Tag: RNL

Honoring Giving Day Excellence | The 2025 RNL Givey Winners
Giving days have become a foundation for fundraising, helping institutions energize their donor base and create an incredible burst of philanthropic passion. As these days have evolved, so have the strategies institutions have used to amplify their efforts, rally donors around a theme, and gamify giving to take the results to the next level.

To recognize the creativity and strategy of these programs, RNL created the Giveys, and annual award celebrating the most innovative and successful Giving Day campaigns. This year we are pleased to announce 28 winners among our ScaleFunder partners.

The Giveys showcase a sampling of the outstanding work and unique approaches RNL’s many partners take to engage their communities and maximize their fundraising efforts. This year’s winners used pop culture-inspired themes and high-tech ambassador toolkits to bolster strategic support from the ScaleFunder and use of our easy-to-build platform to generate record-breaking fundraising events. Read about the winners and see their giving pages below, or watch our recent webinar where we unveiled the winning institutions.

2025 RNL Giveys Winners & Highlights

Category: Creative Giving Day Theme
- Winner: University of Texas at Dallas
  
  University of Texas at Dallas launched a fully integrated Taylor Swift-inspired campaign that spanned their logo, site text, graphics, and ambassador toolkit. The theme culminated in a fun, on-campus concert featuring a Taylor Swift impersonator and a selfie station.
- Winner: Missouri State University
  
  Missouri State won for their Taylor Swift-inspired theme that carried across their site’s banner image and ambassador materials, demonstrating a high-energy approach that resonated with their community
Category: Omnichannel Engagement
- Winner: Michigan Tech University
  
  Michigan Tech University was recognized for their professional and unified omnichannel strategy. They utilized high-quality branding, student photos, and front-and-center dates across postcards, digital ads, and email to ensure the campaign was seen everywhere.
Category: Creative Social Media
- Winner: West Virginia University (WVU)
  
  West Virginia University was celebrated for its use of creative social media challenges and contests, leveraging the Walls.io social media aggregator. Our favorites included a “Day of Giving Social Prop Challenge” tied to their save-the-date postcard, a “Country Roads Challenge” asking people to sing the John Denver song, and a “Pet Photo Challenge.”
Category: Gamification Excellence
- Winner: The University of Mississippi
  
  The University of Mississippi team was honored for leaning into what makes them unique! They tied their campaign to the hearts of their donors by offering unique and personalized rewards such as a manufacturing excellence fire pit and a signed, personalized print from artist Marshall Ramsey.
- Winner: Indiana State University
  
  Indiana State was recognized for an excellent display of matches and challenges on their site, particularly the “New Donor Challenge.” This challenge targeted first-time donors, successfully using a major gift to be unlocked once a specific number of new donors gave.
- Winner: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
  
  We applaud RPI for tying their gamification directly into their giving day date, March 14th (Pi Day). Challenges included goals like 3,142 laps around the armory and gifts of $3.14 or $31.42, along with highlighting pet posts for their president’s dog’s birthday party.
- Winner: Montclair State Uni v ersity
  
  Montclair State University was highlighted for their fun, relatable challenge that asked young alumni to “give up a coffee” and make a modest gift, then rewarded them with a coupon for a free coffee, encouraging repeat engagement.
Category: Ambassador + Donor Engagement
- Winner: University of Oregon
  
  The University of Oregon won for their “Ducks Give Day” campaign. They offered a free sticker pack for signing up as an ambassador and motivated participation in their “You+2” campaign, where ambassadors made a gift and secured two others to make a gift, then they earned an exclusive Oregon pin and pair of socks.
- Winner: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  
  UT Health Houston put together a Giving Day campaign toolkit to engage the ambassadors by providing professional, easy-to-use graphics and copy-and-paste sample messaging. The success of their campaign stemmed from understanding of their audience and a commitment to making it simple for people to spread the word and help them meet their goals.
Category: On-Campus Engagement
- Winner: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
  
  Celebrated for an excellent on-campus promotion strategy to generate awareness and engagement, which included free T-shirt giveaways, a kickoff pep rally, a voting contest for campus areas to receive funding, and a “Class Cab” golf cart.
Category: Awesome Greek Organization
- Winner: Kappa Alpha Theta
  
  Kappa Alpha Theta was recognized for their well-designed and welcoming ScaleFunder site design, which featured animated graphics and powerful donor testimonials directly on the page, leaning into their core message of sisterhood and connection.
Category: New Giving Day Partner
- Winner: University of Delaware
  
