How Connect To Give Works
A proven model for helping schools activate alumni networks through peer-led Giving Circles. The model has been validated with real results and is now being scaled into a repeatable system for institutions ready to transform their alumni engagement.
Four Roles, One Coordinated System
Connect To Give helps schools move from broad fundraising intention to a more organized, community-driven activation model through four interconnected roles.
Institutional Context
The School
The school provides the institutional context. That includes fundraising priorities, audience focus, internal alignment, and the right access points for activation. In a pilot setting, the institution helps determine where the model is most relevant, what type of giving-circle opportunity makes sense, and how success should be defined.
Operating Model
Connect To Give
Connect To Give provides the operating model. That includes strategic framing, activation support, circle design logic, leader-identification approach, and the structure needed to help an institution organize the process in a disciplined way.
Alumni Influence
Circle Leaders
Circle leaders are trusted alumni who can help mobilize peers around a shared commitment. They are not just enthusiastic donors. They are influence points inside a network. Their role is to help convene, encourage, and reinforce the group's giving purpose.
Community Action
Donors
Donors participate in a more social, visible, and accountable pathway to giving. Rather than responding only to isolated institutional outreach, they engage within a structured circle tied to community, identity, and purpose.
How CTG Reduces Admin Burden
Connect To Give helps reduce administrative burden by clarifying roles, organizing activation steps, and giving advancement teams a more coherent operating model for donor-circle work.
When alumni feel connected to a shared purpose and see peers participating, follow-through can strengthen. Giving Circles create a structure where trust, visibility, and mutual encouragement support more intentional action.
Why Peer Accountability Matters
Social Giving Pathway
Alumni engage within a community-oriented structure
Visible Commitment
Peer participation creates positive momentum
Mutual Encouragement
Trust and shared purpose reinforce follow-through
From Opportunity to Activation
A disciplined five-step process that takes schools from initial opportunity identification through measurable activation and learning.
Define the Activation Opportunity
The school and Connect To Give identify a practical pilot focus. This includes determining where the model is most relevant and what type of giving-circle opportunity makes sense.
Identify Leaders and Participants
Potential circle leaders and relevant alumni segments are surfaced. These are the influence points who can help mobilize peer participation.
Organize the Giving Circle
The structure, messaging, and participation path are shaped. This creates a clear framework for peer-led engagement.
Support Outreach and Follow-Through
Peer-led engagement is reinforced with a more intentional operating rhythm. Leaders receive the support they need to convene and encourage.
Track Progress and Learn
The pilot is reviewed against agreed success measures. Learnings inform future activation opportunities and model refinement.
Alumni Demand EngineHow Claim My School Feeds the System
Claim My School is a pride-based alumni acquisition layer that feeds the Connect To Give ecosystem by surfacing school-specific demand, identifying future circle leaders and interested participants, and creating a structured path from alumni identity to organized giving-circle activation.
Feeder Flow Progression
Built for the Blackbaud Ecosystem
Connect To Give is designed to complement and enhance existing Blackbaud infrastructure, not replace it. As a Blackbaud Technology Partner, we understand the systems advancement teams already use and build accordingly.
Trusted Context
Blackbaud represents the systems and workflows that advancement teams already know and operate within.
Workflow Relevance
Connect To Give is designed to complement, not replace, existing institutional systems of record.
Proven Integration Path
The model has been validated with real institutions and is now being scaled into a repeatable system.
A Proven Model, Now Scaling
The Connect To Give model has been validated through real-world giving-circle work at institutions like Spelman College. We are now turning that proof into a repeatable, scalable system for partner institutions.
What We Have Proven
- Peer-led Giving Circles drive stronger outcomes
- Alumni leaders can mobilize meaningful participation
- Structured accountability improves follow-through
- The model can integrate with institutional workflows
What We Are Building
- Repeatable pilot framework for new institutions
- Enhanced workflow and coordination tools
- Deeper ecosystem integration capabilities
- Scaled support for multiple partner schools