What Makes a Great Alumni Program? 7 Examples from Leading Institutions

The past five or so years changed the landscape of innumerable things around us, and alumni relations was no exception. Existing boundaries were pushed, which resulted in new virtual methods emerging to resolve the challenges that the pandemic brought about.

While alumni engagement in 2022 looked promising as many institutions open up their campuses with adequate restrictions, the alumni relations landscape is currently undergoing a tremendous transformation. 

Traditional alumni engagement metrics like event attendance and in-person fundraisers can no longer be relied upon entirely. Ever since the pandemic, schools, colleges, and universities have taken a step back and plan their programming in accordance with the ‘new normal’ and have continued to innovate and look for flexible solutions.

As you start planning your strategy for the year, here are five alumni engagement ideas you don’t want to miss out on. 

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1. Start your year with a small meet-and-greet

The pandemic had everyone bottled up inside their homes for far too long. While you can’t go all out and invite all your alumni to campus every time, you can start the year with small meet-and-greets across various cities around the country, with the help of your local volunteers and chapters. We suggest creating proper guidelines, which can help the volunteers organize these events to increase engagement and guarantee a good time for everyone involved. These small-scale events can be a refreshing break from the webinars and large-scale fundraisers often attended by your alumni and students alike. This is also a great opportunity to help your alumni meet peers in and around their area, creating strong bonds within the alumni community. 

Today, it is essential to find the right balance between online and offline events that stay relevant and useful for the near future.

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2. Give the mic to your alumni

Your alumni programming should be centered on your alumni. Regularly collect feedback and ask your alumni what they’d love to see. Open yourself to ideas beyond events and fundraising campaigns, when you ask for suggestions. An easy way to do this would be to send out questionnaires to your alumni via email or conduct polls on social media. Whether it is an online networking fair to promote interaction between alumni or a virtual dance party: you could be surprised at the innovative suggestions you might get from your alumni. 

The best way to encourage alumni to share their suggestions is by providing lucrative incentives. An e-gift card or a small memento from their time at college could be a great motivation for your alumni to participate. 

West Virginia Wesleyan College conducted a survey to ensure the opinions of their alumni are heard and taken into consideration while planning the virtual homecoming for the class of 2015.

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3. Think fundraising, think out-of-the-box

Fundraisers continue to be a mainstay for any alumni relations program. Along with aiding important causes, turn your fundraisers into fun and festive affairs. Drive competition amongst alumni, students, and faculty members by setting challenges to unlock new milestones. To make it more engaging, conduct a poll with some challenges for alumni to choose from! Have a look at Calvert Hall College High School’s out-of-the-box challenge at their 5th Annual All Day Hall Day.

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4. Organize Professional Networking Events

Ever since the pandemic forced forced furloughs and small alumni businesses to shut down, professional networking events such as job fairs and virtual conferences slowly became an integral part of alumni programming. After all, there is no better way to build strong relationships with your alumni than helping them power through when they need you the most.

Speaking of those hit the worst by the pandemic, one cannot overlook the Class of 2020, 2021, and 2022. These young graduates are looking at a potentially rough start to their careers even in 2024 as the economic situation and job market continues to prove hard to navigate. Your alumni network is a valuable source of opportunities for these new graduates looking for internships and jobs. Organizing virtual networking events can help facilitate job shadowing services, and serve as a major boost towards career development and discovery, helping students find their field of interest and get hands-on experience.

‍5. Up your social media game

Social media has undeniably become the most powerful tool for communication, particularly in the last few years. A strong social media presence is not only advisable but almost necessary to keep your alumni engaged. While young alumni are turning towards more instant modes of communication, your regular mail in their inbox can go unnoticed. Start a trend to share a memorable moment from their college years with a hashtag on your handles, post a picture from their graduation days, the ideas are unlimited! 

Here is an idea to try: Invite your alumni to write open letters of support to your current students. As your students feel fatigued with online classes, assignments, and exams, and struggle to find internships and jobs, letters from their favorite alumni can help put a much-needed smile on their faces. 

