Case Study: Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs boosts 529 enrollments with Civis Analytics

Michael W. Frerichs - Illinois State Treasurer - Customer Case Study

Michael W. Frerichs, Illinois State Treasurer, wanted to grow participation in Illinois’s 529 college savings plan among more families, especially underrepresented residents and households with younger children, but had a limited budget and ineffective traditional marketing. Civis Analytics helped the office identify the people most likely to enroll and improve outreach efficiency through predictive modeling and message testing.

Civis Analytics built a predictive model using more than 15 years of 529 account data, tested outreach messaging, and recommended a shift from traditional direct mail to a digital-first strategy with dashboard tracking. The results included a 40% increase in enrollments, record new account signups in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and mail targets who were 4.4x more likely to open an account than the general population.

Michael W. Frerichs - Illinois State Treasurer