  The University of Delaware was honored for their successful first “iHeartUD Giving Day,” demonstrating excellent branding and execution, especially after needing to change their Giving Day date. Their quick, professional communication and successful campaign showed great promise, and they were true experts at keeping their community in the loop about iHUD happenings.
- Winner: California State University, Stanislaus
  
  California State University, Stanislaus was recognized for a very strong entry, leveraging years of success with RNL’s crowdfunding platform for their first Giving Day. They created a unique theme, “1960 Minutes of Giving” (based on their founding year), and used a unique domain label: “stanforacause.”
Category: Fall Giving Day
- Winner: The University of Alabama
  
  Featured for their recent “Clash of the Capstone” campaign, which pitted students against alumni in a competition to see who could bring in the greatest number of gifts, creating a fun, engaging way to host a second, focused giving day in the fall.
- Winner: UC Berkeley
  
  Recognized for the success of their second annual fall giving day, the “Oski’s Bearathon.” The campaign, which focuses on driving donations to student organizations, uses a fun, quirky theme and is a top example of how to successfully run multiple, distinct Giving Day campaigns in one year.
Category: Frictionless Giving Experience
- Winner: Butler University
  
  Butler University was celebrated for proactively adding custom questions to their donation form to collect information vital for advancement services and athletics, streamlining the gift processing workflow for their campus partners.
Category: Giving Day Video
- Winner: University of Houston
  
  The University of Houston created an engaging Giving Day campaign, which featured a video game theme. This included a fun, well-done video and the development of an actual playable game called “Shasta’s Birthday Dash,” accessible right on their Giving Day site. This gamified approach allowed participants to play, collect points by passing virtual campus landmarks, and track their scores on a visible leaderboard, making the celebration of their “years of excellence” a memorable and interactive experience.
Category: Incentivized Giving
- Winner: Northern Kentucky University
  
  Northern Kentucky University developed highly effective donor incentives as part of their annual Giving Day campaign. These incentives included offering a choice of a long-sleeve T-shirt for any gift of $68 or more (honoring their founding year) and leveraging a partnership with AAA to enter all donors of any gift size into a drawing to win two round-trip Delta Airline ticket vouchers anywhere in the continental United States.
Ready for a record-breaking giving day?

RNL Giving Day Powered by ScaleFunder combines the most powerful giving day platform with strategic assessments, omnichannel marketing, and stewardship to make your giving day a major success and increase future giving.

Category: Site Design
- Winner: The University of Mary Washington
  
  The University of Mary Washington earned recognition for their successful site refresh, which featured a custom-drawn campus wallpaper design for their Giving Day platform. Additionally, they leveraged a unique campus tradition, the “Devil Goat Challenge,” which pits even and odd class years against each other for additional challenge funds.
- Winner: Ivy Tech Community College
  
  Ivy Tech Community College Giving Day campaign prioritized team alignment across the entire organization and featured a visually fantastic site design. Their platform created a positive, celebratory atmosphere through its use of dynamic graphics and animation, including a banner with confetti dropping.
- Winner: Tarleton State University
  
  Tarleton State University created a professional and engaging Giving Day site that effectively showcased their branding, especially for the Texan Excellence Fund. Their use of vibrant giving area tiles that instantly captured attention and encouraged visitors to scroll and click through to learn about the different campus areas needing support.
- Winner: Washington State University
  
  Washington State University reached the outstanding milestone of their 10th annual Giving Day this year with their, “Cougs Give,” campaign. The university Giving Day site is well designed, featuring a “film noir” theme that used black and white imagery with a bold pop of red in their tile graphics, creating a memorable and visually sophisticated look that was carried throughout the entire campaign.
Category: Multi-Campus Showcase
- Winner: The University of Alaska
  
  The University of Alaska leveraged an exceptional multi-campus showcase feature, which unified its various campus identities through the creative use of their mascots. Their campaign stood out with engaging features like mascots animating in and out of the banner images and a fun “hide and seek” challenge that visually highlighted each campus’s unique identity.
Category: Athletics Giving Day
- Winner: Virginia Tech University
  
  Virginia Tech successfully hosted a second Giving Day specifically dedicated to their athletics, branded with the strong theme “Triumph Together.” This initiative united the university’s annual giving and athletics teams, serving as a powerful tool to generate engagement, secure great donor numbers, and cultivate loyal, all-around Virginia Tech fans.
Category: Giving Tuesday
- Winner: Northern Arizona University
  
