Digital Engagement Center & Phonathon

What is the Digital Engagement Center?

Staying engaged with alumni plays a crucial role in raising support for the University. One of the many ways Mercer has historically engaged with alumni and friends is through the Mercer Phonathon.

For decades, the University has hired a team of students each academic year to conduct the phonathon program. These student representatives call alumni and friends to update contact information, raise awareness of campus news, and ask for philanthropic support for the various academic units and programs that benefit all Mercerians.

To better engage its constituents, the Office of University Advancement launched a new digital engagement center in the fall of 2024. The goal of the center is to combine the power of technology, data and human touch to deliver personalized and relevant experiences to Mercer alumni and friends.

Who is calling?

The Mercer Engagement Center restructured the previous student calling program and is staffed by digital engagement officers — current students who contact Mercer alumni, parents and friends, with the focus of building relationships. The Office of University Advancement operates the Digital Engagement Center with 10-12 Macon-based undergraduate students who seek to engage with alumni of the 12 current colleges and schools, along with graduates of Tift College and the College of Arts and Sciences. Our engagement officers serve as student development officers who seek to build relationships with our Mercer community and to raise money for the University. They are passionate about what they are involved in at Mercer and want to hear your stories.

How do we engage alumni and friends?

We aim to stay in touch with our Mercer family by hearing about your experiences and sharing updates from the University. In addition to making phone calls, our digital engagement officers also create personalized videos and emails for alumni and friends.

When do we call?

Our digital engagement officers work for approximately 20 weeks of the academic year, between September and March. Working in a computer lab on the Macon campus, students call from 1:30 to 7:00 p.m. (EST) on Mondays and Tuesdays. They spend the rest of their working hours each week recording personalized videos for alumni and friends.

Your Participation is Vital

We also hope you will choose to make a gift to Mercer to benefit students today and into the future. Though most of the individuals contacted by the Digital Engagement Center are donors who give between $25 and $1,000, with the majority of donors giving $250 or less, they comprise a significant portion of the Mercer’s overall donor count.

No gift is a small gift! Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference in the lives of Mercer students. When you see Mercer University on your caller ID, in your text messages, or in your inbox, take a moment to answer the call or open the message and meet one of our digital engagement officers.