What is the Wake Forest Fund Phonathon?
The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon is a group of student callers who contact alumni and friends of Wake Forest University. The mission of The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon is to build alumni participation through annual gifts from alumni, parents, and friends by educating them on the needs of the University and involving them in the life of the University.
Contact information:
For more information, contact Derrica Barbee (’12), assistant director of The Wake Forest Fund Call Center & Student Philanthropy, at 336.758.5915 or barbeedd@wfu.edu.
The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon
P.O. Box 7227
Winston-Salem, NC 27109
Frequently Asked Questions
What year was the Phonathon started?
The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon was started in the 1970′s with alumni volunteers. In 2002 the Phonathon first employed students. Last year, our Phonathon upgraded from manual dialing to fully automated Ruffalo Cody calling software.
What is the mission of the Phonathon?
The mission of The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon is to build alumni participation through annual gifts from alumni, parents, and friends by educating them on the needs of the University and involving them in the life of the University.
What are the calling shifts?
Calling shifts are Monday-Thursday from 6:00-9:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoon from 4:30-8:30 p.m. and 6:00-9:00 p.m.
How many shifts per week are callers required to work?
The Wake Forest Fund student callers are required to work at least two calling shifts per week, but may work more.
How many students does The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon employ?
The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon employs 40-50 students each semester. The Phonathon also employs five student managers who support the Phonathon in various administrative duties in addition to calling alumni.
Why should I give to The Wake Forest Fund?
Wake Forest has been the beneficiary of great generosity by alumni, parents and friends. However, Wake Forest’s mission of educating the whole person in a diverse learning community that combines a liberal arts core with graduate and professional schools and innovative research programs cannot be achieved through tuition dollars alone. For this reason, Wake Forest must look to alumni, parents and friends for support to meet challenges and take advantage of future opportunities.
What is the difference between a restricted and unrestricted gift? Unrestricted Gifts vs. Endowment Gifts
Money generated by the Wake Forest endowment is allocated in advance for specific uses. Money from The Wake Forest Fund, in contrast, is unrestricted, which means that it is disbursed on a current-use basis to meet some of the university’s most pressing needs.
What if I can’t afford to make a large gift this year? Does my gift even make a difference?
Every gift matters. Donors give from $10 to $100,000; participation at every level is appreciated. Whether large or small, your gift will be joined with the gifts of other donors, and it is the aggregate of all gifts from parents that has the greatest impact. When foundations and corporations consider grant applications, they frequently ask us about the percentage of participation in giving from Wake Forest alumni, parents, and friends. It strengthens our case when those closest to the University support it. Your participation-at any level-serves as a catalyst for larger gifts and grants.
Does my gift count toward my reunion?
Absolutely. In your reunion year, your gift IS your Reunion Class Gift. Every five years during a reunion celebration, we hope that you will make that meaningful “stretch” gift to show how much your Wake Forest experience meant to you.
I work for a matching gift company. How do I secure a matching gift for Wake Forest?
If you work for a company that matches charitable contributions from employees, you may be able to double or even triple the value of your gift. Forms are available through your company’s human resources department. To ensure proper crediting and distribution of your gift, or if you have any questions regarding matching gifts, please contact:
Emmie Adkins
adkinsem@wfu.edu
Phone: 336.758.6087
Fax:336.758.5108
Is it safe to give credit card information over the phone to the Phonathon?
The reason we place gifts on credit cards is because it helps maximize your gift! By placing a gift on a credit card, it helps to cut down on the administrative and processing costs of sending you a pledge packet that would include the envelope, letter, return envelope, and postage both ways.
We completely understand concerns about credit card security.
If you are ever concerned about giving your credit card to someone claiming to be calling from The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon, there are a few things you can do to be safe:
Ask the caller for the phone number of the Assistant Director of The Wake Forest Fund Call Center & Student Philanthropy (336.758.5915) and ask to be scheduled for a call back in a few days. They will confirm through our computer records if you were in fact called from The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon.
Why does the Phonathon call repeatedly without leaving a voice-mail or answering machine message?
We work through a computer system that automatically schedules a call back if there is no answer or the call goes to a messaging system. We apologize if this is disturbing. However, once someone answers the phone and we have determined if you will or will not be giving this year, you will be removed from the calling system for the remainder of the year.
Why does the Phonathon call Wake Forest Alumni, Parents, and Friends?
The Wake Forest Fund Phonathon is the single most effective way to reach the largest number of people in the shortest period of time. It is one area within Annual Giving that provides the University with an opportunity to communicate personally with alumni, parents, and friends once a year. The main goals of each call are to keep everyone connected with current students, to promote events on campus as well as around the nation, to thank donors and to increase annual support.
