Macy Russell
Donor Relations Officer
University Advancement, Washington University in St. Louis

Jenny Wolkowitz
Executive Director of Development, Individual Giving
University Advancement, Washington University in St. Louis

Last summer, Jenny Wolkowitz began preparing for a meeting a century in the making. She was engaging the sixth generation of a prolific family to envision the future of their family foundation at WashU. While prior generations had practiced a quiet, steady form of generosity for decades, this newer generation expressed a desire to make more transformational investments. They weren’t just looking for new projects; they sought a philanthropic identity that felt uniquely theirs while remaining anchored in their ancestry.

Jenny worked closely with the Olin Business School to craft a menu of forward-thinking opportunities for the family’s philanthropy. Honoring a hunch that to move forward, it would be helpful to look back, she reached out to Macy Russell, a donor relations officer specializing in bespoke engagement, for help. Their initial plan for a one-page financial summary soon evolved into a genealogical detective story.  

University digital records only reached the 1960s, but Macy presumed a deeper connection than meets the eye. She worked with prospect research to dive into the archives, scouring microfilm and handwritten ledgers until she discovered the seed of the legacy: a $5 gift from a member of the family from the Class of 1925.

At WashU, giving summaries are typically data-driven documents. However, Macy chose to center the narrative on that humble five-dollar entry. The impact was immediate. Deeply moved by a compelling gift proposal and rediscovered family history, the family pledged a six-figure gift to support a speaker series over a three-year period. At the first speaker event, a member of the family stood before the audience and shared how that first gift started their family down a path at WashU lasting for generations.

The momentum didn't stop there. Signaling a deeper interest, the family eagerly asked for help identifying their full alumni lineage, so they could understand the rich history and its link to the university’s current trajectory.  

Collaborating with the registrar and campus libraries, Macy compiled yearbook photos and records of forgotten relatives into a "family legacy" document—a priceless piece of ancestral history.

This case study highlights a vital lesson in donor relations: the power of identity. By leaning into the family’s desire for ancestral knowledge, Jenny and Macy deepened the family’s affinity with the institution. Perhaps most remarkably, outside of staff time, the cost to produce these two life-changing touchpoints was roughly $2.