Building a Shared Culture of Philanthropy at University of Richmond
The University of Richmond partnered with Plus Delta to strengthen frontline fundraising performance, align academic and advancement leaders around a common donor engagement process, and build a more intentional culture of philanthropy. What began as an investment in frontline fundraiser development evolved into a multi-year partnership spanning gift officers, managers, deans, and institutional leadership.
$14.3M
in gifts influenced through Plus Delta’s programs
10x ROI
on Richmond’s Plus Delta investment
79%
of gift officers reported significant improvement in qualification effectiveness
86%
of gift officers reported improved ability to assess donor relationship maturity
A More Intentional Approach to Fundraising
Richmond engaged Plus Delta to address several common fundraising challenges: under-asking, inconsistent qualification practices, lengthy solicitation cycles, and a tendency for donor conversations to focus on gift levels rather than philanthropic impact. Leadership also wanted to create greater accountability, strengthen fundraising discipline, and equip gift officers with practical tools to guide donor relationships more intentionally.
At the same time, the university recognized an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between advancement professionals and academic leaders. Deans, development officers, and institutional leaders needed a common framework for discussing priorities, preparing for donor conversations, and advancing philanthropic opportunities.
Building Alignment Across the Institution
Richmond's partnership with Plus Delta began with the Discipline of Frontline Fundraising (DFF), where gift officers learned a shared donor engagement process, meeting management techniques, qualification strategies, and impact-focused fundraising conversations.
As adoption grew, Richmond expanded the work far beyond frontline fundraisers. Additional DFF cohorts, annual refreshers, Advancement Partners programming for deans, prospect strategy work, the Management of Frontline Fundraising (MFF), and executive coaching helped create a common language and approach across the institution.
What made Richmond's approach especially distinctive was its commitment to investing in fundraising excellence at every level of the organization. Advancement leadership actively participated in the work, deans learned the same frameworks and language as their development partners, and President Kevin Hallock engaged directly in coaching and development alongside the broader effort. Rather than viewing fundraising improvement as something reserved for gift officers, Richmond embraced it as an institutional priority.
The president's participation sent a powerful message across the organization. It reinforced that fundraising effectiveness, donor engagement, and philanthropic partnership were shared responsibilities and that continuous improvement was expected from everyone involved in advancing the university's mission.
By creating alignment among frontline fundraisers, managers, academic leaders, and institutional leadership, Richmond established a shared framework for discussing priorities, preparing for donor conversations, and moving prospects toward meaningful philanthropic impact.
Stronger Results and Greater Momentum
The partnership produced measurable fundraising outcomes while also changing how teams approached donor engagement.
Participants reported significant gains in qualification effectiveness, confidence in donor conversations, and their ability to assess relationship readiness for solicitation. Gift officers increasingly viewed themselves as trusted advisors and facilitators, helping donors focus on the impact they wanted to create rather than simply discussing gift amounts.
The results translated into stronger fundraising performance. Participants identified more than $14.3 million in gifts influenced by the Plus Delta methodology, including new gifts, accelerated gifts, and gifts that closed at higher amounts than originally anticipated. As Richmond prepares for the next phase of its fundraising growth, the university continues to build on a foundation of shared process, intentionality, and collaboration across advancement and academic leadership.