giving prospects based on age, engagement, and giving history
- Impact reports showcase how endowments transform programs
Implementation Journey
Initial Discovery & Demo
Seth Breitenstein and team evaluate DonorElevate platform capabilities
Stakeholder Alignment
Follow-up meeting with Joe and decision-makers to review pricing and implementation plan
System Integration & Setup
CSV import from Salesforce/legacy CRM, user onboarding, and initial donor segmentation
Launch - Major Donors
Test with $25K+ donors during basketball season peak engagement window
National Day of Giving & March Madness
Full deployment across all giving tiers for key fundraising moments
Olympic Sports Rollout
Extend to all sports with coach-driven video campaigns and alumni engagement
Proof in Action
University of Pittsburgh Athletics
- Launched with Script Society ($50K+ donors)
- 5-6 personalized videos from AD, head coach, and Larry Fitzgerald
- Engagement doubled with emotion-driven content after key wins
- Older donors (60+) were among highest responders
"DonorElevate allows us to engage our top donors with personalized content at scale. The response has been incredible."
Penn State Athletics
- 28 sports supported with lean development staff
- 80% coach adoption rate, 92% donor satisfaction
- AI automation enables team to move at speed of emotion
"AI automation lets us move at the speed of emotion. We're engaging donors when it matters most."
UTEP Athletics
- Department-wide deployment across all sports
- Record-breaking $12M+ fundraising year — up $1M from prior record
- Coach-driven videos became top-performing content
"DonorElevate has transformed how we engage with our supporters. We've achieved unprecedented fundraising success."
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Investment & ROI
Choose the investment plan that best fits Xavier Athletics' needs.
Annual Plan
Complete platform access with flexible annual commitment
Product Features
3-Year Strategic Plan
Long-term investment with 15% savings and locked-in pricing
Product Features
Projected ROI
Key Benefits
- Lower-tier donors receive consistent engagement, building pipeline for major gifts
- AI automation handles routine tasks, freeing team for high-value cultivation
- Multi-channel campaigns reach donors at optimal moments throughout the year
- Data-driven insights identify planned giving prospects and engagement opportunities
- Scalable system supports growth from current 115 major donors to 200+ without adding staff
Based on average time savings and engagement improvements seen across similar-sized development teams using DonorElevate.