  Northern Arizona University was recognized for their cohesive and successful Giving Tuesday campaign that featured a fall theme and their “Lumberjacks” identity. Their strategy featured a beautiful site design and creative, engaging messaging, such as substituting “gifts” with “axe of kindness” and playful puns to reinforce the thematic branding and celebrate who they are.
Category: Early Giving
- Winner: Marshall University
  
  Marshall University was recognized for their creative and effective use of early giving functionality on the ScaleFunder platform, which streamlined the donation process for both donors and staff. They simplified the experience by allowing gifts directly on the campaign site, customizing the donation button to say “Give Early,” and easily hiding the total aggregator and donor wall until the official launch to generate excitement.
Category: Wild Card
- Winner: Salem State University
  
  Salem State University was recognized for enhancing their Giving Day with creative, multi-media engagement features promoted directly on their homepage, offering fun ways for their community to participate beyond just donating. These features included a high-energy “Viking Warrior Day hype up” Spotify playlist and a curated YouTube playlist offering various pre-recorded activities, such as an alumni-led morning yoga session and an evening meditation.
Ready to have your award-winning Giving Day?

These stories of record growth, community engagement, and frictionless giving celebrated at RNL’s 2025 Giveys highlights that with the right tools, consulting support, and strategic planning, any institution can host a successful and engaging digital fundraising campaign.

Whether you’re looking to launch your first Giving Day, elevate your annual campaign, or start a new crowdfunding initiative, RNL’s ScaleFunder platform provides the technology, insights, and support to turn your vision into a fundraising victory.

Contact us today to explore how RNL’s ScaleFunder can help you engage your donors, mobilize your ambassadors, and build a tradition of giving day excellence.
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November 14, 2025
Why RNL Helps the Next Generation
Admit it. You were young once. And when you were young, chances are you didn’t know what the future held. Enter job shadowing, a great way to explore careers and gain useful information about what it takes to succeed in different fields, according to Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As a higher education marketing firm and award-winning design agency, RNL was an ideal choice as a job shadowing partner.

When Kirkwood helps connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities, the results speak for themselves:
- 98% of job shadow/internship students said their experience provided valuable information regarding their career interests.
- 67% said their experience positively influenced their decision to live and work in Iowa.
Job shadows give teens a sneak peek into what it’s like to work in a professional setting. They offer an opportunity to meet people, make connections, and potentially land internships or even future jobs.

Joining forces with RNL

Kirkwood’s Workplace Learning Connection first teamed with RNL’s content writing services and design strategy team six years ago to expose students to marketing for higher education and fundraising tactics.

As Kirkwood advertises the RNL virtual shadowing day: “Use your creative powers for good! The concept behind art and design is for people to react to your work. Get a positive reaction to a product and — boom! That’s marketing. Chat with graphic designers, content writers and web designers at Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Learn how they use their creative abilities to help you make one of the most important decisions of your lives—where to go to college.”

RNL’s expertise in higher education marketing helps colleges and universities effectively attract, engage, and enroll students. Our extensive experience in marketing strategy for fundraising benefits non-profits and universities. We believe sharing our collaborative and creative process encourages younger people to pursue rewarding careers at design and marketing agencies.

Each year, high school students from seven Iowa counties register to listen, ask questions, and seek guidance about future positions in marketing. In turn, RNL creative team members share our work and the reasons we chose our profession.

Helping the next generation

Jolie Baskett has been the glue for the RNL job shadow team for years—this year, Sarah Reimer and I also participated.

“Six years ago, I volunteered because I wanted to be the help that I needed when I was young,” she said. Since then, she has advanced from designer to senior designer to director of design.

“I love working with wonderful clients and brands and helping others. I want to help the next generation find their paths and be the best they can be,” she said. Personally, I am a former high school teacher and am passionate about writing and public speaking, so I raised my hand several years ago to share my enthusiasm for writing with these high school students. As I tell them, effective writing and clear communication are essential to every career.

Senior Designer Sarah Reimer enjoys working with RNL’s collaborative creative team. She wants high school students to know graphic design is a competitive industry, but there’s room for everyone.

“It’s important that we share our experiences and expertise with the next generation of creatives coming up, getting them excited to be creative as a career, learn about collaboration, and how to work on a team,” said Reimer. “Those are job skills they can apply anywhere.”

