We compiled our learning from the past several years to give you a quick look at what a modern advancement team should look and function like in this blog.
From one-person teams to well-staffed offices, advancement, and alumni relations teams today take a variety of sizes and forms. The advancement space has never really had a frame of reference for what an ideal team should look like, as institutions can vary wildly in size and resources.
By looking back at the past several years, we would like to provide some characteristics that every forward-thinking advancement team today should look to incorporate in their approach to have a successful alumni program.
Ideally, an advancement team today should consist of people who are agile, data-driven, and technologically adept. They also need to have a good understanding of the evolving needs of a wide range of alumni. The pandemic and post-pandemic scenarios highlighted the need for teams that can innovate and ditch tradition when needed. Modern teams are ideally driven by digital tools and data analytics to make informed decisions, personalize interaction engagement, and be able to collaborate with other teams effortlessly.
If that all seems a bit too ideal, that is because, for many teams, it often is. The ideal modern advancement team takes years to develop to the level that they can reach, and it takes even more consistency to stay at that level. Below, we’ll break down some of the key components and pitfalls on the road to reaching your advancement team’s true potential.
Here are some things that you can look to incorporate. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all all for advancement and that these are just the basics that you need to watch out for as you map your team’s journey:
• The right tool(s): Whether you are just starting to consider your long-term tools, or have some you have been using for a while, you need to choose the right tools. Take into account the resources, staff size, and staff expertise available to you
• Data-driven approach: Data is at the heart of most if not all alumni-centric communication, engagement, fundraisers, and so much more today. Having a reliable database and a CRM to make the most of your data is crucial for any modern advancement team. If you see your alumni base increasing exponentially in the future, you need to have the right infrastructure to scale alongside it as well.
• A Strong Global Alumni Network: A silver lining for advancement teams that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic was the shift towards virtual and hybrid alumni engagement. The trends from that period have been carried over today to engage local, national, as well as international alumni to form strong global networks filled with regional enclaves of well-engaged alumni.
• Scalable Personalized Engagement: While personalization has become a core part of any alumni program, communicating with alumni while having personalization efforts that can scale with an increasing number of alumni is another issue that institutions are currently tackling. From segmentation and automation to collecting feedback, ensure that your institution’s alumni engagement is not just personalized but also able to personalize a growing alumni base meaningfully.
• Omnichannel Capabilities: Alumni nowadays expect some level of value even if they are located halfway around the world. Routine webinars alone will no longer do to engage these alumni segments. Modern advancement teams need to be able to take advantage of physical, online, and hybrid channels simultaneously and importantly, make each channel feed an overall goal. For example, how can you engage remote alumni in a way they feel equally as valued as your local alumni? Are you just relying on social media to reach them, or are you making communities, providing opportunities, and constantly making them feel just as appreciated?
• Providing Diverse Engagement Opportunities: Providing value lies at the heart of any modern advancement strategy. Your team needs to be aware of upcoming trends to freshen up and diversify your offerings. If an alumni is excited about publishing their first research paper, an email will help. But if you also invited them for a guest lecture or in a workshop panel, they might feel even more appreciated.
• Adaptability: Over the past few years, the pandemic and the constant fears of economic recessions have made clear the need for advancement teams to adapt to both expected and unexpected changes. With AI usage on the rise, it also raises the question of adapting to new technology and whether it is worth it. These are questions any competent advancement teams today will need to be on top of and make the right call on.
While aiming to be data-centric, your advancement team must have a thought-out data strategy that can handle alumni data for years to come. When it comes to having a data strategy, it is usually the sooner the better as data is always being added or modified as time goes.
We also cannot stress enough the importance of having tools that communicate well with each other. Having multiple tools or features is well and good until they all present a piece of the puzzle that you have to put together manually each time. Any new additions to your online toolset must be integrated into a well-connected software environment. This also gives your staff a good overview of where they are as a team and as an institution.
A common and perhaps under evaluated problem is how strategies and long-term planning are always talked about when the reality is often that advancement staff often get caught up in an endless loop of daily tasks and don’t get enough time to strategize creative initiatives. In a space where creativity can really engage alumni, it is important that your staff have time for both their daily tasks as well as to innovate.
Finally, it is important to know when to be stubborn and when to take a new path. Take periodic checks on the products you use and if they still fit your needs. Do the update cycles of the provider fit your needs? What do your staff think about their experiences within the past quarter? Will your current set of tools fit your needs in the next 5 years? These are just a few examples of questions that you need to keep asking yourself to stay on top of your game.
