note your students are great stewards

We are working on a series of communications utilizing student writers this fall.  The idea originated in a scholarship thank you letter that an incoming freshman at St. John's wrote to a donor who gave to her scholarship.  He happened to be her younger sister's teacher.  He had no idea when he made the gift that it would come back around to support the older sibling of his student and she had no idea when she was awarded it that it came from someone she knew.  In any case, she did what grandma taught her to do and wrote out a short note as a thank you, signed and mailed it.  

The donor shared with our office how touched he was that she did so and it sparked the idea for us to do a series of notecards from students to donors.  These are simple handwritten notes that the students are doing for us - each is reviewed before sending of course but we are finding that we get some moving stories and other than a few students who can't spell (really who can anymore without digital help?) have not had a single message that was anything but earnest and well intended.  

Donors love them and we are working on creating a blog to post donors responses paired with the student thank you note image.  This shares the student story, often adding the donor story, costs little to nothing to create and execute and provides terrific connections and good will.  We are currently looking to see how we can expand from there into a greater level of communication between our alumni and current students outside of the typical thankathon calling program - saving that for our donors who have given through the phone for 5 or more years in a row - reach out via phone to those who have demonstrated that they actually like to hear from us that way.  

We ask on behalf of our students but they can say thank you in a 2.0 world - leverage that as a great way to increase engagement and interaction today.