BACKGROUND
Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and is well known in the United States as a leading educational institution. Like other colleges and universities, Boston University wants to sustain a level of donations from Alumni to fund future University Development. There are also times when additional separate funds must be raised for particular initiatives which are not categorized under "standard" University Development (which in this case was the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies).

• Build a brand image for the Boston University Alumni Department which appealed to existing Alumni, paying particular attention to positioning Boston University as a "world-class institution".
• Increase donations/gifting to the University from Alumni.
• Build a stronger "emotional connection" and better communication between Boston University and its' Alumni.
• Generate sufficient funds for the development of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies; focused on Judaic Studies and on attracting and supporting foreign students.

• A strategic plan which included developing new capital campaigns and a new brand image.
• A "brand template" which provided the Boston University Alumni Department with greater brand recognition and awareness, while also supplying the staff with a simple format to be used for future correspondence with Alumni.
• A Bi-annual newsletter that informed Boston University Alumni of gift giving needs, new undertakings and achievements, projects on the horizon, new endowments, etc.
• An eight-page "giving brochure" for the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies. Special emphasis was placed on Boston University's strong ties to the Jewish community.
• A series of six-page brochures entitled "Gifts and Estate Planning" focused on strategies Alumni could use to make gifts to Boston University while maintaining or even improving their financial situations.
• A unique capital campaign designed to fund the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies.

THE SOLUTION
Bresette + Company worked with Boston University to develop a strategic plan focused on enhancing alumni relations, increasing Alumni gift giving and raising the money for the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies.

This plan included a bi-annual newsletter which was created and direct mailed to over 50,000 Alumni in order to renew their connection to Boston University. A series of brochures were also produced entitled "Gifts and Estate Planning" for the purpose of educating Alumni on strategies they could utilize to make donations to the University. In addition, Bresette + Company developed a "brand template" which was used for all future correspondence with Alumni.

In relation to the funds the Alumni Department wished to raise for the development of the Elie Wiesel Center, Bresette + Company produced an eight-page "giving brochure" that focused on Boston University's strong ties to the Jewish community. This campaign piece was mailed to the Jewish Alumni with a prevailing message to give generously to Boston University development. The brochure was accompanied with a personal letter from John Silber, the University President, and was followed by a personal telephone call from Silber or other officers of the University.

• Boston University exceeded donation/gifting projections as giving soared from the previous range of $30 million dollars, where it had been for five years, to over $60 million dollars in three years.
• New "emotional connection" between Boston University Alumni and the University was established, forming the building blocks for continued successful levels of giving ($73.4 million dollars in 2001).
• The Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies broke all giving records as the giving quota was surpassed during the first two weeks of the campaign.
• Israel Bonds, a National Organization based in New York, formed a sub-committee which promoted donations to Boston University in the form of actual "Israel Bonds". This promotion increased the sale of more real product (Israel Bonds) for the organization Israel Bonds and provided an excellent source of gifting for the University. Also, Boston University's policy to match any "Israel Bonds" gifted to the University, one for one, provided double the dollars gifted and allowed University officers to leverage the project with Alumni.