Ultimately, the goal is to create a dynamic, responsive advancement team that can effectively support your institution's mission while providing genuine value to your alumni community. Remember that alumni want an authentic human connection to their alma mater. A modern advancement team simply uses the best strategies and tools to build and maintain that connection.
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Whether you are just starting to modernize your alumni program or are looking to change your approach, a persistent (but healthy) question to have in your strategizing process is what to choose between a single highly integrated and modular platform or a bunch of best-in-class tools that each do a specific function well.
There are a lot of things to consider and the answer will not be the same for every institution. Today, we would like to help you make that decision by going over each approach and letting you know what you need to consider before making a decision.
A well-integrated tool is often the choice of many, and for good reason. As an institution, you want to have an efficient but simple data management process, and a single integrated tool for fundraising and alumni engagement works great as it makes it easy to centralize your data management process. This approach naturally leads to more streamlined workflows and similar user experiences across your whole team as you all work on various parts within the same platform.
Depending on how well you use the various features of these tools, they can also be relatively inexpensive to implement. On the flip side, if you are after only a certain feature, that same feature may not be as personalized for you as a specialized tool. Depending on the platform and the features you need, they might also have a steep learning curve. Finally, these integrated tools usually involve a long-term relationship with their customer institutions, where they improve each other over time. Depending on your need, this can be just what you need or a dealbreaker, as it is slightly more difficult to switch to another tool after having everything set up.
On the other hand, many institutions also opt to utilize multiple tools that each serve a specialized feature. This provides them the opportunity to choose the best tool for each needed feature. It allows them to flexibly scale their selections depending on their budget or team size. It’s also a more comfortable option for institutions that are just starting out and don’t have the expertise or experience to work with an all-encompassing tool just yet.
However, this approach can be expensive if you need a lot of features and have a lot of alumni. It also requires staff to manage multiple systems and integrations from different sources, which may all have unique quirks. Data management needs to be closely monitored, as data inconsistency between any of the employed tools is a real possibility. If you choose to go with multiple tools, it is crucial to eliminate data silos. If you do choose to use multiple tools, it’s important that your tools talk to each other and data flows seamlessly.
Now that we’ve had a brief look at the pros and cons of each approach, it’s time to go over some of the things you need to consider so that whichever approach you choose will fit your institution perfectly:
➼ Institution size: For mid-sized sized institutions (5000 annual students and above) that may have a diverse alumni population, an integrated approach would fit their needs better. Meanwhile, institutions that have smaller alumni populations and databases may prefer to start with a small set of specialized tools and see how it aligns with their goals down the line.
➼ Budget: With less administration and vendor management required from the institution, integrated tools can usually be more cost-efficient in the long run. Integrated tools also have the distinct advantage of all their features feeding into a centralized database, which reduces operational costs for both sides. However, some of these integrated platforms may incur upgrade or extra feature fees and be more expensive to move on from. We highly recommend you do your research on these factors and align them with your budget.
➼ Staff volume and expertise: Consider how much staff will be needed for each approach and how much expertise will be needed. An integrated tool will be easier to manage as everyone works on the same tool, and communication channels with vendors are more streamlined. However, if you are a small team with little experience with these tools and are not looking to hire more soon, sticking to one or two specialized tools might be better. Do also consider any platforms your staff members might have experience with or have heard of. Finally, keep your data flows in mind. Even if your staff would prefer multiple specialized tools, check how the data can possibly be centralized between them and if so, how it can be optimized for scale.
➼ Alumni engagement goals: It really should go without saying, but your alumni engagement goals should always be the main factor when deciding which way to go. Consider your past engagement metrics, where you’d like to see improvements, which events and initiatives you are planning to integrate to make that happen, and finally, which approach or tool will be able to not just accomplish that goal but make it scalable in the future.
➼ Data capabilities of the team: Do consider your staff’s capabilities to manage alumni data. If you have a small team but are using a variety of tools, will the team be able to integrate data from multiple sources? In that case, will switching to an integrated tool to streamline your data integration process be better? How is your database set up in the first place, and will it be time-consuming to have it work with the tool you want? If you are choosing to adopt multiple best-in-class tools, will you have issues with data silos? These are just a few questions regarding database management and integration that you should consider.