Listening and learning

During a 90-minute presentation, our RNL team shares our experiences and answers questions from students, ranging from broad queries like “What advice would you give an aspiring writer?” to much more specific questions like “How do you code for accessible web design?”

The proof is in the pudding. Here’s what three students had to say about our presentation:
- “I learned a lot about what specifically a creative marketing job would entail, and I also learned there are several different types of jobs within this field (coder, writer, designer).”
- “It helped me think of what classes I need to get into for different careers.”
- “I liked being able to ask questions about their day-to-day work and what exactly their responsibilities are.”
Refreshing perspectives

All three of us agree that seeing our experience through fresh eyes helps us appreciate our roles in a new perspective. Plus, when we help others, it’s a meaningful way to contribute to both the workforce and the community.

As we looked back through the years and considered ourselves as teenagers, we all had advice for our high school selves:

Baskett was an art kid her entire life and always had a drive to make the world a more beautiful place. To her teenage self, she’d say, “Believe in yourself.”

I knew I wanted to become a writer in fifth grade. I fell in love with feature writing and served as newspaper editor in high school. I’d tell my 17-year-old self: “You’re passionate about telling other’s stories. Do what you love.”

As for Reimer? Art wasn’t on her radar when she began college as a law enforcement major, before pivoting to graphic design. She would tell that college freshman: “You can make a career and support yourself being creative. Learn to be assertive, accept constructive criticism, and have fun letting that creative mind do its job!”
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July 18, 2025
Award-Winning Fundraising Campaigns: RNL and Our Campus Partners Receive Seven Gold Medals

RNL’s award-winning creative team wrote this post, sharing their insights on messaging and design. The team has won more than 100 advertising awards for fundraising campaigns.

Fourteen entries. Fourteen awards. For the 40th Annual Educational Advertising Awards, RNL’s creative fundraising campaigns stood out, with every one of our entries winning in their categories. And half won gold!

Being recognized by the largest educational advertising awards in the country speaks to RNL’s mastery of higher education fundraising best practices, as well as our creative team’s expertise and collaboration with our campus partners: the judges review for “creativity, marketing execution and message impact.” These campus partners range from West to East Coast, from small-but-mighty to multi-campus. The creative and fundraising tactics behind these seven award-winning campaigns are equally wide-ranging:

Bethune-Cookman University: Giving Day Total Fund Raising/Development Campaign

As an extension of Bethune-Cookman University’s advancement team, RNL developed Giving Day mail and emails inviting donors to honor Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s legacy. These eye-catching creative components showcased B-CU’s dynamic 120-year brand and emphasized the history of proud investments in Wildcat Nation.

Bennett College: CYE Total Fund Raising/Development Campaign

Bennett College serves a broad variety of students, the diversity of which was highlighted in this calendar year-end campaign across mail, email and digital ads. The appeal warmly celebrated Bennett’s donors and alumnae to cultivate connection, while communicating donor impact by demonstrating how their investment in today’s Bennett Belles creates a more equitable future.

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania: End of Year Total Fund Raising/Development Campaign

In RNL’s first year of partnering with Commonwealth University Foundation to solicit funds for three campuses—Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield—RNL honed in on what makes each campus unique. For the Fall and Calendar Year-End appeals, our investigative writer identified feature stories to resonate with each unique audience while advancing each campus’s priority focus. Our design director created seasonal pieces, including holiday cards worthy of display and GivingTuesday 2024 designs with branding balanced between the campus and the global day of philanthropy.

Linfield University: Homecoming Special Event Campaign

In our third year of fundraising work with Linfield University, RNL helped develop the first Homecoming appeal of our partnership. Appealing to a 50-year reunion alumni segment, a vintage background texture and historic mascot photo inserted nostalgia. Our writer developed copy in the voice of Mack the Wildcat, and our designer created Mack’s signature from scratch, riding the energy of Homecoming to invite alumni support in a fun, engaging way.

Wittenberg University: Calendar Year End Total Digital Marketing Program

The holidays are the most active time for fundraising, and RNL’s emails and digital ads for Wittenberg University pierced through the noise of the season. Leveraging Witt’s primary red and secondary teal colors, the campaign presents a strong, immediately recognizable brand while calling to mind Ohio winters with graphics and background photos from RNL’s Adobe stock account, expanding on the available assets and adding depth, texture and oodles of visual interest.

