Givzey Welcomes Inaugural Version2 Cohort Changing Fundraising Forever by Launching Fully Autonomous Fundraisers

Version2 & Givzey First Innovation Partner Cohort: World’s First to Research, Develop, Deploy, Track Efficiency & Effectiveness of Fully Autonomous Fundraising

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Version2, Givzey’s AI R&D lab focused on researching, developing, and accelerating the deployment of the world’s first fully autonomous fundraiser, today announced the first cohort of nonprofit organizations to launch the Virtual Engagement Officer (VEO) to donors. This marks the first time in history that the nonprofit sector has used fully autonomous fundraising at scale.

“Givzey built Version2 and the world’s first fully autonomous fundraiser because the untapped potential of unengaged donors is both overwhelming and staggering. We are honored to bring our vision to light with 13 pioneering organizations, each with leadership that understands that traditional fundraising methods simply can’t scale to meet the growth needs of organizations working to change the world. In the last few months, Givzey and Version2 proved that fully autonomous fundraising is possible and now with our amazing cohort of partners, our mission is to show how effective and efficient it will be for the future of fundraising,” said Adam Martel, CEO of Givzey and Version2.

"Emerging technology often brings both hesitation and rapid advancement requiring careful and thoughtful leaders. Adam Martel at Givzey is one of those generational thinkers and the College of Charleston is excited to celebrate our partnership with their innovative Version2; we've even already seen the first annual gift using a fully autonomous AI fundraiser,” said Daniel Frezza, Chief Advancement Officer, College of Charleston.

"William & Mary is proud to be the first organization partnering with Version2 to establish a leading-edge AI program that supplements our efforts as we support our community and grow our community of donors at William & Mary in the future,” said Matthew T. Lambert, Senior Vice President for University Advancement, William & Mary. “This AI-based approach to fundraising is a significant leap forward in how we — and other nonprofits in the U.S. — might engage with our donors, leveraging cutting-edge technology to enable our community to explore options for giving."

“At Sacred Heart University, our entrepreneurial spirit is at the heart of everything we do. Partnering with Givzey to advance Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the nonprofit sector allows us to contribute innovative solutions that reflect our commitment to creating meaningful impact. The opportunity to develop an Autonomous Fundraiser for the nonprofit space is not only rewarding but also aligns perfectly with our mission to create socially responsible innovations. Being an inaugural member of this distinguished research & development cohort is both an honor and a testament to our forward-thinking approach to higher education,” said Paul J. Sutera, Senior Vice President of University Advancement, Sacred Heart University.

"La Salle University is thrilled to collaborate with the incredible team at Givzey to deploy the world’s first fully autonomous frontline fundraiser. It is a privilege to participate in this groundbreaking program – alongside these 12 other impressive organizations and their terrific leaders – leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver even more resources to support our students," said Frederick Pettit, Vice President of University Advancement, La Salle University.

Thirteen nonprofit organizations have stepped forward to partner with Givzey and Version2 for the first cohort to launch the VEO with their donors. Each of these innovation partners are also learning partners, launching their autonomous VEOs to groups of 1,000 donors. Together, we are focused on proving that autonomous fundraising is possible by redefining traditional moves-management sequences. It is Version2’s belief that autonomous fundraisers should act as trusted liaisons between donors and institutions in ways that are similar but different from traditional fundraisers. The ultimate goal is for a gift to be the natural outcome of an autonomous engagement process. This autonomous engagement process includes creating and executing personalized donor journeys to inspire gifts and bringing personalized stewardship to all levels of giving – areas that traditional fundraising could not effectively reach due to limitations in staffing and human capacity.

“Givzey and Version2 are honored to work with nonprofit leaders who are willing to embrace the possibilities of AI for Good as they test and learn alongside us for both the betterment of their organizations and donor communities. Most importantly, each of these pioneers envisions the possibilities that fully autonomous fundraising will bring to the entire nonprofit sector and are willing to share their benefits for the greater good,” said Emily Groccia, Vice President of Customer Success, Givzey.

"Parkland Health Foundation believes the power of philanthropy can transform the face of public healthcare in Dallas County and beyond by creating meaningful, powerful and incredibly personal experiences for our donors. Through this groundbreaking partnership with Givzey, we are proud to trailblaze a path to amplify this belief through the use of AI and the world’s first autonomous frontline fundraiser,” said Dan Sullivan, Vice President and Chief Advancement officer, Parkland Health Foundation.

