Alumni engagement is essential for your college performing arts program’s fundraising, reputation, and student success. Get started with these four tips.
Published:
August 14, 2024
Updated:
Once performing arts students graduate from your college or university, maintaining relationships with them is vital for your program’s longevity. While many schools focus heavily on fundraising when developing alumni engagement strategies, your performing arts program can also benefit from alumni involvement in other ways.
Successful, engaged alumni can boost your program’s reputation and help current and future performing arts students thrive in college and beyond.
In this guide, we’ll share four proven tips for keeping your performing arts program’s alumni engaged after graduation, including how to:
Keep in mind that you’ll likely need to connect with your college’s main alumni engagement office to ensure your strategies are aligned before implementing these ideas. However, these methods can work for programs of all sizes and operational models with a little adaptation and creativity. Let’s dive in!
You likely already know the importance of maintaining databases for various university operations, from application management to faculty course assignments. A robust alumni database is just as important for staying connected with program graduates!
In this database, make sure to include the following key information on each of your alumni:
These details can help you send more tailored communications to each alum, demonstrating that your program values them individually and thereby encouraging them to stay involved. At least once a year, reach out to alumni to request that they update their contact details, post-graduate education status, and employment if necessary to ensure your database always contains the most current information.
Another way to demonstrate to alumni that your program values them is to celebrate their achievements after graduation—whether they’ve landed a great new job, completed an advanced course of study, or received an award. Additionally, public recognition demonstrates that your school produces exceptional graduates in the performing arts and shows current students where they could end up.
Here are a few ways to recognize alumni accomplishments both publicly and privately:
Before sharing any form of public recognition, get the alum’s consent to use their name, photo, and story. If possible, have them share a few quotes you can use in your blog post or social media caption to add a first-person perspective to the content.
While public alumni recognition gives your program’s current students a general sense of what performing arts opportunities are available to them after graduation, directly connecting alumni with current students can help them figure out what they want to do more concretely. Forming these relationships also allows alumni to stay up to date on your program’s current happenings, helping them feel more connected to your school over time.
Some ideas for facilitating alumni connections with current students include:
Besides allowing current students to learn about the world of performing arts from alumni, these connections can also provide networking opportunities that lead to more students finding jobs in their field after graduation!
The reason most of the alumni engagement efforts at colleges often revolve around fundraising is that alumni have historically made up a large portion of university donors. Therefore, it can be tempting to send your performing arts program graduates a donation request after donation request in the hopes that one will persuade them to give.
However, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to alumni fundraising, meaning your program should:
As you create donation requests using these strategies, remember to intersperse other types of communications between fundraising appeals (such as updates on program initiatives and invitations to non-fundraising events) to prevent donor fatigue among your alumni.
While the tips above provide a good starting point for performing arts alumni engagement, the best way to keep your graduates involved with your program is to ask them what they want to see! Send out surveys asking alumni what opportunities and communications they prefer, and take their responses into account when laying out your alumni engagement strategy.
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These are both exciting and nervous times for Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States as they go through a tremendous transformation in the way they approach, engage, and stay connected to their alumni. The pandemic almost makes it look like the world has hit the pause button but, for alumni relations professionals who have invested years in building meaningful relationships with their alumni, putting everything on hold is not an option.
Alumni Relations teams at Liberal Arts Colleges are going above and beyond to keep delivering value to their communities with incredibly creative digital engagement strategies. As we looked at the data based on strategies adopted by Liberal Arts Colleges in 2020 so far, we were able to put together some emerging trends.
While the future is still volatile and the long-term impact of the pandemic is highly debatable, here’s a closer look at the 5 emerging trends at Liberal Arts Colleges that are here to stay.
Events have always been at the heart of any alumni engagement program at Liberal Arts Colleges but COVID-19 completely transformed the way events are now being approached. As strict social distancing measures make it impossible to host in-person events, the pandemic paved the way for virtual events. A majority of institutions have already adopted this new format and hosted a slew of successful virtual events for their alumni.
While Alumni Relations teams at Liberal Arts Colleges may be embracing the shift to virtual events, most of these institutions are apprehensive about going fully virtual while planning their events calendar for this year. Some feel that virtual events can never substitute the feeling that alumni share at in-person events and also are apprehensive about security concerns such as Zoombombing. However, this new world order is gradually prompting many teams to think differently and explore all options.
