How Presbyterian College Supercharged Donor Engagement with Texting

Presbyterian College is proving that the right message—delivered the right way—can make all the difference. After reinstating Mongoose in 2023, this small but mighty advancement team saw giving soar, alumni reengage, and manual outreach tasks shrink dramatically.

Here’s how a liberal arts college in South Carolina turned simple texts into $390,000 in giving—and why their strategy is only getting stronger.

The Challenge: Rebuilding Momentum Without the Right Tools

Presbyterian College (PC) had previously used Mongoose for donor outreach—but paused the platform due to budget constraints. In the years that followed, engagement dipped. The team relied on email and phone calls, which were increasingly inefficient and tough to track.

“We went a couple of years without texting at all, and we saw a dip in engagement. I fought hard to bring Mongoose back—and it’s made a huge difference.”

Amanda Dowdle, Director of Annual Campaigns and Development Officer

When it came time to revamp PC’s approach to giving and event communications, Amanda knew texting had to be part of the plan.

The Solution: Personalized Texting That Feels Human

With a small team managing a large alumni base, PC needed a platform that was easy to use, personal in tone, and trackable by campaign. Mongoose offered exactly that—with the added benefit of a shared inbox and direct support.

Now, instead of mass emails or cold calls, alumni hear from the college through personalized, conversational texts, from campaign updates to RSVP reminders and thank yous.

“Texting with Mongoose makes it feel like there’s a real person on the other end. That’s important when you’re asking people to give or attend something.”

Amanda Dowdle

Campaign Highlights: Texts That Moved the Needle

Giving Day

One well-timed Mongoose text generated 465 clicks, 132 donors, and $27,751 in a single day. A follow-up morning message added another $15,000 from 57 additional donors.

“The past few years, we saw a dip in Giving Day performance. But this year, not only did we exceed our goal—we looked at what links were driving donations, and Mongoose texts were the top performers.”

Amanda Dowdle

Giving Tuesday

A tracked link sent via Mongoose delivered 278 clicks, 45 donors, and $6,470 in gifts—outpacing most emails and phone efforts.

Presidential Tour Event Series

PC used texting to promote and manage RSVP responses for an alumni tour featuring their new president. The strategy boosted turnout, saved staff hours, and ensured that follow-up felt thoughtful—not formulaic.

Results That Speak for Themselves

• $390,000 raised on Giving Day

• 902 donors, exceeding the goal by over 150

• Top campaign links were all sent via text

• Faster RSVP turnaround for alumni events

• Fewer phone calls, more streamlined communications

“We used to call people one by one to ask if they were attending an event. Now we just send a text. It saves time and gets better results.”

Amanda Dowdle

Why Mongoose Worked for PC

Real-Time Engagement

Texts are delivered—and seen—within minutes, creating urgency and immediacy.

Trackable Results

Custom URLs help the team measure what works, down to the individual message.

Personable Touchpoints

Messages come from real people with real names, helping to build trust.

Time Savings

Campaigns that once took hours now run in minutes.

Simplicity

PC’s small team was up and running in no time, with minimal training required.

“It’s incredibly functional and easy to use. For a small team like ours, that matters.”

Amanda Dowdle

What’s Next for Presbyterian

As PC wraps up its fiscal year, the advancement team is exploring even more ways to use Mongoose—like drip campaigns, parent outreach, and deeper segmentation. The goal? Keep alumni engaged year-round, not just during giving season.

“Mongoose helped us reach our donors in a more personal way—and our results speak for themselves.”

AMANDA DOWDLE

Download the Full Case Study

For a college rooted in tradition and community, texting may not have seemed like the obvious answer. But for Presbyterian College, Mongoose brought their outreach into the modern era—without losing the personal touch.

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