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Latest stories, guides, and benchmarks from the world of alumni relations, fundraising, donor engagement, advancement services, events, and higher-education philanthropy

Blackbaud recently announced that support for Raiser’s Edge NXT’s database view and related functionality will end on September 15, 2027, affecting several Blackbaud products. These include Blackbaud Online Express and Blackbaud NetCommunity (BBNC). For advancement teams that have spent years building forms, pages, workflows, and other processes around the platform, this means choosing and migrating to a new platform. The prospect can feel like a lot to take on, especially if it wasn't something you'd anticipated.

If you're looking for an alternative, Almabase can help you replace the functionality you currently rely on across these products. We've already covered why teams might be thinking of a move off BBNC and how the main alternatives compare. In this article, we’ll be focusing on what happens once you've made that decision: what the migration process looks like, what your team can expect along the way, and how Almabase approaches the move.

In case you’re evaluating how Almabase stacks up against BBNC, check out our comparison blog here.

There’s also another question that comes up around a platform migration: How much is this going to cost?
This question extends beyond the immediate, visible technical costs. In fact, the technical side of the move might just be the simplest to figure out. It’s the broader, more abstract elements like shifting scopes, changing requirements, or even figuring out the right set of requirements in the first place that could end up costing the most amount of money and time, if not approached thoughtfully.

That's why we want to walk you through the Assisted Fast Pass Migration process upfront: what happens at each stage, what your team is responsible for, what our migration team handles, and where costs may come into the picture. We hope to give you a clear idea of what the move to Almabase will look like before you get started, so there are fewer surprises along the way.

Why transparency matters during a migration

A migration project always begins with an agreed-upon plan. But it’s also very likely that, a few weeks in, you discover a form that needs some additional customization or a request that seemed straightforward seems to fall outside the original scope, on second thought. These are perfectly reasonable hiccups during the migration, but if work is already underway, it could seem harder to understand what you're paying for, and even harder to plan around the rest of the project.

Clear expectations are at the heart of our migration approach, starting with total transparency around what extra requirements cost. With Almabase’s Assisted Fast Pass Migration, each stage gives you a chance to understand what's being proposed, what falls within the standard migration, and where something would require additional work.

Basically, you shouldn't find out about an extra requirement after the work has already been done. Your approval and sign-off comes first. The five steps in the migration process are built around this intention. Let’s get into them.

1. Kickoff: Getting the project off on the right foot

The migration process starts with a kickoff between your team, a dedicated CSM, and an implementation specialist. This is where we get the groundwork in place. This is usually access to your current site, your branding assets, and the dates your team needs to work around.

Another important step here is understanding your calendar and priorities. Your Giving Day, reunion, fiscal year-end, or another major event may determine what needs to happen first and we would be building the migration calendar around it. So, the migration sequence might look a little different for each institution, as each gets to choose which product goes first.

The kickoff is also a chance to flag anything unusual about your current NetCommunity setup.

After years on a platform, it's normal for your setup to have accumulated a few workarounds, custom configurations, or integrations that made sense when they were created. We don't need to solve all of those questions in the first meeting, but we do need to know about them.

That way, we can account for them during the next stage: the inventory. 🤗

Your team mainly needs to provide:

Key dates and deadlines
Relevant branding assets
Access to your existing NetCommunity site
Any known custom configurations, integrations, or unusual workflows

From there, you can let us take on the heavy lifting.

Your dedicated CSM and implementation specialist work with you throughout the migration, while your team focuses on the decisions and approvals. A migration shouldn't require your advancement team to take on managing a project full time on top of everything else they’re already handling.

Your data doesn't have to wait for the build

Your data migration is handled alongside the rest of the process. Almabase's bi-directional TrueSync integration connects with Raiser's Edge NXT and supports two-way syncing for configured entities and fields, including constituent, event, and gift data.

Admins can also decide which fields update automatically and which should be reviewed before they're pushed or pulled between systems.

That means your team doesn't have to wait until every page and workflow decision has been finalized before thinking about what happens to your data. The data side of the transition can move forward alongside the rest of the migration, with real time decisions being made.

2. Discovery and inventory: weeks one and two

Once kickoff is complete, your implementation specialist carefully starts building a complete inventory of what's currently running on NetCommunity: pages, forms, events, programs, memberships, and other key components of your site.