➼ Scalability: Consider how many staff members, alumni, donors, and donations you may need to manage a few years from now and how you want to scale up to that level. The first step is to consider the tools you are currently using and how scalable they are. Next, consider alternative tools available that match your future goals and whether they can be aligned with your staff, existing programs, and budget to hone down on which tool you want to scale with. Who knows, maybe the tool you already have fits the bill, or you might just find the perfect alternative to take you to the next level!
Hopefully, we’ve given you plenty of food for thought to help you decide your strategy moving forward. We know that these are difficult but crucial questions that are necessary to answer. That’s why we are ending this blog with some actionable questions to consider if you are currently undecided on which approach is better. They are:
Factors That You Need to Consider Before Buying a Tool
Whether you are just starting out or looking to change your approach, let’s help you make your decision between a single modular tool or a set of handy tools.
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When it comes to personalization, we all know that a simple “Hi, {{${first_name}}}” is no longer enough. It involves understanding their interests, history with the institution, and current needs to deliver relevant and timely communication
While the topic of personalizing alumni engagement is no longer new to any of us, scaling personalization efforts is an increasingly important follow-up problem that needs solving. With thousands of alumni across different backgrounds, locations, and careers, how can institutions create a truly tailored experience for each individual?
In this blog, we’ll explore some strategies and tools that can help institutions scale their alumni engagement personalization efforts.
Start by segmenting your alumni based on various criteria such as graduation year, degree program, geographic location, and past engagement levels. Advanced segmentation can also include career fields, personal interests, and giving history. By creating detailed alumni profiles, you can tailor your messages to resonate with specific groups. If you already have all the required information you need, make sure that it is organized effectively for analytics tools to read from.
Utilize data analytics to gain insights into alumni behavior and preferences. This includes tracking event attendance, email open rates, social media interactions, and donation patterns. Let’s say you noticed that 30% of your alumni have browsed the mentorship program but haven't enrolled. With this insight, you can send targeted emails highlighting the benefits of joining, featuring success stories, and offering a simple sign-up process to boost participation. Analytics can help identify trends and identify gaps or pain points in your engagement strategy, allowing for more targeted and effective communication.
Invest in a robust CRM system that supports automation. Automated workflows today can trigger very well-personalized messages based on alumni actions or milestones. For example, an automated email congratulating an alum on their promotion could have details on their employer, how long they’ve been there, what roles they’ve worked there, and also mention any institution events or resources that they might be interested in.
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Customize the content of your communications to align with alumni interests and engagement history. This could involve sharing news about specific academic departments, highlighting alumni success stories in relevant industries, or inviting them to events in their area based on their availability. Personalization should extend to all touchpoints, including emails, social media, and direct mail.
Dynamic content allows you to tailor the information presented to each alum based on their profile. For example, an email newsletter can have different sections that change according to the recipient’s interests or past interactions. This ensures that each alum receives content that is most relevant to them.
Provide alumni with engagement opportunities that match their interests and availability. This could include virtual events, mentorship programs, volunteer opportunities, or exclusive alumni groups depending on their professions, years of experience, past participation, etc. By offering a variety of options, you cater to diverse preferences and increase overall participation.
Different alumni prefer different communication channels. While some may prefer emails, others might be more active on social media or prefer text messages. Use a multi-channel approach to ensure you reach alumni where they are most comfortable and likely to engage. Be sure to maintain an active presence and make your institution as approachable as possible.
Surprisingly, 52% of alumni organizations have never conducted a survey of their alumni. Regularly seek feedback from your alumni to understand what’s working and what’s not. Surveys, focus groups, and direct conversations can provide valuable insights. Use this feedback to continuously refine and improve your personalization strategies.
Most modern alumni engagement tools today support personalization to a good extent. However, you need to think of a long-term strategy when you consider scalability. [Whether you prefer to work with an integrated tool or multiple best-in-class tools], you need to make sure that it fits in with your existing systems and staff. Products/software such as Almabase also give you the choice of choosing a few features to complement your setup such as [automated emails], as well as a modular approach if you want something more extensive. If you plan to build a platform that your alumni will love engaging with, you need tools that centralize data, create effective segments, and enable personalized communication at scale, streamlining your engagement efforts.
Today, making your efforts at personalizing alumni engagement scalable is not only possible but also essential for building lasting relationships and fostering a loyal alumni community. By taking advantage of data, automation, and strategic segmentation, institutions can deliver tailored experiences that enhance engagement, drive participation, and strengthen the bond between alumni and their alma mater.