West Virginia University: Donor Renewal Total Fund Raising/Development Campaign

Donors have been clear: Knowing how their generosity makes an impact increases their likelihood to continue investing in an institution. That’s exactly what these pieces did for West Virginia University’s donors. Through a mix of visually appealing quotes, facts and links to video stories, the WVU community saw how important their contribution is—and as a token of gratitude and an investment in retention, they received a window cling acknowledging their donor status for that year, which RNL has created with WVU annually since 2020.

West Virginia University: FYE Direct Mail Appeal

During a time of transition, West Virginia University’s fiscal year end letter showcased how the university’s legacy set the stage for the future. With gradients and strategic placements, the RNL designer used bold brand colors to aesthetically balance the black-and-white photos and a timeline of historical milestones. With a broad audience spanning education, health care and community programs, the language and layout inclusively touches on a variety of key points to resonate with all.

Ready for your award-winning fundraising campaign?

RNL creates world-class fundraising campaigns for colleges, universities, healthcare institutions, and nonprofits. Find out how you can benefit from our award-winning creative, insightful analytics, and unparalleled fundraising expertise. Ask for a complimentary consultation.

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April 11, 2025
Turning Insight Into Action: The 2025 RNL National Alumni Survey
51,000 alumni weigh in on giving priorities, engagement preferences, and more.

This blog features an excerpt from Howard Heevner, fundraising industry leader and co-author of the
2025 RNL National Alumni Survey.

RNL’s 2025 National Alumni Survey was just released and, while the insights gleaned from this report are always valuable, one could argue that this data is worth its weight in gold during times of extreme uncertainty like we are currently facing in our sector. After all, there are a few universal truths that strategic fundraisers understand, regardless of differing priorities, levels of experience, or overall philosophy:
- “Hope”‘” is not a strategy.
- Stewardship matters.
- You will never regret confirming your flight departure time ahead of an important donor visit…
- When in doubt, go straight to the source: your donors.
RNL’s National Alumni Survey gives fundraisers a valuable opportunity to refine their engagement strategies by focusing on what truly matters—understanding donor expectations. By analyzing responses from more than 51,000 alumni across generations and institutions of all types, this report sheds light on alumni sentiments toward their alma maters, their giving priorities, generational volunteer trends, and the motivations behind their contributions of time, talent, and financial support.

Facilitated by RNL’s Sarah Kleeberger, this report also benefits from the expertise of longtime RNL partner and industry leader Howard Heevner. Howard provides both a foreword and conclusion to the report, offering insightful commentary, practical applications, and a forward-looking perspective on the future of donor engagement.

Excerpt from the 2025 RNL National Alumni Survey Report,
written by Howard Heevner:

Howard Heevner

As part of RNL’s second annual research study, we are again sharing the collective wisdom of 51,000 alumni representing a broad spectrum of higher education. The opportunity to provide a conduit for these voices to be heard is an honor, and along with the team at RNL, we are excited to share the feedback alumni from 21 institutions.

In higher education, we often spend our time looking inward or looking at other institutions instead of turning to those we wish to connect, engage, and inspire to be in a closer relationship with our institutions. For decades, we have been able to rely on an expectation of loyalty from our alumni because that’s how it’s always been. However, so many factors have changed the nature of that relationship and those expectations. Among them are the rising costs of education, the implied and often explicit promise that degree achievement will provide you with a pass to greater opportunity, and the increasing mistrust of institutions and higher education.

There is a growing concern for our pipeline of donors. We have seen a dramatic decrease in alumni donor counts across the United States over the past three decades. These trends pre-date the pandemic but seem to be exacerbated post-pandemic. Many schools are struggling to acquire new donors and are searching for new methodologies to do so. However, it seems most often we are taking the fractured giving structures that brought us here and bringing those into these new strategies. Maybe the issue isn’t our tools or strategies, but our ability to authentically connect with our alumni.

Ready to dive into the data yourself?

Download your copy of the 2025 National Alumni Survey, featuring eight key findings about alumni giving and connection taken from more than 50,000 alumni, as well as additional insights from Howard.
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March 28, 2025
Understanding College Safety Concerns | RNL
“I’m scared to walk alone at night.”

“What if someone targets me because I’m Muslim?”

“Will I be safe being openly gay on campus?”

These aren’t just random comments—they’re real voices from our latest research, and they stopped me cold.

