What is the Trinity Hall Telephone Campaign?

The Trinity Hall Telephone Campaign or Telethon is run annually by the College's Alumni & Development Office and has a dual purpose. We employ up to thirteen students to call around 1,000 alumni over a two-week period. Firstly, to update alumni on news, developments and forthcoming events in College and to offer alumni and current students the opportunity to exchange experiences. Secondly, to seek support for the Trinity Hall Fund. It provides an integral opportunity for the College to further engage with its alumni and offer current students a formal job with comprehensive training and an opportunity to develop new transferable skills. We hope that alumni continue to enjoy their conversations with our student callers.

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Why does the College run Telephone Campaigns?

Every year, the College embarks on a campaign to increase engagement with its alumni and to seek support for the Trinity Hall Fund. Up to thirteen students are employed with the goal of calling 1000 alumni to exchange experiences, provide an update on what has been happening in College, to seek valuable advice and input and to raise funds to be used in the following year wherever the need is greatest. It is certainly a highlight of the calendar and both student callers and alumni continue to enjoy engaging conversation with their peers. And we are forever indebted to all of our alumni who support the College philanthropically and/or by volunteering their time – they have helped and continue to make a real difference to the College and our students.

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​​Why does the College need to raise funds, it’s rich isn’t it?

The College is a registered Charity. Through the Trinity Hall Fund we seek to raise funds for immediate use by the College. Despite the increase in tuition fees, the College continues to subsidise the cost of education for each student by around £5,000 per year, due to the decrease in state funding of higher education. Covering this educational deficit puts significant strain on our endowment, which must also cover operational costs and the maintenance of our buildings. If we were to cover the educational costs of every student, we would need to at least double the size of our endowment. Additional funds enable us to offer support to more students and undertake further projects to improve and develop our resources.

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​What is the Trinity Hall Fund? Where does the money raised go?

A large number of relatively small donations can have a major impact. In addition to our long-term fundraising, the College raises money for the Trinity Hall Fund, which is disbursed during the following year to support activities under the following headings: Student Support, Teaching Support, Refurbishment & Resources, Clubs & Societies and Access & Outreach. This fund helps to meet the College's most pressing needs and thereby reduces strain on our endowment. Those giving to this fund are invited to a Donor event in College.

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Thanks to the generous support of our alumni, we have been able to:

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• provide funding for graduate studentships

• support graduate conference and research expenses

• refurbish L & M staircases

• support teaching officers

• support our Clubs and Societies

• provide hardship grants to undergraduates

• to name but a few…

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To find out more, please visit our website.

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​Do you use a third party consultancy to help run the campaign? And do they receive commission from any funds raised?

We use a consultant to help with the planning, caller training and day-to-day management of the Telethon. Our current consultants, Buffalo Fundraising Consultants, work with us to ensure that our student callers are benefiting from the experience and working efficiently and that we adhere to best practice. The consultants also work with the office to ensure that it is a fun and rewarding experience for all involved. The campaign supervisor from Buffalo does receive bonus on completion of the campaign but the arrangement is not commission-based.

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I really enjoyed my conversation with a student – is it appropriate for me to offer careers advice after our call and keep in touch?

We are very grateful to all alumni for taking the time to speak with a current student. It is perfectly acceptable for you to offer careers advice and support during your call – thank you very much. If you would like to remain in touch with the student after your call to offer further support or suggest possible avenues for them to pursue such as internships or placements. The students will be able to contact you via private messaging on the careers network. To join the Careers Network and to offer advice to other students, please go here.

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​Is there a member of the Alumni & Development Team present during each calling session?

Yes, there will always be a member of the Alumni & Development Team at every call session to answer any queries. The Development Officer, James Adamcheski-Halson, manages the Telethon and is always happy to answer any questions you may have. He can be contacted at Telethon@trinhall.cam.ac.uk or on 01223 332563.

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​Where and when does the calling take place?

The main Telethon will always take place from within College grounds and usually from Central Site.

