It took just 43 hours for the College of the Holy Cross to raise nearly $2 million. The small liberal arts school in Massachusetts did it without bombarding alumni with phone calls, sending out a batch of mailers or soliciting donations for seats at a gala event. Instead, school leaders turned to GiveCampus.com, a Washington, D.C.-based crowdfunding website that appeals to a younger, more tech-savvy audience. Getting alumni, especially younger graduates, to open their wallets is a challenge for many colleges and universities, especially those that rely on old-school approaches that land their pitches in voicemail, the garbage or, even worse, end up annoying potential donors. Because schools rely on gifts of all sizes to fund scholarships, renovations and endowments, direct donations are especially critical as public universities contend with dwindling state investment and small private colleges struggle with the revenue loss of sluggish enrollment.

April 19, 2016 ・ From The Washington Post