The Annual Giving Network named UMSL one of 10 winners in its 2019 Challenge for its outreach efforts to support the Finish Your Degree Scholarship Program. Donors who contributed received a copy of an August Ladue News with a story about the scholarship program along with a signed thank you card. (Photo courtesy of UMSL Annual Giving)

By Cary Goldwasser

Advancement professionals at the University of Missouri-St. Louis work largely behind the scenes to support the transformative mission of the university.

They received some recognition earlier this month when the Annual Giving Network, an international association for educational advancement professionals, named UMSL one of ten winners of its 2019 Challenge.

The Challenge is AGN’s annual opportunity for advancement teams to share their most successful outreach efforts. This year’s “Top 10” were selected based on overall quality, uniqueness and level of innovation. UMSL’s submission was one of hundreds of entries from around the world.

The winning project was an inventive effort to thank donors to the Finish Your Degree Scholarship. It capitalized on a high-profile story about the scholarship published in Ladue News in August. UMSL’s Annual Giving office adapted the coverage to create a standout thank you piece. All donors who gave in response to an appeal received a full copy of the magazine along with a signed thank you card.

“I was very proud to see the first stewardship piece I worked on with the Annual Giving team at UMSL receive recognition from AGN,” said Sarah Willey, associate director of annual giving.  “This was a wonderfully collaborative effort across campus departments and one of the coolest examples of a meaningful thank you to supporters that I’ve helped to create.”

Other winning schools included Colgate University, Virginia Tech, the University of Kansas and the University of Utah.