So, while Liberal Arts Colleges might not shift to virtual only, 2020 is definitely going to see a lot of them. And, as institutions continue to experiment, events strategy, going forward, will most likely be a combination of both virtual and in-person events - the best of both worlds.
As virtual engagement strategies open up new avenues, Liberal Arts Colleges are now able to tap into a wider network of alumni. A large part of traditional alumni engagement strategies involved trying to get alumni back to campus for reunions, homecomings, or chapter meetings. Going to campus for these occasions was only possible for alumni who lived in the vicinity or had enough resources to travel from afar to attend. This way, a large segment of alumni were left unengaged.
However, with the adoption of digital engagement methods such as emails, social media, online communities, and virtual events, Liberal Arts Colleges no longer face this challenge.
Liberal Arts Colleges are now able to target alumni living miles away from their campus and invite them for a virtual reunion or homecoming. They can also easily stay connected to their younger alumni via social media, rally more support for their virtual events or giving campaigns, and build a loyal community online. Alumni relations teams will now see newer alumni that have never engaged in the past start to engage.
As a consequence of the pandemic, we saw countless fundraising campaigns getting postponed and cancelled but, on the other side, we also witnessed millions of people expressing their generosity on the global day of unity and giving - #GivingTuesdayNow. While most of the initial fundraising campaigns amidst the pandemic were student emergency campaigns or appeals that urged alumni to donate in kind, this seems to change as we move into the latter part of 2020.
Sure, institutions will still be apprehensive about asking their alumni to donate money but, that doesn’t mean that fundraising will be halted altogether. Here are the 3 major changes in the way Liberal Arts Colleges will fundraise going forward:
1. As things slowly resume to normalcy, fundraising will pick up the pace with one major change - it is not going to be as aggressive as it used to be.
2. As millions of people face pay cuts and undergo furloughs due to the economic crisis at hand, Liberal Arts Colleges will prioritize cultivating relationships and providing value to its community over chasing short-term fundraising goals.
3. Liberal Arts Colleges will continue to garner monetary support from their alumni but, the intent will change. 2020 and the future will see institutions urging their communities to come forward in order to support their alma mater and help them raise money to power through the economic crisis.
With the approach to fundraising changing, the outcomes will too. The economic impact of COVID-19 will leave a devastating impact on the total dollars raised but, as Liberal Arts Colleges continue to ramp up engagement & value-add services, relationships will grow stronger. While these loyal supporters may not be able to contribute big, institutions will see a rise in participation and the number of volunteers.
Traditional ways of adding value to alumni included organizing local mixers, career networking events, and workshops on campus but social distancing measures have put an end to all of these in-person activities. As Liberal Arts Colleges strive to keep their alumni digitally engaged and informed, closed affinity groups and online communities play a critical role.
Many Liberal Arts Colleges are adopting creative strategies to drive participation amongst these close-knit affinity groups and encouraging alumni to get more deeply involved. With recent reports showing over 21 million Americans as unemployed, industry based affinity groups will see a massive spike with alumni counting on their peers to navigate the tough job market.
The pandemic has also wreaked havoc on the United States’ mental-health system as the country witnesses a historic wave of mental health problems approaching. While the social distancing norms are creating a lot of mental health challenges, the dire situation of the economy is adding to that stress. Liberal Arts Colleges realize the immense need for alumni to connect virtually to get through these testing times, as a community.
Prior to COVID-19, a lot of Liberal Arts Colleges measured alumni engagement based on a set of parameters such as in-person event attendance or volunteer participation. With the pandemic forcing these colleges to function completely virtually since the past 5 months, engagement metrics have changed.
As alumni outreach initiatives shift to the virtual format, Liberal Arts Colleges are rapidly evolving to measure the outcome of each of these initiatives accurately.
The Liberal Arts Colleges that previously reached out to their alumni once a month via a monthly newsletter, have now ramped up the frequency. Colleges that were inactive on social media now take to Facebook live to announce an upcoming virtual event or a giving campaign. Liberal Arts Colleges are adopting tons of creative ideas to get accustomed to the new normal. Here are some of the virtual engagement metrics that will no longer be ignored:
1. Virtual event attendance
2. Email opens & click-through rates
3. Social media impressions, likes, and shares
4. Volunteer participation measured via online requests
5. Digital donors
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5 emerging Alumni Relations Trends at Liberal Arts Colleges
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2020 has been a rough year, particularly for Liberal Arts Colleges. The resulting disruption has caused advancement teams across the country to rethink their programming and find unique ways to engage alumni and donors. With the fall spirit of Giving upon us, now's the right time to start thinking about ways to boost donations at your fall Giving Day 2020.
