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. Click the links to see the workflow and samples.
| 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:
|
| 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:
|
| 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 |
|
*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
Samples
Communication to Donors
- Thank You Letter – French and Italian Department
- General Scholarship Impact Report – SOHE
- Recipient Thank you Letter – SMPH
- Recipient Update Email – EDU
- Thank You Letter – Center for Society and Justice
Communication to Students
- Graduate/Professional Award – Customizable Thank You Letter Writing Instructions
- Thank You Letter Writing Guide – Graduate/Professional Awards
- Graduate Best Practices Guidelines
- Award Notification – Social Work 2016
- Award Notification – Geoscience 2016