University of South Carolina | Transforming Donor Stewardship with Digital PURL Reports
The Challenge
The Central Donor Relations Team at the University of South Carolina (USC) supports 20+ schools and entities across the system. One of their most important and time-intensive responsibilities is preparing personalized endowment reports for donors.
Historically, these reports were printed and mailed, which created two challenges:
- Resource Intensive: Producing and mailing thousands of reports required significant time and effort.
- Limited Visibility: Once mailed, USC had no way of knowing if donors received, opened, or engaged with their reports.
As donor expectations shifted to digital-first communication, USC needed a new approach that would both modernize stewardship and deepen engagement.
The Solution
USC partnered with iFOLIO to digitize endowment reporting with personalized URL (PURL) reports. Each donor received a secure, branded link containing:
- A personalized endowment report with fund details and performance
- A video message from the University President
- A personal note from the Dean
- College progress updates and accomplishments
- A “Donate Now” call-to-action button
- Embedded USC podcast episodes
- Key contact information
These dynamic digital reports gave donors a rich, interactive experience — all in one link.
"Sending personalized endowment reports to our donors is one of the most important and time-consuming tasks we handle each year. We went digital with iFOLIO and the results were incredible… Donors were engaged & some even reached out to increase their endowment.”
Kaydee Self, Director, Donor Relations and Stewardship,
University of South Carolina
The Results
The move to digital quickly paid off:
- Increased Engagement: Donors opened reports multiple times, with overall open rates exceeding 100%.
- New Gifts: USC received new contributions, including a $75,000 gift from a donor not even on their target list.
- High Adoption: Out of 2,926 recipients, only one requested a printed copy.
- Real-Time Analytics: iFOLIO’s patented analytics gave USC visibility into donor behavior — tracking opens, click-throughs, time spent, and 20+ other engagement metrics.
"Using iFOLIO for endowment reports has enabled us to delight and engage our donors and reduce manual work. Although we have complex personalization needs, iFOLIO has over-delivered every year on both the reports and their customer service"
Amanda Compton, Assistant Director, Donor Relations and Stewardship,
University of South Carolina
What's Next
After a successful digital transformation of endowment reports, USC is expanding its use of iFOLIO to include impact reports and additional donor communications, building on the strong results and donor feedback.
