Meet Ava, Cleveland State University's new virtual engagement officer. She's powered by artificial intelligence and has been empowered by CSU to strengthen connections with its alumni network.

Developed for the CSU Foundation by Givezy Version 2, an artificial intelligence lab designed to create fully autonomous fundraisers, the foundation launch Ava in May as part of CSU’s effort to expand outreach with limited staff resources. The AI system communicates with alumni through text and email, sending personalized birthday messages, event invitations and surveys to thousands of graduates.

John Templeman, the director of annual giving at CSU, described the introduction of Ava as a significant advance, particularly in addressing the challenges of connecting with people. While other institutions may use similar tools for different purposes, he emphasized that Ava holds particular value for improving outreach and interaction for alumni.

“I heard about it and I thought about our needs, our difficulty in trying to engage people, and how hard that is,” Templeman said. “I've seen a lot of products come and go, and this is one that's like, ‘Wow, this is a game changer.’”

The foundation designed the project to connect with as many alumni as possible while supporting CSU’s broader strategic plan to embrace new technology. After a presentation to the Cleveland State University foundation board last year, the idea was approved, and the university moved forward with the partnership with Givezy shortly after the new year.

In March, Ava began to take shape with support from CSU’s advancement services and data team, which managed the setup and file transfers to update her knowledge base with everything related to the college. The knowledge base was then built out using information from CSU’s websites, social media accounts, athletics, marketing and Foundation pages, ensuring Ava could provide thorough and accurate responses.

“Basically (Ava’s) goal with this is to engage as many alumni as we possibly can to help our mission at CSU,” Templeman said. “One of the big pillars of the strategic plan that we did last year was adopting and embracing new technology and using it to further CSU, and this fits right in line with that.”

Ava is part of CSU’s new strategic plan, Cleveland State United. By adopting new technology such as a virtual engagement officer, the foundation believes it can work more efficiently and strengthen its efforts to advance the university.

Ava came at no direct cost to CSU, as it was funded by the CSU Foundation, a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit with its own operating budget. After review, the foundation’s board approved the investment, securing a discounted rate and an extended 18-month contract valued at about $75,000.

“I’m like, ‘We have to do this, it's cutting edge, it's the future," Templeman said. "We have an opportunity to get in on the ground level at a lower price than what they charge everyone else, and to have a longer periody. Rather than having a year, we're on for 18 months”

Since launching, Ava has been messaging Alumni and become a point of contact for them to update addresses, request campus tours and reconnect with programs. Templeman described how in one case, she relayed a law school graduate’s request for a visit to staff, prompting a follow-up from a development officer and a scheduled tour.

While fundraising is not yet Ava’s primary role, the CSU Foundation said her presence has already generated results. Templeman noted that 46 alumni chose to contribute more than $7,500 to the foundation after hearing from Ava. That outcome has encouraged CSU to consider how Ava might take part in major fundraising events, such as Giving Day in February.

“Just from the outreach, just by the communication, it prompted them to make a gift without us even asking for it,” Templeman said. “If someone's financially able and feels that what we're doing here is worthwhile, then they'll support it…but if they're not engaged, they're not going to support it, so the idea is to be engaged first.”

With more than 140,000 alumni in CSU’s database and too few staff to engage them all, Ava was created to help bridge that gap. Templeman said the goal is to foster more one-on-one connections with graduates, and while Ava’s future possibilities are still unknown, her purpose is clear – keeping alumni engaged.

“I think that a lot of people lose touch with the university after graduation,” Templeman said. “Hopefully Ava can help people stay connected, and then from there, you never know what could happen.”

For more information, or to connect with Ava, visit www.csuohio.ai/.