This process is useful in its own right, especially when taken on by someone external. After years on a platform, it's easy for a site to accumulate things that no one thinks about anymore, simply because they’re too involved in the process. The inventory gives you one place to see what's actually there, anything you might’ve forgotten about, and to make decisions about what needs to move vs what can be left behind.

Probably the most effective part of this is that it's a shared inventory that you can review alongside your specialist. If something looks outdated, doesn't need to move, or needs a closer look, you can flag it before it moves to the new product.

The inventory can surface things like:

Duplicate or unused event pages
Old forms or pages that are still live
Site elements that don't need to be carried into Almabase
Custom fields and configurations that don’t make sense on the new platform

This idea is to document your NetCommunity site so well that both teams end up on the same picture of what exists and what needs to happen next. The Almabase team handles the actual inventory work, and all you need to do is review the inventory and flag anything that should be changed, removed, or investigated.

3. Sign-off: deciding what moves forward

At this stage, the migration project starts taking on a more defined shape as you decide what you need to bring into Almabase. You and your implementation specialist review the inventory, decide what carries forward, and establish what the finished version should look like.

For each item being migrated, the team, along with you, defines the acceptance criteria before the building begins. If your existing alumni directory has eight fields and three filters, for example, those requirements can be documented as part of the scope. By the end of this discussion, everyone has arrived at the same definition of what needs to be delivered.

This is also where you’ll be able to clearly separate standard migration work from anything that requires additional effort.

If something falls outside the standard scope, you'll know before the work begins:

What the additional work involves
What's included and what's excluded
The estimated effort
The associated cost

You won’t have to decipher this from the invoice later on, because the work only moves forward once you’ve signed off on the scope.

This is exactly why your input here matters most. The Almabase team handles the building, but it’s you and your team deciding what is important enough to carry forward and what “done” needs to look like, within the standard process or with additional effort layered on.

4. Build and launch: 30 days for each product

Our team takes up building only once you’ve greenlit the scope. Each product gets its own dedicated 30-day track, with the order of products taken up built around your events and fiscal calendar.

This is to accommodate your calendar: giving days, reunions, Homecoming, we’ll build that product first so you’re ready in time for go-live day. If your immediate priority is your broader alumni site, we might begin with building that instead. The point is, even at this pace, you’re not forced to adopt a one-size-fits-all solution. Your implementation team works with you to determine what needs to come first.

The build itself happens on your Almabase pages, so you can review as it gets built while also familiarizing yourself with the new platform.

The timeline typically looks like this:

30-day build track: Each product moves through its own focused build.
Weekly working session: Your team meets with the implementation team to review progress, provide input, and make decisions.
Training as you go: Your team gets hands-on experience with the platform during the build, rather than waiting until everything is finished to start learning it.
First launch: The fastest migrations can have their first product live around 45 days from kickoff, depending on the scope and sequencing of your project.

Having the scope agreed upon shows up in smoothness at this point: you can expect fewer decisions to make from scratch during this stage. Your team knows what's being built, your implementation specialist knows what they're working toward, and everything can move as planned, on track.

5. Cutover: moving from NetCommunity to Almabase

As you get closer to launch, the focus shifts from building to making the transition itself as smooth as possible.

The most important part of that is making sure people can still find the things they've been using. Your team receives a redirect map that pairs each carried-forward NetCommunity URL with its new Almabase destination. You'll also want to review where those old links appear outside NetCommunity: your main institutional website, email templates, QR codes, printed materials, and any other places where an old URL may still be in circulation.

The redirect map gives you a clear list of what needs to change and no one has to discover old links one by one after launch.

Before each product goes live, your team gets to review it thoroughly and explicitly approve the launch.

The aim, with these five steps, is to get your Almabase programs ready before your NetCommunity access ends, so the transition remains smooth and doesn't become a last-minute scramble.

What happens when something doesn't fit the standard scope?

Not everything that comes up during a migration falls neatly into the original plan. But there's also an important conversation to be had: what counts as additional scope and what is a limitation in the platform itself?

If something requires work beyond the standard migration scope, that's identified and quoted before the work begins. You can then decide whether you want to take it on.

But if there’s a requirement you have that Almabase cannot support yet, we’ll be fully transparent with you. Essentially, you haven’t asked for too much, we’re just not there yet. Depending on what you need, the team can look at a workaround or determine how the functionality could be addressed after launch.

This conversation is also one of the reasons the earlier stages matter. The shared inventory, defined acceptance criteria, and upfront scoping give everyone a common reference point throughout the project.

