Giving Day acknowledgment and stewardship instructions

Our goal is to convey appreciation and tell giving stories without sending too many messages. All acknowledgments will be emailed, including presidential, dean, and director communications.

• Giving Day gifts are coded with a Giving Day appeal code so appropriate language may be added.
  • Appeal codes for 2025 include: GIVDY25, GIVDY25M, GIVDY25PP, GIVDY25V, GIVDY25VC, GIVDY25VM
• Donor Relations will highlight Giving Day in presidential acknowledgments as appropriate. When reviewing presidential acknowledgments, gift officers should let Donor Relations know if a prospect was critically involved in Giving Day (e.g., challenges or matches) and if this should be referenced in the thank you message.
• See Giving Day senior leader gift acknowledgement language to use when crafting leadership stewardship messages.

GiveGab electronic receipt

• One receipt is sent per transaction; see below
• One high-level signatory, Fred Van Sickle, who also signs the regular electronic receipts
• From line is “Cornell University”

Other acknowledgments

• A general thank you message will be sent on March 14
• Colleges and units should acknowledge Giving Day donors electronically no later than two weeks after receiving final gift data
• Leadership Giving Society-level gift acknowledgments
  • Tower Club acknowledgments for gifts adding up to $10,000 and up
    • This is a post mail piece, signed by Tower Club Chair Hernan Saenz ’95
    • Includes Giving Day language when appropriate
  •  Cornell Giving Partner acknowledgment for gifts totaling $1,000 to $9,999
    • This is an email or postcard, signed by Tom LaFalce ’94
    • Includes Giving Day language

Stewardship ThankView emails

• Donor Relations and CMP will send Thankview emails to leadership and VIP segments of Giving Day donors.
  • Retention Thankviews will be sent to donors who made gifts of $250+ on Giving Day 2024.
  • Stewardship ThankViews will be sent to those who give early; next generation donors in Y1–Y20 who make a gift of $500–$999 on Giving Day 2025; and donors who make a gift of $1,000+ on Giving Day 2025.
  • We will once again create a special ThankView for challenge and match donors. Colleges and units will be able to opt-in to include their match and challenge donors.
• Samples from last year:
  • Retention ThankView to previous year’s leadership donors
  • Stewardship ThankView to donors of $1,000+
  • Special ThankView for challenge and match donors
• If you have questions, contact Kelly Dowd (kad284@cornell.edu).

Student written thank-you postcards

• Part of the AAD-led Willard Straight Hall event will include a place for students to write a thank-you postcard to Giving Day donors in exchange for swag, food, etc.
• Donor Relations coordinates this effort with guidance from the Giving Day team.
• While we generate most of our student thank you postcards at our central event, we can also provide postcards to colleges and units. We may not be able to guarantee segmented donor lists throughout the day, but if you’re interested in participating in this campaign at the college/unit level, reach out to Julie Trimble (julie.trimble@cornell.edu) to discuss it.

Stewardship ideas for match and challenge donors (individual stewardship)

We encourage colleges and units to steward match and challenge donors in meaningful ways. We collected ideas from colleagues to provide some inspiration:

• Refer to the donor(s) as match or challenge donors when introducing them to others. Make it a point of pride. For example, if you introduce a match or challenge donor to a Dean or senior leader, mention that they are a Giving Day match or challenge donor.
• Provide the donor(s) with updates via email or text throughout Giving Day on the progress of their match or challenge. Keep IGOs in the loop and ask them to provide the updates to the donor.
• Send the donor(s) a final report after Giving Day with information on how the match or challenge performed and with final Giving Day outcomes. Request that a Dean or senior leader send the report to the donor, if appropriate.
• Involve your college or unit’s communications team in stewardship efforts. Develop a strategy to acknowledge a match or challenge donor through social media.
• Send Giving Day or Cornell swag. SCL sent Cornell-branded cooler bags to their match and challenge donors in 2024, along with a handwritten note from whomever was most meaningful to the donor.
• Engage faculty, staff, and coaches in stewardship, when appropriate. For example, coaches help steward their team’s match and challenge donors by sending them updates on Giving Day, thank you messages afterward, and team swag.
• Opt-in to have the donors receive the special ThankView that CMP and Donor Relations send to match and challenge donors on Giving Day.
• Athletics has offered a special way to steward match and challenge donors with complimentary tickets to home men’s hockey games, and men or women’s basketball games, in Nicki Moore’s box. Nicki most likely will be in attendance. This is available to any match or challenge donor, even if their gift is not directed to SCL or Athletics. Please reach out to Ellyn Grant-Keane if you are interested.
• Create a custom stewardship piece that is unique and meaningful to the individual donor, such as a signed card or framed photo from those who will benefit from the gift (like a student or faculty group or team).
  • For example, we sent a poster covered in thank you messages from students and others to challenge donor Mary Meduski in 2024.
• Visit the DIY Stewardship Toolkit on the intranet for even more individual stewardship ideas!

GiveGab electronic receipt copy

Note: Rather than the university seal or a picture, we will use the Giving Day logo.

FROM: Cornell University
SUBJECT: Thank you for your gift to [DESIGNATION]

[NAME],

Thank you for your Giving Day gift!

Your generosity today creates a brighter future, here at Cornell and around the world. Thank you joining us, and helping our students and faculty continue to reach for the stars.

Follow the day’s results or make a gift to another area at givingday.cornell.edu.

Your official receipt for tax purposes is below. Thank you, again!

Best,
Fred Van Sickle
Vice President, Alumni Affairs and Development

Your donation receipt from
Cornell Giving Day
Donor: [NAME]
Date: [DATE]
College/Unit: [COLLEGE/UNIT]
Designation: [DESIGNATION]
Fund Number: [NUMBER]
Amount: [AMOUNT]

Total: [AMOUNT]

This receipt is the university’s official acknowledgment of your gift whereby we certify that no goods or services were provided. The Internal Revenue Service requires proof of gifts of $250 or more, other than a canceled check. Since gifts to Cornell University constitute a proper deduction under Income Tax laws, you should print or save this letter as a proof of your gift. The IRS recognizes Cornell University as a nonprofit organization. IRS Code: Section 501(c)(3) Tax Identification Number: 15-0532082.

If you are a Canadian donor, this receipt represents an official receipt for income tax purposes.

Please contact givingday@cornell.edu or call 800-279-3099 for questions concerning this official gift receipt.

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