Version2’s first cohort of innovation partners include:
· Bucknell University - Scott Rosevear, Senior Vice President, University Strategy & Advancement
· College of Charleston - Daniel Frezza, Chief Advancement Officer
· Illinois Institute of Technology - Susan Lewers, Associate Vice President, Major and Planned Gifts
· The Jackson Laboratory - Lisa Burton, Senior Director of Advancement Services
· La Salle University - Frederick Pettit, Vice President of University Advancement
· Parkland Health Foundation - Dan Sullivan, Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer
· Sacred Heart University - Paul J. Sutera, Senior Vice President of University Advancement
· San Diego State University - Amy Walling, Associate Vice President, Planned Giving, Estate Administration and Annual Giving
· St. John Fisher University - Christopher Biehn, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
· Texas State University - Brooks Hull, Vice President, University Advancement and Executive Director, Texas State University Development Foundation
· Virginia Commonwealth University - Jay Davenport, Vice President of Development & Alumni Relations
· Wake Forest University - Mark A. Petersen, Senior Vice President, University Advancement
· William & Mary - Matthew T. Lambert, Senior Vice President for University Advancement

"St. John Fisher is committed to providing meaningful and innovative engagement experiences for our alumni, parents and friends,” explained Christopher Biehn, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, St. John Fisher University. “Our partnership with Version2 Autonomous Engagement Officer is one of the ways Fisher hopes to keep our community connected and provide opportunities for involvement and philanthropy"

"At Bucknell, we believe that advancement and fundraising practices need to evolve to achieve the results necessary to support the overall student experience. Innovating, learning and aligning new practices today is necessary to grow our culture of philanthropy at Bucknell for decades to come. We're proud to partner with Givzey and Version2 to be at the edge of AI innovation in our sector so other institutions and organizations can benefit from the insights we draw from our constituents," explained Scott Rosevear, Senior Vice President, University Strategy & Advancement, Bucknell University.

Because no two nonprofit organizations are alike, each is onboarding their autonomous fundraiser with institutional knowledge and goals that are specific to each partner and their fundraising strategy. As such, with 13 innovation partners, there are many different use cases being tested. These use cases include, but are not limited to, LYBUNT/SYBUNT engagement, upleveling donor’s gifts, pipeline development, re-engaging targeted populations of donors, end-of-year campaigns, annual giving/participation, and many more.

"We are thrilled to partner with Adam and his team at Givzey and Version2. In a landscape where our alumni base is growing exponentially while resources are shrinking, their innovative approach addresses the very challenges we face daily. The potential of an autonomous fundraiser to deliver meaningful interactions with prospects and donors, and then seamlessly turn those interactions into actionable outcomes, is game-changing. By joining forces with Version2, we are poised to significantly enhance fundraising effectiveness, streamline operations, and forge deeper, more impactful connections with our donors. Together, we are not just meeting the future of philanthropy—we are shaping it,” said Brooks Hull, Vice President University Advancement and Executive Director, Texas State University Development Foundation.

"At the core of the Jackson Laboratory is a sense of bold innovation, which is why partnering with Givzey in this exciting venture is a natural way forward in our fundraising design. In utilizing Version2 and collaborating with visionary industry leaders, we look forward to expanding the creative ways in which our donors can engage with JAX," explained Lisa Burton, Senior Director of Advancement Services, The Jackson Laboratory.

"Illinois Tech is proud to collaborate with Givzey at the cutting edge of innovation in philanthropy. Innovation and entrepreneurship are essential components to an Illinois Tech education and this partnership brings those elements to how we communicate with alumni," added Susan Lewers, Associate Vice President, Major and Planned Gifts, Illinois Institute of Technology.

If you are interested to follow along with updates on the progress of Version2’s innovation partners, how to build portfolios for autonomous fundraisers, how AI interprets moves management, and results, subscribe to The Future of Fundraising newsletter, which provides a weekly view into autonomous fundraising.

About Givzey and Version2
Version2, powered by Givzey is the first AI research and design lab specifically focused on advancing fundraising in the nonprofit sector. Version2 has developed the world’s first fully autonomous fundraiser, which manages large donor portfolios and raises funds. Version2 breaks through the digital divide with autonomous AI that guides donors through personalized engagement, gift discovery, solicitation, and stewardship processes so each donor is able to give to the causes they care about in the way they can make the biggest impact. Learn more at Version2.ai.

Givzey is a rapidly-growing Intelligent Gift Documentation Management Platform, built by fundraisers for nonprofit organizations. As fundraising’s first end-to-end gift documentation management platform, customers use Givzey to create efficiencies for fundraising staff, greatly elevate the donor experience and improve retention, ensure positive, successful, and organized financial audits, and scale pledge and multi-year giving by 10-15x.

Kevin Leahy
Givzey
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