Alumni are pivotal and their impact extends beyond donations. Use these 4 strategies to foster lasting relationships and create a thriving alumni community.
Published:
June 1, 2023
Updated:
June 1, 2023
As a higher education professional, you know the value of engaging your alumni and fostering community post-graduation. It can be a challenge, however, not to let urgent fundraising needs skew all of your outreach toward asking for donations.
While you may think you need to prioritize donation appeals over other kinds of outreach to reach your goals, any fundraising consultant will tell you that relationships are the key to fundraising success. Engaging alumni beyond donations is how you build and sustain those crucial relationships and secure more stable funds over time.
If your current engagement strategy needs attention, consider these four ideas to better connect with alumni and raise more in the long run:
When your alumni feel connected to your university, they’ll be more likely to donate. Let’s dive into these strategies to learn how to foster that connection.
To successfully engage your alumni, you first need to know where to reach them. Broaden your outreach efforts and get in front of more alumni by communicating across multiple relevant channels.
Create a multichannel marketing strategy that includes channels such as:
As you lay out your strategy and create content calendars, be sure to balance event announcements and fundraising appeals with more casual outreach. Share interesting blog posts, shout out faculty and students, and check in with individual alumni.
Any event provides a crucial opportunity to interact one-on-one with alumni. From class reunions to holiday parties to networking events, these gatherings allow your university to personally demonstrate what you’re doing with funding, how much you value your alumni, and the benefits of the lifelong community you offer them.
When choosing alumni engagement events to host, strive for a balance that will interest as many alumni as possible. Host some events geared toward those fresh out of college and others more tailored to older alumni classes. Mix up your event formats, offering in-person, hybrid, and fully virtual attendance options. The more variety, the more chances you have to connect with each and every former student.
It can be tempting to put all of your focus on fundraising events, but make room for solely social events, too. For example, Meyer Partners’ year-end giving guide suggests hosting small events around the holidays to engage donors. These events aren’t focused purely on fundraising, but they do strengthen relationships and therefore increase the likelihood of future alumni giving.
Volunteering programs are highly engaging because they give alumni a chance to give back to their alma mater in ways other than donating funds. Develop a variety of volunteer opportunities alumni may like, such as mentoring recent grads in their job search or speaking at a prospective student event.
To effectively promote these volunteer opportunities, use your donor data to segment alumni based on:
Then, tailor outreach to promote applicable opportunities to each group. In your outreach, consider also highlighting corporate volunteer grants. These are programs in which employers make donations on behalf of their employees for volunteering. Ask your volunteers to check if their employers offer these programs, as they could provide impactful funds for your university at no cost to your alumni.
One of the best ways to engage alumni is to remind them of the value you can add to their lives. Just by being a part of your alumni community, they have access to a wealth of benefits they may not even know about.
Show them the value of your community by emphasizing your university’s ongoing support for them. You can do so in a variety of ways, such as:
These ideas work well as both general engagement and alumni appreciation strategies. Don’t limit these opportunities just to alumni donors. Make sure that every member of your community feels welcome to take advantage of these valuable opportunities.
You know your alumni are worth far more than their donations, so take the time to show them. You may be surprised that these outreach strategies not only improve your stewardship efforts but also help you find new donors in your alumni pool and inspire lifelong involvement with your university.
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Billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made his first donation of $5 to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, at the age of 23. Since then, he has donated close to $1.8 billion to support research, teaching, and financial aid at the university.
What if one of your young alumni is the next Michael Bloomberg? You see them every day in the hallways, on campus, and at events. They’re your future donors and advocates! And yet, we all know that engaging young alumni can be challenging. It takes time, energy, and resources to build lasting relationships with these future donors.
But exactly HOW do you engage with your young alumni, you ask? To answer this question, we spoke to Dr. Glenn Kosse in a recent LinkedIn live session. Dr. Glenn recently published his dissertation on “The Relationship Between Young Alumni Participation and Giving”, and he shared some expert insights on what it takes to get your young alumni engaged.
The average age of a young alum is between 22-32 years. However, this can vary depending on the type of institution. For example, a young alum from a business school would typically be older than a young alum from, let’s say, a university.
However, what remains constant is that most institutions classify those who’ve graduated in the last decade as their young alumni. In other words, they’re usually Graduates Of the Last Decade (or GOLD for short).
