Graduate and Professional Support

Graduate and professional students are critical to a research institution. The most accomplished graduate students are in demand and graduate and professional awards give UW-Madison the ability to recruit and retain the best scholars. These awards come in various packages, so we’ve listed some processes and best practices to follow as you steward donors.

Stewardship Practice Owner* Notes/Frequency
Send Acknowledgment Letter to Donor after new fund has been created Department/Unit Chair and Administrator Once fund has been created
Select recipient and send awarding information Award Administrator Include:

  • Award Guidelines
  • Donor Bio
Collect and review student thank you letter(s) Graduate Committee/Department Administrator/Advancement Office
Send Stewardship Packet to donor and notify WFAA development team. Graduate Committee/Department Administrator/Advancement Office Recommend that these are sent by end of semester. Include:

  • Unit’s thank you to donor
  • Any additional stewardship materials
Record Recipients and Stewardship Activity in ABE and OnBase WFAA Development School/College liaison
Coordinate additional donor stewardship as appropriate WFAA and Unit Advancement Teams
  • Donor-Recipient Meetings
  • Reports of student research/accomplishments

*S/C/U staff should partner with their WFAA advancement colleagues to determine roles and responsibilities to maximize their stewardship efforts for their particular areas

Process