For the past three years, RNL and ZeeMee have been diving deep into the emotional landscape of college planning. Our latest pulse survey (our third round!) reached over 2,600 high school seniors through the ZeeMee app, and their responses about safety concerns left me genuinely shaken.

Last year, we added a crucial question: we asked students who expressed worry about their safety in college to tell us, in their own words, what specifically scared them. Their candid responses paint a vivid— and sometimes heartbreaking—picture of what’s keeping our future college students up at night.

Here’s what they told us, unfiltered and unvarnished.

Understanding college safety concerns

Every night, a high school senior lies awake somewhere in America, staring at their college acceptance letter. But instead of dreaming about new friends and future possibilities, they’re wrestling with darker questions: “Will I be safe there? Will I belong? Will someone hurt me because of who I am?”

These aren’t just passing worries. They’re the heavy weight on students’ hearts as they contemplate their next big step. Through hundreds of candid conversations with students, we’ve uncovered the raw, unfiltered truth about what keeps them up at night. Their voices—brave, vulnerable, and achingly honest—paint a picture of what safety means to Generation Z and why traditional campus security measures are just the beginning of what they need to feel truly secure.

After analyzing hundreds of student comments about their safety concerns, 10 clear themes emerged, revealing how identity, background, and lived experience shape their fears. Understanding these concerns is crucial for colleges aiming to create safer, more supportive environments.

1. Personal safety and physical harm

Across all groups, students expressed anxiety about their physical safety on campus and in surrounding areas. Random attacks, mugging, and the general unpredictability of urban environments were frequent concerns.
- “I’m worried about approximate safety, like the area’s crime rate or state. There’s always going to be dangers.” – First-Generation Male
- “Being alone at night or generally in an open area with few people.” – First-Generation Female
Takeaway for institutions:
- Provide real-time crime alerts and transparent reporting about campus safety statistics.
- Partner with local authorities to increase security presence around campus.
- Encourage students to use campus safety apps for safe travel between locations.
2. Sexual assault and gender-based violence

Female and non-binary students, regardless of generation status, are consistently worried about sexual assault, harassment, and gender-based violence. Parties, walking alone at night, and navigating unfamiliar environments amplified these fears.
- “Rape culture is real. Parties can be dangerous, and not knowing who to trust makes it worse.” – Continuing-Generation Female
- “I’m suicidal and afraid of being raped.” – First-Generation Non-Binary
Takeaway for institutions:
- Expand bystander intervention training for all students.
- Ensure that Title IX resources and reporting processes are well-publicized and easily accessible.
- Provide self-defense classes and safe-ride programs for students traveling after dark.
3. Safety in new and urban environments

Moving to a new city or a high-crime area was a significant concern, particularly among first-generation students unfamiliar with city living.
- “The area of the college I chose is notoriously dangerous.” – Continuing-Generation Female
- “Since I’m out of state, I won’t know who to trust, especially in a big city.” – First-Generation Female
Takeaway for institutions:
- Offer city orientation programs to help students identify safe routes, neighborhoods, and resources.
- Highlight partnerships with local authorities and emergency services.
- Make campus safety maps available, showing emergency call boxes and security patrol zones.
4. Racial and ethnic discrimination

Concerns about racism, hate crimes, and bias were prominent among students of color, especially first-generation and male students. Black, Muslim, and international students frequently mentioned fears of being targeted because of their identity.
- “Since I’m African, racism and all that.” – First-Generation Male
- “I’m a Black Muslim woman. Being assaulted, being hate-crimed, Islamophobia.” – First-Generation Female
Takeaway for institutions:
- Create visible reporting channels for bias-related incidents.
- Provide diversity and inclusion training for campus staff and students.
- Ensure campus police and security are trained in cultural sensitivity.
5. Isolation and being alone

Being away from family and trusted support systems was a significant source of anxiety, especially for first-generation students. Women were more likely to express concerns about being alone while navigating new environments.
- “I would be alone away from home. Just knowing that anything could happen and I wouldn’t have that support system to call on.” – First-Generation Female
- “I’ve never lived away from home and don’t know if I’m ready to make safe decisions all the time.” – Continuing-Generation Male
Takeaway for institutions:
- Establish peer mentorship programs to help new students build connections.
- Promote campus counseling services, emphasizing their accessibility.
- Encourage students to join student organizations for community-building.
6. Campus safety and security measures