Between 2001 to 2014, alumni participation went down from 14% to 8.3%. Here’s what’s more alarming – although there has been a rise in the total gifts received, there has been a steady decline in the number of new donors.
With institutions struggling to build a fresh pipeline of new donors, this trend will only continue if we do not put the time, effort, and resources to meaningfully engage the young alumni.
If you take a quick look at all your major donors, you might notice that their first gift was probably a few dollars when they were just out of college. Young alumni engagement is a long-term game where you sow the seeds while they’re young, nurture them consistently, and reap the benefits down the line.
💡A young alum donor is 5.6 times more likely to give in the future than a young alum non-donor.
The student experience has a strong influence on future alumni giving. Positive experiences like developing deep relationships with faculty and staff, receiving financial aid/scholarships, and having a holistic learning experience can play a vital role. After all, those who strongly identify with their institution are more likely to give back in the future.
Being an alum means you're part of something bigger than yourself – you belong to a community that can help shape your future. Those with enriching alumni experiences are more likely to give back to their alma mater. That’s why it’s necessary for your institution to create alumni-centric programs that cater to your alumni’s needs at various stages in their lives.
Here are a few low-effort, high-impact ideas to elevate alumni experience:
Motivation to give can also stem from a personal affinity for a cause or mission. Whether this originates from past or present experiences, people develop connections with the institution and become inspired to lend support.
Demographic characteristics such as age, proximity, income, and gifts to other organizations are predictors of giving as well.
Bellarmine University pioneered a young alumni mentorship program in collaboration with the career services department to connect students with alumni based on their career paths and shared interests.
🔥95% of the participants said they felt a deeper sense of connection to their alumni association and 99% of them said that they would recommend it to their friends
Focus on interactive and skill-enhancement workshops - Resume reviews; Workshops on Office etiquette, Soft Skills, and Professional Skills.
Every institution has an alumni base that they can boast of. So, why not leverage it to create opportunities for both the alumni and students?
Learning needn’t end after graduation. Help your alumni pursue personal interests, passions, or professional ambitions by creating a repository of courses that help with upskilling. You could also host webinars and create content repositories that provide value to your alumni.
For institutions with different segments of alumni (based on interests, purposes, life experiences, and social identity), affinity groups help create a safe space for alumni where they can communicate freely and collaborate on ideas.
If there’s one thing alumni around the world will always love, it’s to get together for a social event and reminisce the good old days. Why not leverage this and create fun events that will help your alumni connect with each other? From cocktail parties and sporting events, to live game screenings and happy hours – the possibilities are endless!
A young alum who attended an event gave 2x more compared to those who didn’t attend.
So that wraps up our take on why young alumni engagement is the need of the hour. We thought we'd leave you with Glenn's thoughts on young alumni engagement and its impact on giving and participation.
“We have found that young alumni look for engagement that goes beyond social events. While social activities are important, initiatives that provides career advice, mentorship, and potential career opportunities can help leverage the alumni association’s role with new graduates, and create a positive association with engagement and giving.
”Studies show that those who get engaged and give at a young age are more likely to give and remain engaged throughout their career. Engaging alums with current students keeps the mission and the outcomes of the university on top of their minds and reinforces engagement.”
Glenn F. Kosse, Ph.D. is Vice President of H2R Consulting LLC and focuses his expertise on fundraising development, non-profit management, and strategic planning. Prior to joining H2R, he enjoyed a 35-year career in development and non-profit leadership experience with Bellarmine University, University of Louisville, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in increasing levels of leadership.
Source: Glenn Kosse's dissertation
Young Alumni Engagement - Need of the Hour
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Digitization has changed the definition of engagement. We have emerged to live in a new digital ecosystem, where everything important to us must be in our grasp, and engagement must feel easy and personal.
Alumni Relations are not exempt from these expectations. And so, to our best efforts, we leverage solutions to give our alumni experiences that align with their expectations.
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Where, then, may the gap exist?
It's in how we limit our lens to view their engagement in sign-ups, gifts, and event registrations. But, Alumni Relations have a much larger scope.
Sign-ups are a critical measure of how well our constituents have adopted the platform, but they tell us only half the story.
They don't give us a holistic view of engagement, which can mean many more activities beyond sign-ups, event registrations, and gifts - activities that happen only once a year, disregarding the many other ways they engage with us.
Moreover*, sign-ups* don't align with the tendencies of our alumni; our alumni sign up on the platform, but how often are they logging in to engage?
