Case Study: Pacific Lutheran University achieves a 75% increase in dollars raised with Ruffalo Noel Levitz On-Campus Managed Phonathon

Pacific Lutheran University - Customer Case Study

Pacific Lutheran University faced a steady decline in donors and dollars from its long-running, internally managed phonathon program—even though it had used Ruffalo Noel Levitz’s CAMPUSCALL™ software since 2007. With returns slipping and the program under review, PLU expanded its relationship with Ruffalo Noel Levitz and moved to an On-Campus Managed Phonathon model rather than continuing to staff the center entirely in-house.

Ruffalo Noel Levitz staffed and ran an on-campus call center, recruiting and training student fundraisers, performing data enrichment (including a Cell Append), shortening the calling calendar, and updating the call strategy to emphasize higher ask ladders and recurring gifts. The result was a 75.5% increase in total dollars raised, a 58.7% rise in gift commitments, a 10% increase in average gift, 12,807 new records added (with $28,299 attributed to basic research), and a 51% jump in conversations — outcomes PLU achieved with Ruffalo Noel Levitz’s ongoing analysis and recommendations.

Pacific Lutheran University

Alicia Hinckley

Director of Annual Giving