Art Institute of Chicago
Currently, Art Institute of Chicago has a healthy financial situation, and the contributions in the 2014 financial year have reached vertex of approximately $74,976,740 occupying 23% of total revenue in comparison with the previous five years. However, for the 2015 financial year, it is a little harder to continue keeping a high percentage of contributions. Preliminary calculations of the accounting department for the next year showed that the Art Institute of Chicago needs contributions in the amount of no less than $75,000,000 that is $1,000,000 more than in 2014, provided that it will expand the educational and re-educational programs in Ryan Education Center the next year. A rather large part of contributions and donations are used for support of educational art program in the AIC. That is how the fundraising project for 2015 year will last for one year from the 1st of June, 2015 until 31st of May, 2016.The AIC fundraising department presents the plan for the 2015 financial year.
Since there are too many matters with different people and members, the first step is to divide donors into three categories by the contributed amount of money. We have the principal gifts, the major gifts, and the annual giving. In every group the donor position must be evaluated whether it is the first-time, repeat, established, loyal or major committed donor. Also, the lapsed donor should be taken into account. The largest number of donors, almost 75 %, is the annual-giving ones. Though the annual giving portion holds only 35% of total contributions, it continues to be an important group of contributors, because in future they may become loyal donors or even get to the level of major gifts. Our goal for annual-giving solicitation is still 35%, and should not be less than $26,250,000.
Firstly, we need to calculate what programs and exhibitions are the most popular, as well as which projects are most notably anticipated in the coming years. We can check AIC's evaluation with the help of websites like Yelp, and also add a questionnaire on the official website which must be added before the 2015 financial year. It also can be carried out through sending emails to all people about our online survey, mainly focusing on our members and the individuals who have already donated to the AIC.
The second step after having gathered online data would be differentiating of people on the basis of age bracket and gender so that their most accurate preferences for programs and exhibitions should be identified. Then, according to the results, one should create an email or letter, suitably emphasizing the program's details about the donation.
The third step would involve sending the designed emails to all potential annual-giving donors. We also require the writing of an email that can serve as a common sample without relation to the particular program and send it to all the people who have registered on the AIC website before. Moreover, we may apply the tactics of phone …