How can you personalize alumni engagement at scale?
Every institution knows the value of personalizing alumni engagement. But how can you scale your personalization efforts as your alumni base grows?
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The past decade has seen data become a focal point across all industries, and that is no different for alumni relations and advancement services today. Your institution might already have a well-built CRM system that ensures you have up-to-date information on your alumni and events. In this blog, we’ll take a look at how data today can not just contribute but drive a successful fundraising campaign.
Your data is only as useful as your overall strategy. Before you can have a truly data-driven fundraising campaign, you need to make sure your institution has the right parts:
To maximize the effectiveness of your fundraising campaigns, you need to collect a variety of data that provides insights into your alumni's behaviors, preferences, and giving potential. Here are some of the commonly collected types of data for fundraisers:
• Demographic Data: This includes basic information such as age, gender, location, and graduation year. Demographic data helps you segment your audience and tailor your messaging to specific groups.
• Engagement Data: Track how alumni interact with your institution. This could include event attendance, email open rates, social media interactions, and website visits. Engagement data helps you identify highly active alumni who may be more likely to donate.
• Giving History: Understanding an alum's past donation behavior is critical. This includes the frequency, amount, and timing of their donations.
• Interest and Affinity Data: Collect information on what causes or programs your alumni care about. This can be gathered through surveys, social media, or past donations. Interest data allows you to create targeted campaigns that resonate with specific donor interests.
• Real-Time Insights: Real-time data refers to information that is available immediately, as events occur. This can include monitoring web traffic, social media interactions, or live updates from email campaigns. The advantage of real-time data is that it allows you to respond quickly to donor actions. For instance, if an alum shows interest in a particular fundraising campaign by clicking a link in an email, you can follow up with personalized content or a phone call shortly thereafter.
• Intent Data or Intent Signals: Intent data provides insights into the likelihood of a donor making a future gift based on their current behavior. This data is collected from various touchpoints, including website visits, content downloads, and email interactions. For example, if a donor frequently visits your scholarship donation page, this could indicate a strong intent to give toward that cause. With this knowledge, you can prioritize outreach to these high-intent donors, increasing your chances of securing a donation.
Once you've collected the data you’ll need, the next step is implementation. Here’s how to effectively put your data to work:
• Segmentation: Use your database to segment alumni into groups based on giving history, demographics, and engagement. Tailor your messaging to resonate with each group’s interests.
• Donor Journey Mapping: Map out the typical donor journey for each segment. Understand the touchpoints and interactions that lead to increased giving. Use this information to optimize the donor experience.
• Personalization: Craft personalized communication strategies. Address alumni by name and reference their past interactions with the institution to create a more engaging experience.
• Targeted Campaigns: Develop specific campaigns for different segments. For example, create a campaign focused on younger alumni that highlights the impact of their contributions on current students.
• Predictive Modeling: If you have the resources for it, you can also use predictive analytics to identify potential major donors and forecast future giving trends. This allows you to focus your resources on the most promising prospects and plan your campaigns more strategically.
Data visualization is essential for making complex data more accessible and actionable. By presenting data in visual formats like charts, graphs, and dashboards, you can quickly identify trends, patterns, and outliers.
Effective data visualization will benefit your staff at all stages of any fundraiser. For example, instead of donations received over the past 5 years, your staff may benefit from being able to view donations received from fundraisers in the summer season specifically. This is just an example and what you need and how you can implement it may vary wildly depending on your CRM.
It would be a shame to have all the parts you need only for it to not work as intended. Once you have the data you need and know how you would like to use them, it is time to ensure that your approach is optimized for efficiency. Here are some things to always keep in mind at every stage of your fundraiser:
• Are you using the right kind of tool for your institution?
• Do you need any additional tools or feature upgrades for your fundraiser?
• Is your data centralized? If not, can you get centralized reports from your tools?
• Are your tools/features communicating with each other well?
The key takeaway is that you need to have the right tools and a data strategy to tie it all together. If you are using multiple tools that do not communicate well with each other, you will be wasting time and efficiency when the same set of tools or features could have given you a perfect overview of all your campaigns with just a little bit more planning.
Maximizing Donations with Data-Driven Fundraising Campaigns
What goes into a truly data-driven fundraiser? What kind of data do you need to collect? How can you use that data effectively? All this and more in our blog.
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