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While the pandemic brought along its own set of challenges, it also provided us with ample room for trying out new ideas. Traditionally, it would have been harder to implement these new ideas, especially with the pre-existing programs giving us fairly good results. But we have learned valuable lessons from both the pandemic and the post-pandemic situation, and as the alumni relations keeps evolving, the best time to experiment with your alumni programs is now.

Engaging alumni has been a critical part of your alumni programming but, the bigger question here is - how many of these initiatives are truly accessible to every single one of your alums? 

Traditional alumni engagement initiatives include organizing local mixers, career networking events, and workshops on campus but 2020 has put an end to all of these in-person activities. While these initiatives will continue to be an integral part of your alumni program in the longer run, the one downside that has become evident in these past few months is that they’re not accessible to everyone. 

If your programming involves quarterly class reunions on campus or Friday night happy hours at a nearby club, alumni who live far away are most likely to miss out. Also, some of your busier alumni might not have enough time to come to your in-person event and some may not see enough value in providing their services as a mentor. Various factors such as location, time, and the right value are crucial in defining how accessible your alumni programming is. 

As advancement teams increasingly need to think out of the box in order to penetrate wider segments of alumni, institutions have found the perfect way to make their alumni programming more accessible to everyone - On-Demand Alumni Programs. On-demand alumni programs are services that any alum can access from anywhere, ideally anytime they want.

As 2020 throws one curveball after another, here’s a closer look at how your peers are fighting these challenges by implementing on-demand alumni programs. 

1. Virtual Events

Events have and will always be at the forefront of your alumni programming. However, the pandemic has completely transformed the way alumni events are now being hosted. An increasing number of institutions are choosing to include virtual events in their alumni programming owing to strict social distancing measures in place. 

Virtual events allow more flexibility and that’s also a major reason behind this format seeing a huge traction over the last few months. As your alumni mostly stay confined to their homes, time and location are no longer a constraint when it comes to participation. Moreover, events like social mixers and happy hours hosted virtually are also helping institutions provide their alumni with some much-needed respite in the face of rising anxiety and stress due to isolation. 

2. Career support networks

Career support networks offer incredible opportunities for alumni and students to interact with one another, increasing the chances of students landing job offers, internships, and finding the right mentors. For your alumni community, a career support network acts as a great source for professional networking opportunities and helps alumni make valuable connections to further accelerate their careers.

With unemployment an ever-looming problem on the horizon for students and alumni alike, career support networks have become even more relevant in 2020. As alumni and students count on their peers and alma mater respectively to navigate the tough job market, career support networks should be a mainstay feature to your alumni programming in 2020. 

While traditional job fairs or in-person networking sessions are currently on hold due to the pandemic, institutions have switched to the virtual format to host these events.

3. Alumni Business Directory

Alumni business directories are a great way to empower businesses owned by your community members. These directories are perfect for showcasing your solidarity with budding entrepreneurs in your community and help uplift their efforts by leveraging the power of your alumni network. Not only do these networks help promote local alumni businesses, they’re also super helpful in building avenues for collaboration between alumni business owners. 

According to data from Yelp, a platform used widely by local businesses to advertise their services in the US, nearly 66,000 businesses have folded since March 1. Researchers at Harvard believe that the rates of business closures across various markets are likely to be even higher. (Information source: The New York Times)

If the above data is to be believed, investing in an online alumni business directory for your alumni may no longer be an option but a necessity in 2020. 

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4. Continued learning programs

If your institution believes in providing value to alumni and foster lasting relationships, you have to find ways beyond the traditional. Continued learning programs are a great way to ensure that your alumni stay actively engaged with you long after they’ve left campus. 

While you may already have monthly guest lecture programs or seminars where your notable alumni come to campus and share their experiences with invited community members, just imagine the impact of doing all of this virtually. If you share the same resources in an educational webinar, podcast, or video format and live-stream it, or just publish it on your alumni website, your alumni community will be able to access all this information anytime they want, at their own convenience. More importantly, they can always come back to these resources and even re-share them with their own networks, helping you tap into a wider network of alumni. 

