Thank you for volunteering! The Samford Parents Scholarship is fueled by a committed community of parents who work to ensure that Samford students complete their education despite enduring unexpected hardships.
Making the Case for the Parents Scholarship
At the heart of this campaign is bringing parents together to demonstrate their support of each other. If you can articulate why you personally give to the Samford Parent Scholarship, that reason will be your most compelling case to encourage others to support the campaign. Some people give to the university to demonstrate their affection, loyalty or special memories (dropping their students off on the first day, their student’s first call home, etc.). Others give to make sure the education and experience their students are getting is available to others. There are so many wonderful reasons to give to Samford, but what is fun about this drive is that parents come together to champion something special for our students.
Don’t be afraid to be personal, and to ask your fellow parents how Samford has affected their lives. Encourage them to share their love for Samford. While you should be familiar with the institutional case for support, it is much more important that the conversation be tailored to your interests and reasons for giving.
Take some time before contacting parents to reflect on why Samford is important to you. Providing your own reasons for supporting the university will be motivational for those reluctant to give.
There really is no one right way to ask for support. The way that works for you will vary depending on your unique gifts and talents. Our advice is to be honest and direct.
Calling, Emailing, Texting, Social Media – How to Start?
Emails are an easy way to start! See the email script below. Texting can be your go-to if you’d like to set up a time to make a call or want to follow-up if you haven’t gotten a response to your email. Phone calls can be very effective. If you do not get an answer to a phone call, please leave them a message and within a day, follow up with an email. If you are on social media you can share within your Samford networks.
Email Sample
Subject: Join us to support Samford families
As Samford parents, we all have stories and testimonies to share about this wonderful university. {Share why Samford is important to you and your family} This is why it is of the utmost importance to us to help other students and families realize their Samford dream, especially when some families are in desperate need of our help.
Recently, we learned of a student who overcame immense hurdles to attend Samford, and while she was only semesters away from graduating her family encountered a crisis. Tina Amaechi, whose dream of being a nurse was almost lost when her father passed away the summer before her senior year. Tina is now a proud 2022 Samford graduate because the Samford parent community came together and helped her finish her education. This scholarship is truly changing lives.
There are so many more stories just like these and that is why we invite you in joining us in committing to the Samford Parents Scholarship. We want to continue to bring Samford parents together to help each other in times of need. Growing the scholarship fund each year ensures that it is available to help students who face unexpected financial hardship.
Our goal is to have 100% parent participation. We would be honored to have your support. Gifts of any amount make a tremendous difference. Please make your gift online at samford.edu/give/parents.
Thank you for making a difference for our Samford students.
With much gratitude,
Social Media Tips and Examples
Update your Facebook profile picture with our “Samford Parent Campaign” frame filter and share your support via social media and text with other Samford parents encouraging them to participate. You can tag other parents, maybe share memories or photos – anything that encourages the Samford spirit. Consider a personal plea video to share, see tips under “Be a GiveCampus Advocate.” Please encourage gifts to be made before December 31. Use hashtag #SamfordParentsScholarship.
Here are some suggested posts:
I just gave to #SamfordParentsScholarship and encourage you to as well!
I supported the Samford Parents Scholarship because _____. Make your #SamfordParentsScholarship gift today! Make your gift today at www.Samford.edu/give/parents
100% participation is the goal! Any amount makes a difference. Help families in need #SamfordParentsScholarship www.Samford.edu/give/parents
...You get the idea!
Be a GiveCampus Advocate
Make an impact at samford by encouraging other parents to support the Samford Parents Scholarship on GiveCampus!
It’s easy. Here’s how:
Create an Account (or if you already have one, log in)
- We can only celebrate your hard work if we're able to tell it's you! And we do that by tracking outreach done when you're logged in to GiveCampus.
- Head to Samford GiveCampus page and click 'Log In' at the top of the page.
- Create an account from there!
Consider Your Own Gift
Lead by example and make your own gift early. It's much easier to ask your friends and other parents to join you in making a gift when you’ve already done it yourself!
Offer a Match (or Challenge)
- Leverage your gift and encourage others to give via a match or challenge.
- Consider restricting your match or challenge by your state or to a list of your friends (by email address) to raise the stakes
Share, Share, Share
- The built-in sharing buttons on the campaign page generate a link that is unique to you. If you share while you're logged in, we can track it and celebrate your impact!
- Share via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, text message, email, phone call, carrier pigeon… The sky’s the limit!
Tell Your Story
- Create a personal plea and post it to the campaign page!
- Film a quick video in which you tell your community why you’re excited about the campaign, and why others should get involved. Keep it quick, casual, and fun!