To overcome this, Almabase enables constituents to engage without necessarily going through the hassle of logging into the platform every time.
Our alumni are engaging with us in many ways throughout the year; they are replying to emails, liking social posts, visiting a job board, or viewing an archive of newsletters - all of which have taken much effort from the Alumni Relations office to set up.
Each interaction tells us so much more about them, giving us additional opportunities to engage them further.
And yet, these engagement activities don't show up in our reports, leading us sometimes to wonder why our efforts don't lead to higher engagement.
Almabase will soon revamp its admin dashboard to start helping us shift from focusing solely on sign-ups to viewing results of everything our alumni do across channels and programs, all at our fingertips.
This change will give us a view of how many alumni have engaged and in which ways, showing us an instant view of the value we create for alumni and a better sense of direction for us.
Stay tuned for early access to the revamped admin dashboard, which will come your way shortly.
Engagement standards have evolved, and so should our ways of viewing them
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Alumni are an institution’s most precious asset. However, the reality is that while alumni will often have a sense of belonging to their alma mater, a constant connection is needed to cultivate this relationship. While there are a bunch of ways to achieve this, today, we’re focusing on one of the most effective communication methods employed by schools and universities around the globe – email communication.
While there’s a plethora of information on best practices for email marketing, our experience with various schools has helped us understand email best practices specific to alumni.
Email has an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches – at scale.
- David Newman
While email communication plays a crucial role in the digital engagement strategy of many institutions, the rate of success for each school may differ greatly. The difference lies in the approach that each school takes. Here’s a list of tested techniques that have brought success to most schools:
To be able to engage alumni via emails, it is pivotal to maintain updated email lists. Over time, alumni contact information is bound to get outdated. For your email campaigns to have higher alumni engagement rates, it is integral that your emails reach the right people, and that’s only possible if you have updated information about your alumni.
Whether you’re a small school or a larger university, there are various ways to keep your alumni database up-to-date. Tap on the banner below to read more about the complete list of all the database update techniques that are typically employed by schools and their relative benefits.
While creating an email, it is important to be able to evaluate what alumni would value. Sticking to a template might look like the easiest route, but schools have witnessed greater success with personalized email campaigns. One way of personalizing your emails is by segmenting alumni based on gender, class year, and other relevant criteria.
It’s always a good practice to use a real name as opposed to a common name such as ‘Your Alumni Association’ as the sender of your emails. Using a person who your alumni may already be familiar with is ideal. You could even add in a picture and signature of the person at the end of the email to make the email seem more genuine.
Other than the high risk of your alumni email landing in spam, adding multiple links often comes at the expense of having an unfocused message, severely impacting your click-through rates. Sticking to a clear call-to-action button is the best practice.
Mercy High School, Burlingame does an amazing job at targeting its alumni with emails that have a clear call-to-action.
While we discussed how personalized email campaigns can help boost alumni engagement rates, monthly alumni newsletters and weekly updates have also proven to be highly effective. Monthly alumni newsletters and weekly update emails act as a source for alumni to stay updated with all that’s happening at their school and often evoke nostalgia and a sense of pride.
Here’s how Upper St. Clair School District & Taylor’s University keep their alumni engaged with informational monthly newsletter emails.
This is probably the most basic yet the most essential part of creating a successful email campaign. Optimizing your emails so that they appear in your alumni’s inbox at the right time and in the right format is critical to your campaign’s success. Here are some key aspects that should be ensured with respect to email optimization:
1. Ensure that alumni receive your emails during their active hours. If your alumni are in a different time zone, scheduling your emails is highly recommended. Analyzing past email delivery statistics might help in scheduling the timings for your new campaigns.
2. While attaching any images to your email, it is recommended to stick to a maximum file size of 1 MB.
3. Subject lines play an integral part in the success of any email marketing campaign. Including your alumni’s first name within the subject line is a great practice that we’ve seen schools achieve success with. Adhering to shorter, to-the-point subject lines is also highly recommended.
When it comes to engaging subject lines, QuestBridge Academy hands-down wins the game. For its September Bar Night event, the institution reached out to its alumni with a simple, yet highly effective subject line:
Here are some outreach email templates to kickstart your emails:
Subject: Connect & Grow: Your [Institution Name] Network
Dear [Alumni Name],
Hello from [Institution Name]! We hope you're doing well.
