Mike Bahun, Founder and CEOFundraising University operates inside schools as an outbound fundraising service. An expert in managing and executing fundraising programs on behalf of schools, it oversees the entire campaign rather than leaving that responsibility to school staff. Instead of treating fundraising as a commodity or product, Fundraising University uses an interpersonal model that begins with in-person meetings on school campuses.
“We use in-person meetings to educate group leaders and establish the dynamics that raise more money faster,” says Mike Bahun, founder and CEO.
Engineering Accountability into Every Campaign
The meetings form the starting point for a process built around planning, urgency, expectations, accountability and rewarding. Targeted questions help uncover what clients like and dislike, as well as how the fundraising proceeds will be used.
The appropriate format and timeline depend on each organization’s circumstances, including past fundraising experiences, socioeconomic factors, leadership strength and timing. The in-person consultation helps identify those conditions and eliminate barriers that could limit participation or results. This process also allows the company to connect each group's fundraising objective to a plan built around the conditions that matter most to it, rather than applying the same approach to every campaign.
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We use in-person meetings to educate group leaders and establish the dynamics that raise more money faster.
Once the plan is established, Fundraising University teaches it to the group’s leaders, demonstrates how it should be executed and remains involved throughout the campaign. Specialized, spaced-repetition check-ins keep teams focused on the actions required to move the fundraiser forward, while allowing Fundraising University to monitor progress, reinforce expectations and influence results.
Accountability is reinforced through individual teams, expectations, constant scorekeeping and built-in rewards. Depending on the school's needs, campaigns can range from two to three-hour fundraising events to seven- to ten-day programs.
Organizations using traditional product-based approaches may run campaigns for six to eight weeks. Over that same period, such campaigns typically raise only about 25 percent of what Fundraising University is able to raise in one week.
Technology reinforces execution by keeping key performance indicators visible at both the individual and group levels, with separate accounts for athletes and teams. Students can use secure tools to reach prospective supporters directly through text messages and social media, keeping outreach personal.
Turning Fundraising into a Student Experience
The fundraising process also creates opportunities for students to build interpersonal skills. Fundraising University brings teams and activity groups together through thematic events and divides participants into smaller teams that introduce competition while encouraging support and shared scorekeeping. Rewards are built into this structure, reinforcing participation while strengthening connections between students and their leadership.
By asking others directly for support, students practice interpersonal engagement and develop confidence in advocating for themselves. Rather than providing a product and stepping away, Fundraising University provides ongoing mediation and support throughout the campaign. That consistency in representation, combined with a focus on making the experience simpler and more profitable and understanding customer needs, helps support recurring relationships with schools and programs.
Looking ahead, Fundraising University is continuing to improve the execution system behind its service through technology and representative skills. By improving those capabilities internally, Fundraising University aims to lead and make others better, delivering better results while reducing the time required from teachers and coaches and increasing the financial impact for their programs.