The best way to identify what learning resources your alumni find valuable is by asking them. You could start by conducting a short survey to gauge their interest in different topics ranging from professional to personal development. 

Take inspiration from Fielding Graduate University’s Alumni Association that did a phenomenal job of providing on-demand learning resources to their alumni community in the form of webinars, virtual workshops, and learning guides amidst COVID-19. Head over to Fielding Graduate University’s alumni website to learn more.

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5. Online Mentoring Programs

From increasing meaningful engagement to facilitating professional development for your alumni and students, a mentoring program is a great addition to your alumni programming. While some of you might already have this in place, how much of this is truly accessible for every single one of your constituents?

Do you have a mentoring program where your alumni have to visit your campus to talk to students or answer their questions, even if it is for a couple of days in a year? What if this process could be completely moved online adding more flexibility? Digitizing your mentoring program means increased flexibility for both alumni and students as they get to avail the benefits of this program right from their homes at their own convenience. 

How to leverage your alumni network

Now that your alumni program is accessible and easy to engage for all your alumni, let’s look at some of the things you can do with it.

1. Alumni engagement and community building

Alumni programs readily lend themselves to alumni engagement strategies. Your emails, newsletters, social media posts, and online communities all combine to keep your alumni engaged while providing a sense of community. What sets an accessible alumni program apart is its ability to provide personalized, two-way communication channels that make alumni feel valued and, therefore, willing to support.

💡Check out how Almabase empowers your alumni relations efforts

2. Fundraising & Philanthropy

Alumni who are actively part of your program are more likely to have a personal connection and sense of loyalty. Nurturing these sentiments is a huge part of any institution’s fundraising strategy. An accessible alumni program should also help you nurture first-time donors and turn them into loyal supporters.

💡 Check out how we helped Boyd-Buchanan School turn alumni engagement into fundraising success.

3. Events & Reunions

Alumni programs provide a pool of well-nurtured contacts and probable volunteers for upcoming events such as your homecoming and reunions, among others. These programs become increasingly important for hosting affinity reunions or special events meant for a specific segment of alumni.

4. Mentorship and Career Services

Your alumni should be able to easily see opportunities to help your next wave of graduates, either by providing mentorships or sharing career opportunities. A well-functioning and accessible alumni program reinforces a sense of lifetime partnership between your institution and your alumni to motivate both alumni and current students to get involved.

5. Curriculum and academic involvement

Alumni are not only stakeholders and supporters but can also be organic partners in shaping your educational programs. Your alumni program could either invite feedback or have a formal structure through, say, an **alumni advisory board** for specific departments or courses. Thesis assistance, curriculum enrichment, and extracurricular assistance are some other avenues through which your alumni program can become a valuable pool of educational partners.

Conclusion

An accessible and well-run alumni program naturally develops into a long-term partnership with a body of loyal supporters and advisors who share a common educational and philanthropic goal with you.  

Today, there are a lot of tools and platforms out there that will help you build that partnership and nurture it. If you’re looking for a platform that integrates with your CRM, springboards your engagement, and streamlines your fundraising goals, why not give Almabase a try? 👇

Peer-to-peer mentoring in higher ed can help increase student persistence, alumni connection, and academic donorship.

A recent research by Inside Higher Ed indicates that three-quarters of students wanted career advice from a mentor.

Peer-to-peer mentorship programs in higher ed offer numerous benefits. They create a sense of community, enhance academic and professional skills, and provide emotional support. Such programs also help new students transition into college life more smoothly by pairing them with experienced peers who can offer guidance and insights. For alumni, these programs foster a sense of belonging and encourage ongoing engagement with the institution. Additionally, they can lead to increased donor support as alumni feel more connected and valued.

That’s why we have curated these tips to help you design, launch, and scale effective mentoring programs.

Identify the Objectives

Define the objectives of your mentorship program before diving into the logistics. Are you aiming to support career development, personal growth, or networking among alumni? Align these objectives with your university’s broader advancement strategy. For instance, if your goal is to enhance alumni engagement, focus on creating meaningful connections and knowledge-sharing opportunities.