Many students, regardless of gender or generation status, questioned whether campus safety protocols were robust enough to protect them.
- “What if someone sneaks onto campus or tries to harm me?” – First-Generation Female
- “Sometimes the safety measures that are there aren’t enough.” – Continuing-Generation Male
Takeaway for institutions:
- Regularly assess and update campus security protocols.
- Provide students with clear information about emergency procedures.
- Ensure dormitories and common areas have secure access systems.
7. Substance use and peer pressure

Students were wary of the prevalence of drugs and alcohol on campus, especially in social settings where peer pressure could lead to unsafe situations.
- “Narcotics float around campus daily, causing self-harm to other students.” – Continuing-Generation Male
- “I’ve heard some college guys spike drinks, and it isn’t safe to go places alone.” – First-Generation Female
Takeaway for institutions:
- Promote alcohol and drug education programs during orientation and throughout the year.
- Partner with student organizations to create substance-free social events.
- Ensure campus safety staff are trained to handle substance-related emergencies.
8. Mental health and well-being

Many students expressed worries about managing their mental health while adjusting to college life, especially those from first-generation backgrounds.
- “I struggle with anxiety, and being in unpredictable places worries me.” – First-Generation Female
- “Just any fighting or being depressed.” – Continuing-Generation Male
Takeaway for institutions:
- Expand mental health resources, including counseling and peer support groups.
- Train faculty and staff to recognize signs of mental health struggles.
- Promote mindfulness and stress-relief programs on campus.
9. LGBTQ+ safety and acceptance

LGBTQ+ students are worried about harassment, discrimination, and feeling unsafe in gendered spaces.
- “I’m trans and nowhere really feels safe to be trans.” – First-Generation Non-Binary
- “I look like a cis male even though I am AFAB. I’m worried about my safety using the women’s bathroom.” – Continuing-Generation Non-Binary
Takeaway for institutions:
- Ensure that gender-neutral restrooms are available across campus.
- Promote LGBTQ+ resource centers and support groups.
- Train campus staff on LGBTQ+ inclusivity and safety.
10. Gun violence and mass shootings

With the rise in school shootings, concerns about gun violence were prevalent across all demographics.
- “The reality of increasing school shootings really scares me.” – First-Generation Female
- “How easily accessible and concealable guns are.” – Continuing-Generation Male
Takeaway for institutions:
- Conduct regular active shooter drills and safety trainings.
- Ensure campus police are equipped to handle potential threats.
- Promote anonymous reporting systems for suspicious activity.
Building safer campuses: Where do we go from here?

While each student’s experience is unique, the themes that emerge highlight common anxieties that colleges and universities must address. Institutions can make campuses feel safer by:
1. Improving transparency: Regularly update students on campus safety protocols and crime statistics.
2. Strengthening support systems: Expand counseling, mentorship, and peer support programs.
3. Enhancing security: Invest in access-controlled dorms, safe-ride programs, and emergency call boxes.
4. Promoting inclusivity: Ensure students from marginalized communities feel protected and respected.
5. Empowering students: Provide self-defense classes, bystander training, and safety resources.
Behind every statistic in this report is a student’s story – a first-generation student wondering if they’ll make it home safely from their late-night library sessions, a transgender student searching for a bathroom where they won’t be harassed, a young woman calculating the safest route back to her dorm. Their fears are real, their concerns valid, and their hopes for a safe campus environment are deeply personal.

The path forward isn’t just about adding more security cameras or emergency phones, though those matter. It’s about creating spaces where every student can exhale fully, knowing they’re physically safe and emotionally secure. Where belonging isn’t just a buzzword in a campus brochure but a lived experience. Safety means being free to focus on learning, growing, and becoming—without constantly looking over your shoulder.

This isn’t just a challenge for institutions—it’s a sacred responsibility. Because when we promise students a college education, we promise them a chance to transform their lives. And that transformation can only happen when they feel truly safe being themselves. The students have spoken. They’ve shared their fears, hopes, and dreams for safer campuses. Now it’s our turn to listen—and, more importantly, to act.
Read Enrollment and the Emotional Well-Being of Prospective Students

RNL and ZeeMee surveyed 8,600 12th-grade students to understand their anxieties and worries of students during the college search process. Download your free copy to learn:

The greatest challenges for 12th graders about the college planning process

The barriers keeping students from applying to college

The social fears of college that keep prospective students up at night

The top safety concerns of students

What excites and encourages students about the college journey

How students describe these anxieties, stresses, and fears in their own words

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February 21, 2025