It was Capital University against Wittenberg University, neighboring Ohio schools. Purple against red. Crusaders against Tigers.
In spring 2014, officials at each of the institutions engaged with young alumni through the Gold Cup Challenge. And when the competition ended in June, Capital won bragging rights, with 2,037 points—one for each new young alumni donor compared to the previous fiscal year.
Wittenberg earned a respectable 1,529 points. But Capital reached a 4.2 percent overall giving participation rate, up from 3.2 percent in FY2013.
The $19,901 added to Capital’s general fund included one donor’s $10,000 gift to get the campaign started. Alumni networks, phone and direct mail were used to promote the initiative. To see its approach, including student-created videos that pit the campuses against each other, visit www.goldcupchallenge.com.