Did you know your connection to [Institution Name] offers a powerful way to boost your career? Our alumni network is full of people in many different fields, ready to connect.
We've made it easy for you to use this network:
- Network Platform: [Link to platform] - Join our special online platform to find and connect directly with fellow alumni for advice, opportunities, and shared experiences.
- Virtual Event: [Link to event details] - Sign up for our next online networking event. It's a great chance to meet alumni working in specific areas you're interested in.
- Career Help: [Link to career services page] - Visit our career services page just for alumni. You can find job postings, get tips, and learn about workshops to help you move forward.
Make the most of your [Institution Name] connections today.
Best regards,
The [Institution Name] Alumni Relations Team
Subject: Support [Institution Name]: Help Students Succeed
Dear [Alumni Name],
We're reaching out because you can make a real difference at [Institution Name]. Your time here helped shape your path, and now you can help shape the path of current students.
Supporting [Institution Name] is a direct way to invest in the future. Your contribution, no matter the size, can help provide essential resources:
- Give Now: [Link to donation page] - A financial gift helps fund scholarships for deserving students, support important research, and improve campus facilities.
- Volunteer: [Link to volunteer page] - If you have time to share, consider volunteering. You could mentor a student, help at an event, or offer your professional skills.
Every bit of support helps us give students the best possible experience.
Thank you for considering how you can help.
With sincere gratitude,
The [Institution Name] Advancement Team
Subject: Stay Connected to [Institution Name]
Dear [Alumni Name],
Life after graduation takes you to new places, but your connection to [Institution Name] and the people you met here is still important. We love sharing what's happening and hearing about your journey.
Here are a few simple ways to stay part of the [Institution Name] community:
- Read Our Magazine: [Link to magazine] - Check out the latest alumni magazine for campus news, stories about fellow graduates, and updates on upcoming events.
- Follow Us: [Links to social media profiles] - Connect with us on social media for daily updates, photos, and a chance to interact with the wider community online.
- Find a Local Chapter: [Link to chapter list] - Look for an alumni chapter in your area. It's a great way to meet up with other alumni near you for social events and activities.
- Update Info: [Link to update form] - Please take a moment to make sure we have your current contact information so you don't miss out on important news and invitations.
We value your connection. Stay in touch!
Warmly,
The [Institution Name] Alumni Relations Team
Subject: Keep Learning with [Institution Name]
Dear [Alumni Name],
The world keeps changing, and learning new things is key to staying ahead. As a graduate of [Institution Name], you have access to special resources to help you keep learning and growing in your career and personal life.
We offer opportunities designed just for our alumni:
- Online Courses: [Link to course platform/library] - Explore our library of online courses to learn new skills or brush up on topics relevant to your field.
- Webinars/Workshops: [Link to events page] - Attend online sessions led by our faculty or industry experts on a variety of interesting topics.
- Library Access: [Link to library access info] - Access many of the academic databases and publications available through the campus library from wherever you are.
- Mentorship: [Link to mentorship program details] - Whether you want to share your experience or learn from someone further along in their career, our mentorship program connects alumni.
Keep your mind sharp and continue your learning journey with [Institution Name].
Sincerely,
The [Institution Name] Professional Development Team
Subject: Share Your [Institution Name] Story
Dear [Alumni Name],
Your time at [Institution Name] gave you unique experiences and memories. Your positive stories are the best way to show others what makes our institution special and why it's a great place to learn.
We invite you to share your pride and help us tell the [Institution Name] story:
- Share Your Story: [Link to testimonial submission form or social media hashtag] - Tell us about your favorite memories or how [Institution Name] impacted you. We might feature your story!
- Represent Us: [Link to volunteer page] - Volunteer to represent [Institution Name] at college fairs or other events to talk to prospective students about your experience.
- Engage Online: [Links to social media profiles] - Like, share, and comment on our social media posts. This helps our news reach more people.
- Refer a Student: [Link to referral form] - If you know a student who would be a great fit for [Institution Name], encourage them to apply and let us know.
Your voice is important in helping us build a strong future for [Institution Name].
Best regards,
The [Institution Name] Communications & Alumni Relations Team
We hope we’ve given you some new ideas and motivations to make the most out of your email channels. If you’re looking for a tool to streamline your communication efforts, let us know and we’d love to show you how we can help.
6 ways to increase alumni engagement over emails
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