Giving Day is a powerful online fundraising campaign conducted for 24 hours with the purpose of raising money and finding new donors. Giving Days provide alumni with the ideal opportunity to serve their alma mater by helping the institution in a time of need.
As the pandemic continues to unfold, it's evident that Giving Day 2020 will be unlike any of the previous Giving Days. With Liberal Arts Colleges like yours shifting their focus to raising money online at their fall Giving Day and upcoming Giving Tuesday, here are 5 innovative strategies to help you get started.
It's always a best practice to start promoting your Giving Day as early as possible and build-up to the day of the event. While you can't invite your alumni to campus to let them know about your fall Giving Day, countdown posts on social media are a great way to spread the word.
Instead of merely creating posters or event notifications at intervals like, say, 15, 10, and 5 days before the Giving Day, think of ways to incentivize donors to participate. For instance, along with every countdown post, you can also share testimonials of past donors on social media. Seeing a friend believe in your institution’s cause can be a strong motivator for more alumni to donate.
Including photos and videos of how your institution has utilized funds raised at past fundraising events is another great way to motivate potential donors.
As the pandemic forces us to be confined to our homes, now more than ever, is the perfect time for your institution to invest greatly in building and growing an online community that your constituents can benefit from.
While an online community is great for driving engagement, not all potential donors will react the same way to your fundraising asks. For instance, an alum who's been working for 10 years might be more receptive to your fundraising ask this Giving Day than a young alum who's just graduated college and is still reeling under the pressure of repaying his student loan.
Personalizing your fundraising asks, therefore, plays a crucial role in building a unique connection with each constituent and paving the way for lasting relationships. Use dynamic segmentation to segregate your constituents based on class year, location, donation history, interests, etc. and personalize your emails right from the first message to the final thank you. Almabase can help you boost your fundraising with dynamic alumni groups and personalized email outreach. Talk to a fundraising expert today.
While promoting your Giving Day via in-person events does not look likely this fall, an increasing number of Liberal Arts Colleges are contemplating virtual events.
2020 has seen a ton of successful virtual events being implemented by Liberal Arts Colleges, big and small. Many have seen a steady rise in participation at virtual events because they're easily accessible irrespective of location or time. Virtual events, therefore, can help you tap into a wider network of donors and be a valuable addition to your marketing plan for Giving Day 2020.
As an added tip, you can use virtual event management software to engage alumni and drive participation at your fall Giving Day 2020.
As online engagement becomes pivotal for a successful Giving Day campaign in 2020, it is equally important to make the best use of the channels at your disposal.
Social media is the ideal place to meet and connect with new people, with platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook enabling you to explore potential donors. While you may already be connected with some of your donors on shared groups, use the network of your existing supporters to influence new donors. In addition to social media, emails and personal one-on-one calls are popular channels employed by most Liberal Arts Colleges for fundraising asks. If you are worried that alumni might ignore your email requests, here are some tips for you.
While driving more donors online may be your priority, also ensure that the online giving experience is smooth and flexible.
Now that you have done your bit to promote the campaign, how can you leverage your supporters to maximize the impact? Your donors are the ones who can carry your fundraising campaign forward by spreading the word through their networks.
You can find ways to make social sharing easy for donors and create more incentives for them to influence others in their network. For example, encourage your supporters to broadcast and share their contributions on social media. Offer them a customized template and prompt them to share this message on social media right after they've completed a gift.
You can also create a filter for Instagram or Facebook that donors can apply to their profile photos. Seeing their peers support their alma mater's cause can act as a strong driving factor for other constituents to contribute to the same cause.
Gamification techniques like leaderboards, challenges, and tributes are some additional great ways for invoking a healthy sense of competition amongst various constituent groups and amplifying the impact of gifts at your Giving Day this fall. William Peace University, a nationally ranked private liberal arts college in North Carolina, leveraged various gamification techniques at its Founder's Day of Giving 2020 and successfully surpassed its fundraising goal by 230%. Head over to the campaign page.
