Perspectives

Meet Erica Roybal!

Erica Roybal is the Gift Planning Coordinator for the University of Wyoming Foundation. Amidst planning her October 2024 wedding, Erica sat down with CGP to share her approach to donor engagement, insights into task management and strategy for fostering cross-departmental relationships.

After graduating from the University of Wyoming, Erica began her career at the University of Wyoming Foundation, starting in gift processing. Her subsequent role as Annual Giving Associate gave her valuable insights into donor engagement and fundraising strategies. Both experiences fueled her passion for planned giving, paving the way for her current role.

As the Gift Planning Coordinator, Erica’s day-to-day responsibilities often vary, but her role consistently involves corresponding with internal and external audiences on gift planning marketing, donor outreach, and organizing/tracking documentation of legacy gifts. Regular activities also include communicating with various audiences regarding estate administration. She thrives on the spontaneity each week brings. To manage her tasks effectively, Erica starts each day with a thorough brainstorming session to prioritize her work and gather necessary information. A structured Excel to-do list and regular check-ins with her supervisor help her create her schedule and ensure the department runs smoothly. 

Erica collaborates with the marketing team to provide additional technical pieces for marketing materials. With donor engagement evolving, Erica and her team have implemented a question into newsletters, emails and postcards to encourage audience participation. They utilize audience segments to tailor the question to donors’ unique interests. For example, the latest question for their donor group interested in athletics was, “What is your favorite UW athletics memory?” This personalized approach generated dozens of leads for their team to follow up on.

“Hearing personal anecdotes is a great touchpoint to connect with them [donors] about their experience.” 

Building internal relationships is an essential strategy within the organization. To establish open dialogue with other departments, Erica coordinates overview sessions to demonstrate the importance of everyone’s role in the gift planning process. Supplying additional context enhances each team’s understanding of gift planning and fosters collaboration. 

Reflecting on the experience, Erica says, “When people have gift planning questions, they know they can come to us.” 

Entering this profession can be daunting when considering the complex concepts that often come only from experience. Through Erica’s roles with the organization, she has developed a more thorough understanding of the various giving vehicles and their complexities. 

She assures those entering gift planning, “You don’t have to know everything immediately. You will learn it with exposure and time.” 

Erica emphasizes the importance of educational and professional development opportunities for new and emerging professionals. Becoming a CGP member, connecting with the community and attending conferences have elevated her expertise and expanded her network. 

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Connect with Erica on the CGP Link or LinkedIn to say “hello.” If you would like the opportunity to be featured in an upcoming Member Spotlight, contact us here.