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2018 – 18 March to 28 March then 3 April to 12 April (Tentative – subject to change)

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(Calling takes place weekday evenings (except Fridays) and at weekends)

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With the best will in the world, our student callers are not be able to reach everyone they set out to within the timescale available. In the past, a calling team employed by our consultants undertook to contact those we were unable to during the main campaign. This team is managed by the same supervisor who trained and worked with the students and so he/she ensures that the professional calling team are delivering the same quality of call as those made by our students. Our current consultants, Buffalo, are based in Bristol and this is where they would conduct any follow-up calling from should it be required in the future. All subsequent calling, if required, takes place in Bristol a few weeks after the main campaign wraps up and is monitored very closely by James, the Development Officer.

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How often will you call me?

The students are trained to attempt to call alumni usually no more than six times during a Telethon and will leave one answerphone message during the campaign, if they have been unable to reach you. We usually aim to call you every two to three years.

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​But I’m registered with the Telephone Preference Service, why are you cold-calling me?

No, this isn’t cold-calling. All alumni are contacted by the Master in advance of the call and given the opportunity to opt out. Alumni enjoy speaking to current students and we do hope that you will relish this opportunity to exchange experiences with a current student. You can contact the office at any time to let us know you would prefer not to receive a call.We will continue to gather your consent for all of our activities each year.

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​Can I come and visit during the campaign and meet the student callers?

Yes, absolutely. Alumni are more than welcome to visit to see the team in action. Please let James, the Development Officer know and he’ll be happy to arrange a time subject to availability.

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​Are the students paid or do they volunteer their time?

The students are currently paid an hourly rate, receive free accommodation or a subsidy towards it throughout the campaign, meals on duty, a role that can be added to their CVs, new transferable skills, occasional careers advice from those they speak to and the thrills of speaking with alumni from all backgrounds.​ It’s a good deal for them! However, they do not receive a percentage of all of the funds raised during the campaign.

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​Do the students receive training?

Yes, the students receive two days of comprehensive training prior to making their first calls. Not only do they gain new and develop existing transferable skills, they learn more about the College, its history, and how it is run.

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​I’ve been called before but I dislike the idea of being asked for money over the telephone. I would really prefer not to receive a call.

We appreciate your views. You are of course most welcome to opt-out from the campaign. All alumni receive a letter or postcard from the Master in advance of the start of the Telethon and details on how to opt-out are clearly stated. We do hope however that you would be willing to have a chat with a student nonetheless. The Development Officer, James Adamcheski-Halson, manages the Telethon and is always happy to answer any questions you may have. He can be contacted at Telethon@trinhall.cam.ac.uk or on 01223 332563.

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​However, a call from a current student is not just about raising money for the Trinity Hall Fund….

It’s first and foremost offering alumni and students the chance to share experiences and engage with each other in a unique and hopefully fulfilling way. The team in the Alumni & Development Office would love to be able to meet and engage with every single member of the alumni community but this would not be physically possible and so, our students are offered this unique opportunity to share their experiences of the College with alumni and vice versa. Alumni are brought up to speed on what’s happening in and around the College and told about forthcoming events which might be of interest to them. Students have also benefited in the past from careers advice from alumni for which many have gone on to do great things. We appreciate your position but we do hope that you would be willing to have a conversation with a student even if you do not feel able to offer your philanthropic support to the College at this time. Our callers and many of those alumni who continue to take a call have told us that they have greatly enjoyed these conversations in the past. We hope that you will too!

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​Does this work distract the students from their studies?

No, the Telethon has been designed to give the students plenty of time to focus on their studies. They will just be calling on weekday evenings (except Fridays) and at the weekends. This is a formal job opportunity offered to them by the office outside of full term. ​

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Please visit our website to find out more about our Telethons and everything we have accomplished thanks to your generosity. If your question is not answered above, please do not hesitate to contact James Adamcheski-Halson, the Development Officer at Telethon@trinhall.cam.ac.uk.

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