Planning a Giving Day has never been an easy task, but, with the pandemic leaving a majority of institutions around the world with a severe financial crisis, Giving Day 2020 is a big opportunity.
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Liberal Arts Colleges: 5 Fundraising Tips for Your Fall Giving Day
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Voluntary Alumni Engagement in Support of Education (VAESE) recently released The Alumni Relations Benchmarking Study, a treasure trove of insightful statistics and findings. Here are some key takeaways from the study:
• While the average number of full-time employees (FTEs) in alumni relations has increased slightly since 2016, many institutions report feeling understaffed.
• Real budgets have decreased when adjusted for inflation, with general budgets effectively decreasing by 16% from 2016 to 2024.
• Staffing constraints are identified as a major roadblock to increasing alumni engagement.
💡 To tackle staffing and budget challenges, consider leveraging automation and strategic volunteer programs to supplement your team. Implementing a robust tool with automation capabilities can streamline routine tasks, freeing up staff for high-impact activities.
• The primary goal for most institutions (65%) is increasing the number of alumni who engage.
• However, the lack of compelling, relevant value for alumni is cited as the biggest roadblock to increasing engagement (22%).
• Post-COVID-19, institutions have focused more on digital communication (73%) and personalized engagement (57%), but only 16% have added new, compelling benefits to attract alumni.
💡 Relevance is key; alumni engage more when they see clear, personal value. Develop unique, personalized benefits and programs that resonate with their current interests.
Use AI and automation tools to segment alumni based on factors like graduation year, field of study, behavior, intent signals, and past involvement to create targeted campaigns.
Tailoring messages based on alumni interests and interactions can make outreach efforts more meaningful and effective.
• There's a significant trend away from dues-paying membership models, with 80% of institutions now using non-dues-paying models in 2024, up from 69% in 2016.
• The number of active dues-paying members has declined dramatically, decreasing 98% since 2016.
💡 Create a non-dues membership model that offers exclusive access to events, content, and networking opportunities.
• Email engagement metrics show challenges, with average open rates at 25.8% and click rates at 12.7%.
• The frequency of gift solicitations to new graduates has decreased from an average of 3.92 in 2016 to 2.90 in 2024.
💡 Let’s face it, we get flooded with hundreds of emails every day. So, how can you make your email stand out?
Segment your email lists and send personalized, relevant messages with crisp, actionable content.
Use compelling subject lines to grab attention, ensure your emails are mobile-friendly, and include clear calls to action. Additionally, track engagement metrics to continuously refine and improve your email strategy.
• 40% of respondents occasionally use AI in their work, while 23% are interested in learning more about it.
• However, there's a notable resistance to AI adoption among some professionals.
💡 AI is no longer a buzzword; it has become an essential part of our work lives. While some may be skeptical, it is an incredibly valuable resource, especially for teams constrained by resources. AI can act as your sidekick for everyday tasks, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. For instance, you could use it for donor prospecting, personalized communication, predictive analytics, automated reporting, etc.
Need help with prompts? Check this out.
• The highest level of concern among alumni relations professionals is not having enough staff to complete necessary tasks.
• Budget cuts and lack of alumni engagement are also significant stressors.
💡 Alleviate professional stress by prioritizing high-impact activities and leveraging project management software to better organize and delegate tasks.
• There's a critical need for institutions to improve their value proposition to alumni, as many report investing little to nothing in alumni benefits.
• Only 9% of institutions invest significantly in benefits and services to motivate alumni engagement.
💡 Conduct surveys to understand alumni needs and invest in benefits that provide real value, such as career services, mentorship, networking opportunities, exclusive events, and lifelong learning opportunities. Understand which life stage they’re at and build initiatives around it.
Here are 12 alumni-centric ideas to inspire you.
These are some of our handpicked insights from the study. We highly recommend that you check it out for yourself as it provides a huge variety of interesting insights that you can use in your advancement strategizing process.
The Voluntary Alumni Engagement in Support of Education (VAESE) survey is an annual study assessing alumni engagement practices and trends across educational institutions. Conducted by a coalition of alumni relations and advancement professionals, it provides insights on communication, event participation, volunteerism, and giving. VAESE helps institutions enhance alumni outreach and support programs, and their studies are available for free.
What the Latest VAESE Benchmark Study Means for Your Advancement Strategy
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