Choosing the Right Mentorship Model

Various mentorship models include one-on-one, group, and flash mentorship, each with distinct advantages. For example:

• ‍One-on-One Mentorship: Provides personalized guidance and fosters deep relationships.‍
• Group Mentorship: Facilitates broader knowledge sharing and networking.‍
• Flash Mentorship: Offers short, targeted interactions for specific advice or insights.

Choose a model that best fits your institution’s needs and objectives. Utilize your peer-to-peer mentoring tool to facilitate these models effectively, ensuring ease of communication and tracking progress.

Planning and Structuring the Program

A successful mentorship program requires a solid framework. Start by defining the roles and responsibilities of mentors, mentees, and program coordinators. Develop a structured plan that includes:

• Mentorship Activities: Regular meetings, workshops, and networking events. These activities should be varied to address different aspects of personal and professional development. Incorporate a mix of formal and informal interactions to keep participants engaged and invested in the program.‍
• Communication Channels: Secure convenient platforms for interactions, which can be managed easily. Regular, clear communication is key to maintaining engagement and ensuring that both mentors and mentees are on the same page.‍
• Program Duration: Set clear timelines for mentorship cycles. Define the start and end dates for the program, but also allow flexibility for relationships to continue organically if both parties desire.

Recruitment of Mentors and Mentees

The recruitment phase is critical. Identify potential mentors who are experienced alumni willing to share their knowledge. Simultaneously, attract mentees who are eager to learn and grow. To ensure a diverse and inclusive pool, consider:

• ‍Targeted Outreach: Use your alumni and student database to identify and reach out to potential participants. This might include alumni who were involved in leadership roles during their time at the university or in their careers.
• Incentives: Highlight the benefits of participation, such as networking opportunities, professional growth, or the chance to give back to the university community.

Matching Mentors with Mentees

Effective matching is key to the success of your mentorship program. Consider factors such as:

• ‍Professional Background: Align mentors and mentees based on their industry, experience, and career goals.‍
• Personal Interests: Match individuals with similar hobbies or extracurricular interests to foster stronger connections.

Your peer-to-peer mentoring tool can automate and optimize this matching process, ensuring compatibility and increasing the likelihood of successful mentorship relationships.

💡 You can also leverage a mentoring tool that uses AI and automation to manage applications, track engagement, and match mentors with mentees. This helps you drive impactful mentorship programs with minimal manual effort.

Training and Support

Providing adequate training and ongoing support is essential for both mentors and mentees. Develop training materials that cover:

• ‍Mentorship Best Practices: Effective communication, goal setting, and feedback.‍
• Program Expectations: Roles, responsibilities, and boundaries.

Offer continuous support through regular check-ins, resources, and troubleshooting assistance. Utilize your mentoring tool to facilitate these training sessions and provide a repository of resources accessible to all participants.

Ensuring Continuous Engagement

To maintain engagement throughout the mentorship program, create opportunities for mentors and mentees to interact regularly. Organize events, workshops, and social gatherings to keep participants motivated and connected. Encourage mentors and mentees to set regular meetings, and follow up on goals and progress. You can also send reminder emails, track interactions, and provide updates through nudges.

Building a community around your mentorship program is crucial for continuous engagement. Create forums, social media groups, or dedicated communication channels where participants can share their experiences, ask questions, and provide support to each other. Regularly recognize and celebrate milestones and achievements within the program to keep the momentum going.

Monitoring and Evaluation

To ensure your mentorship program remains effective and impactful, establish clear metrics for success. Regularly collect feedback from participants and analyze data to identify areas for improvement. Key metrics to monitor include:

• Engagement Levels: Track participation rates and meeting frequencies.‍
• Participant Satisfaction: Conduct surveys to gauge the satisfaction and perceived value of the program.‍
• Outcome Achievements: Measure the accomplishment of mentees' goals and the professional development of mentors.

Use this data to make informed adjustments and continuously improve the program. Share the results of your monitoring and evaluation efforts with stakeholders to demonstrate the program’s value and impact.

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