4 Signs Your Student Phonathon Program Needs a Glow Up

The way people communicate—and give—has changed. Unfortunately, the traditional student phonathon hasn’t kept pace. Programs that once relied on large teams of students calling alumni with scripted asks are now struggling to connect meaningfully with donors.

Today’s donors expect outreach that feels personal, timely, and aligned with how they actually communicate—via text, email, video, or social platforms. Meanwhile, student callers are often stuck using outdated tools designed for a different era. The result is one-size-fits-all outreach that feels impersonal to donors and frustrating for students. As donor behaviors shift, the old phonathon model continues to fall further behind.

The good news? With the right technology—like multichannel platforms that support calls, video, text, email, and real-time performance feedback—institutions can empower student fundraisers to connect with donors in more personalized and authentic ways. These phonathon software alternatives don’t just modernize your approach—they help unlock more meaningful relationships and better fundraising results.

Let’s explore four key signs your student engagement center needs a glow up.

Sign #1: Your Contact Rates Are in Free Fall

If your student callers are spending hours dialing and only reaching a handful of donors, you’re not alone. Today’s alumni are increasingly wary of answering unknown numbers. Between spam call filters, caller ID, and changing communication preferences, getting alumni to pick up the phone is harder than ever. In fact, eight-in-ten Americans say they don’t answer their cellphone when an unknown number calls, according to a Pew Research Center survey. 

Traditional phonathon tools simply weren’t built for today’s donor behavior. And the ‘more-calls-equals-more-gifts’ mindset no longer applies either. When most people won’t even pick up the phone, doubling down on call volume won’t solve the problem. You don’t need more dials—you need more ways to connect. Institutions that are evolving their student fundraising programs aren’t necessarily eliminating the phone call as it can still hold value as a vehicle for donor engagement. However, they are repositioning it as one of many tools in a larger, multichannel strategy.

That’s where modern phonathon software alternatives like GC GO for Student Fundraising come in. GC GO equips student fundraisers with the tools to reach donors through multiple channels: texting, personalized video messages, email, and yes, phone calls—all in one platform. By meeting donors where they are, students can break through the noise, spark authentic engagement, and ultimately drive better results—with less friction.

Sign #2: Students Are Disengaged (or Quitting)

Even the best outreach strategy falls flat if your student fundraisers aren’t engaged in the work. For many students, the traditional phonathon setup—calling strangers, following a rigid script, and working in isolation—feels impersonal, outdated, and disconnected from how they naturally communicate. This type of work can lead to faster burnout and fatigue among your student fundraisers. 

Gen Z overwhelmingly prefers messaging-based communication.  Nearly three-quarters say they’d rather text than call, and one study found that 90% of Gen Z respondents felt anxious about speaking on the phone. Sitting in front of a dialer, repeating the same message to voicemail boxes, can feel tedious and detracts from the kind of meaningful work students want to be doing. When students don’t feel motivated or supported, turnover rises and donor interactions suffer.

But communication preference is only part of the story. Younger fundraisers thrive when they can see their progress, understand their impact, and receive real-time feedback. According to Gallup, only 35% of Gen Z workers are engaged at work, largely due to lack of connection, clarity, or purpose. They want tools that reflect how they work best—and that includes transparency into what’s working.

GC GO allows students to engage donors through their preferred channels—texting and email—but also supports them with automated task assignments, built-in cadence flows, and real-time performance tracking. They’re not guessing what to do next or whether they’re making a difference—they can see it. By pairing intuitive communication tools with visible progress and clear structure, GC GO helps students feel empowered, not scripted. The result? Higher morale, stronger performance, and more authentic donor connections.

Sign #3: Your Outreach Feels Transactional to Donors

Even when a student does connect with a donor over the phone, the interaction often lacks the depth and personalization that today’s supporters expect. Reading from scripts, rushing to hit call quotas, and following rigid workflows can make conversations feel more like checking a box than making a genuine connection.

Today’s donors are used to personalized experiences in nearly every facet of their lives. More than 71 percent of consumers expect personalized interactions with companies, according to a 2021 McKinsey study. When that same level of care and relevance is missing from your outreach, it sends the wrong message: that this isn’t really about them, it’s just about the gift.

That perception is a missed opportunity. Your students aren’t just voices on the phone—they’re storytellers, representatives of your institution, and future alumni. And when they’re empowered to show up as such, donors will respond differently.

Solutions like GC GO for Student Fundraising can help shift the tone of outreach from transactional to relational. With AI-generated donor bios at their fingertips, students can quickly learn more about the individuals they’re contacting. This level of insight enables them to craft thoughtful, personalized touchpoints that reflect genuine interest. Ultimately, when donors feel seen they’ll be more inclined to give.

Sign #4: You’re Missing Out on Multichannel Donor Engagement

Today’s donors aren’t waiting by the phone—and they aren’t all hanging out in the same place. Some prefer text, others email. Some will watch a short, heartfelt video message, while others respond best to a well-timed LinkedIn follow-up. The point is: effective outreach today isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s a multichannel journey.

Donors that are engaged through multiple communication channels give more than three times as much as donors who are engaged through only a single channel. Traditional phonathon programs, built around a single channel—the phone call—are simply misaligned with how people communicate today. Relying solely on calls limits your reach, excludes segments of your audience, and reduces your chances of meaningful engagement. You want to create a personalized donor journey that leaves your constituents feeling seen every step of the way. 

The most successful fundraising teams are meeting donors where they are, not where they used to be. They’re layering phone calls with personalized texts, follow-up emails, donor-specific video content, and even social engagement. The key to a multichannel approach isn’t just using more tools—it’s using the right platform to bring them together. Too often, teams are bogged down by clunky call software, disjointed texting tools, and limited or manual CRM workflows. GC GO modernizes the entire experience, giving student fundraisers a single, intuitive platform to text, email, call, and send personalized videos—all tracked and reported in one place.

And because GC GO is fully integrated with both GC Online Giving and your CRM, you don’t have to worry about information falling through the cracks. Students can accept gifts over the phone, update donor contact details, and see relevant donor insights—all without needing full access to your CRM. The system syncs automatically in the background, so every touchpoint is logged, every update is captured, and your entire advancement team—from student callers to major gift officers—is working from the same, up-to-date record. That means more efficiency, more data integrity, and more impact across the entire donor pyramid.

A New Era of Student Fundraising Is Here

The traditional phonathon isn’t broken because students or donors have stopped caring. It’s struggling because the tools and tactics haven’t kept up with how people communicate, connect, and give. If your program is seeing fewer contacts, lower engagement, and shrinking returns, it’s not a sign of failure—it’s a sign that it’s time for a change.

The good news? Student fundraising still works—when it’s done right. By embracing modern outreach strategies and empowering students with intuitive technology, you can unlock more authentic conversations, stronger donor relationships, and a higher return on your investment.

GC GO for Student Fundraising was built to help advancement teams like yours evolve beyond the call center and into a smarter, more personalized future.

Ready to see what a modern student fundraising program can look like? Book a demo of GC GO today and discover how you can get more out of your student outreach efforts and drive better outcomes.