A six-member student team in Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Division of University Advancement has been recognized with a national award for creativity and success in donor stewardship.
The student team, led by IUP Annual Giving Coordinator Alexa Zacek, was selected by EverTrue, a philanthropy-first intelligence platform helping fundraising teams turn data into action, for the EverTrue 2026 Best Video Stewardship Campaign Award. The IUP award is one of 15 EverTrue Innovators awards.
Back row, from left: Student team members Kelli Lawton, Cody Williams, and Grace Gemberling. Front row, from left: Annual Giving Coordinator Alexa Zacek, students Hannah Towey and Ismael Negrete. Student team member Chris Yahner is missing from photo.
The award recognizes a ThankView video campaign created by IUP students, inspired by the television series The Office. The campaign creatively highlighted the impact of philanthropy while illustrating the important role that IUP faculty, staff, and administrators play in shaping and enhancing the student experience. The student team developed the concept for the video, wrote the script, and was responsible for directing and producing the video.
The student team is Grace Gemberling, a second-year entrepreneurship and small business management major from Boiling Springs; Kelli Lawton, a fourth-year graphic design and illustration art/studio major from Mount Carmel; Ismael Negrete, a fourth-year marketing and communications from Erie; Hannah Towey, a fourth-year early childhood and special education major from Mount Carmel; Cody Williams, a May 2026 computer science graduate from Armagh; and Chris Yahner, a May 2026 social studies education graduate from Northern Cambria.
“Showing our sincere appreciation for the incredible generosity of our alumni and friends and demonstrating the impact of giving is one of our most important priorities, and this student team truly knocked it out of the park,” IUP Vice President for University Advancement Jennifer DeAngelo said. “The students were creative and authentic, and our donors told us how much they loved the videos and how they built a true connection with the students and with IUP,” she said.
Watch the students’ ThankView video!
“I am so proud of our student media creators and Alexa for winning this award,” Director of Annual Giving and Fiscal Oversight Tonya Patterson said. “They took a general idea of wanting to do something more creative and just ran with it. This award really showcases the quality of our students and their willingness to think outside the box. I hope that our donors enjoy the videos and know how truly thankful we are for their ongoing support.”
In recognizing the IUP team for the award, the EverTrue team noted that IUP’s project “brought creativity, humor, and heart to donor stewardship with a ThankView by EverTrue campaign that felt uniquely IUP.”
In addition to very positive feedback from donors, the video had a 68.6 percent open rate and nearly 29 percent click rate—compared to the industry average open rate of 35.63 percent and a click-through rate of 2.62 percent. The solicitation of donors that included the video also increased payroll deduction participation and an increase in the amount of individual gifts.
In addition to the recognition on the EverTrue website, Patterson and Zacek were interviewed for a podcast series, posted on the EverTrue website.
“The student media creators wanted something more creative and meaningful than a video following a standard script,” Zacek said during the podcast. “They have really loved doing this work, and they’ve really appreciated all of the positive feedback,” she said.
“When we talked at the beginning of the year about the idea of some kind of creative ThankView video, I told the students we wanted the ideas to come from them, from a student perspective. The students left, met, and then, probably 15 minutes later, they came to my office with the idea for the video. We want someone as a coach, someone as a groundskeeper, someone as a professor, they said. They laid it all out for me, and my response was ‘Okay. Do it.’ And they did,” she said.
“While they had a script, they improvised probably 80 percent of that video, and the improvisation feels more authentic than something scripted,” she said. “I made it clear to them that this video is supposed to be fully student created and fully student produced, that I was there only to answer questions or help if they needed it,” Zacek said.
“Although there were risks with this, it was a learning opportunity and an important networking opportunity for students. The students get recognized everywhere on campus now by faculty and staff and other people who receive these videos,” she said.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. IUP’s Impact 150 comprehensive campaign is designed to honor a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, public service, and leadership in healthcare education, including the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in the Commonwealth.