Aug 21 2025
How Montcalm Community College Gets Higher-Than-Average Reply Rates With Coach-Led Texting
How St. Joe’s Grew Day of Giving Donors 75 Percent With Text
TL;DR
Younger alumni will answer a text from someone they recognize long before they open another email. St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute started texting alumni with Mongoose just before its 2023 Day of Giving, with little time to plan. By its 2024 Day of Giving, donors had grown 75 percent, from 1,083 to 1,892, and personal texts had lifted alumni event attendance 50 percent.
- 75% more Day of Giving donors
- $485,133 raised in 2024
- 50% higher event attendance
- Texts from a leader alumni know
Download the Full Case Study
An alumnus of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Los Angeles got a text with his name on it. It was from Dan Warner, class of 2006, at SJCI Alumni, letting him know that Dan and President Fulco would be in town for a regional alumni reception at Perch on Thursday, June 6, at 6 p.m., and asking if he’d like to attend.
St. Joe’s sends texts like this one before alumni events, and they read like a note from someone the alumnus knows, because they are.
St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute is the largest private high school in Western New York, with more than 11,000 alumni and an advancement program that has run for more than 40 years. Since early 2023, it has used Mongoose Text to reach alumni personally, and the results show up in both event attendance and its annual Day of Giving.
Why Younger Alumni Stopped Responding to Mail and Email
As St. Joe’s alumni got younger, direct mail and email lost their pull. Messages were ignored or landed in spam folders, and the advancement team needed a way to connect with younger graduates that would lift event participation and annual fund giving.
The team wanted something personal and immediate, a channel alumni would see and answer right away.
“Texting is very instant and easy. People can reply right away, ask for links, and complete donations through their mobile wallet or sign up for an event in minutes. It’s allowed us to break through the noise and reach our alumni where they are most likely to respond.”
Sarah Stoklosa, Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship, St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute
How St. Joe’s Used Text for Its Day of Giving
St. Joe’s started with Mongoose in early 2023, just before its Day of Giving, with little time to plan. The team still moved fast, sending personal, timely texts that lifted both attendance and donations.
Real-Time Class Competitions
On Day of Giving, real-time texts about class competitions and exclusive giveaways kept alumni checking in and giving. One example: “Hey Class of 2000, you’re third on the donor leaderboard. Catch up to 1994, they’re only 10 ahead of you!”
Messages From a Leader Alumni Recognize
Texts went out from the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, which gave them a personal touch alumni responded to. Merge fields for names and class years made each message feel written for the person reading it.
“We get all kinds of responses, from questions about summer camp to bookstore inquiries, which shows the trust and connection we’ve built.”
Sarah Stoklosa
Timing Help From Mongoose
The Mongoose team helped St. Joe’s plan when to send messages for the best response, which mattered most during high-stakes moments like the Day of Giving.
Day of Giving Results
- Donors grew 75 percent, from 1,083 in 2023 to 1,892 in 2024.
- Day of Giving dollars rose from $361,588 in 2023 to $485,133 in 2024.
- Alumni event attendance rose 50 percent with personal event invitations by text.
“Our alumni are having direct, meaningful conversations with us, not just receiving another automated message. This capability has transformed our engagement, making it feel much more human and connected.”
Sarah Stoklosa
What Other Advancement Teams Can Take From St. Joe’s
Send texts from a person your constituents know, by name, and make the ask easy to act on from a phone. On giving days, use real-time updates like class leaderboards to give alumni a reason to come back. And watch the replies; when alumni text back about summer camp or the bookstore, it’s a sign the relationship is working. Those replies are the kind of engagement signals that matter more than open rates on giving days.
Other advancement teams have seen similar results. The University of North Florida finished its Giving Day with 5,884 donors, more than 1,000 over its goal, Presbyterian College raised $390,000 on Giving Day with a single text driving 132 donors and $27,751, and Carnegie Mellon grew alumni responses 170 percent. For practical tips on what donors and alumni respond to, see these FAQs and best practices for advancement teams.
Easy for a Small Team
St. Joe’s advancement team is small, and the platform’s ease of use let it manage campaigns despite limited resources. “It’s not complicated; it’s very user-friendly, and our support reps are always available,” Sarah said.
Looking Ahead
St. Joe’s plans to connect Mongoose more deeply with Blackbaud, its CRM, to automate personal stewardship texts like thank-yous after a gift and birthday messages. The school is also exploring texting for an upcoming Athletic Week of Giving.
“We love Mongoose. It’s made a world of difference in our communication plans and our ability to reach alumni and younger alums. It’s a tool I’d recommend to anyone looking to truly engage their audience.”
Sarah Stoklosa
Download the Full Case Study
For a two-page summary of St. Joe’s results to share with your advancement team, download the St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute case study (PDF).
Want to see what texting could do for your alumni engagement? Book a demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can texting increase Day of Giving donors?
How much did St. Joe’s raise on its 2024 Day of Giving?
Who should alumni texts come from?
Won’t alumni see giving texts as spam?
Does Mongoose work with Blackbaud?