That's really the principle behind the entire migration process. You're not expected to know every detail of what needs to happen before the project starts. The process itself is designed to show you those details early, give your team a chance to make the calls that matter, and keep the build moving while minimizing unexpected, last-minute surprises.

Ready to make the move?

A BBNC migration may not have been on your roadmap, but that also doesn't mean it has to become a project that takes over your team's calendar.

With a clear process, an agreed scope, and the right support, you can move the parts of NetCommunity that matter to your team and work for your institution without having to figure everything out as you go. The Almabase team handles the build and migration work, while your team stays in complete control of the decisions, priorities, and final approvals.

And because the scope and any additional costs are addressed before the work happens, you can go into the migration knowing what to expect.

If you're planning your move away from BBNC, let's talk about what it could look like for your institution.

Talk to the Almabase team about your BBNC migration →

Assisted Fast Pass Migration from BBNC to Almabase

Featured

Moving from BBNC to Almabase: The Assisted Fast Pass Migration

Blackbaud is sunsetting support for Raiser’s Edge NXT’s database view and related functionality in September 2027. Learn how Almabase replaces your current functionality and how our Assisted Fast Pass Migration makes for a smooth switch without disrupting your campaigns or operations.

Anwesha Kiran

September 10, 2026

12 minutes

Read

A paddle raise (also called a fund-a-need) is a great and simple fundraising format for nonprofits. It is easy to host, fun, and similar enough to auctions that if you have experience in one, you can easily incorporate the other.

All this is to say that, with proper planning, it is one of the most effective ways to get donations for your nonprofit or a particular project.

In this blog, we’ll look at what makes a typical paddle raise work, its benefits, and the essential steps to start hosting one on your own.

What is a Paddle Raise?

A paddle raise, also often called fund-a-need, is a live, direct appeal during a fundraising event such as a gala where donors pledge a financial contribution to a nonprofit, charity, or a particular cause. This is usually done by raising paddles containing varying numbers or ‘levels’, or through bidding devices and software.

A person with a paddle raise or auction paddle — *Photo by* *Anita Jankovic* on Unsplash

Unlike charity auctions though, there aren’t any items or art involved, and attendees will not be bidding on a piece. An ask is made, and donors willing to contribute that amount raise their paddles. Due to the simpler setup and direct contributions, paddle raises have high ROI and are generally considered to be very effective.

How does a Paddle Raise work?

Usually taking place at the peak of the fundraiser, a paddle raise takes around 10-20 minutes (it happens quite quickly). This is typically how it unfolds:

A designated speaker or emcee gets the event rolling by showing a video or narrating a quick story that introduces and emphasizes the impact of your mission.
The emcee announces the fundraising target for the night, or if there are multiple causes, the goals for each.
Tiers of contributions are planned beforehand ($10k, $7.5k and so on), and the emcee starts with the highest tier and works their way down to the lower tiers. When they ask for contributions, attendees express their willingness by raising numbered paddles.
Volunteers and staff keep track of all the pledges and note it down.
After going through all the tiers, the pledges are processed, and the total amount raised is announced. Attendees are thanked for their contributions and the event draws to a close.

Now that we’ve gone through what a paddle raise is and how it usually plays out, let’s get to how you can run one of your own.

How to Run a Successful Paddle Raise (Step-by-Step)

While paddle raises are simple enough in concept, they do require proper planning and coordination to capture pledges accurately and create good energy overall.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Pick the right cause/project for your targets and set your targets

Paddle raises are a lot more effective if you can tie them to a specific initiative that makes donors feel like they’re making a meaningful impact. It could be an annual raise for cancer, providing education to underprivileged children, etc.

Set a tangible goal and be clear on where the money goes. Sharing this with your donors builds trust. The goal shouldn’t be so high that hitting it feels impossible. All in all, you want to set a realistic but fairly ambitious figure.

2. Decide the contribution levels or tiers

You should aim for 5-10 levels and make sure it’s inclusive of everyone’s giving capabilities. You can discuss with your pre-committed donors (more on that later) to decide amounts for the higher giving tiers (or conversely for lower giving tiers depending on the situation).

This is where having a regularly updated donor database helps greatly, as you can base your levels off of giving history and data.
A basic example would be to have $15k as the highest tier, followed by $10k, $5k, $2k and so on all the way to $50. Remember that you have to be inclusive, so don’t skimp out on small or micro-level contributions.

3. Pick your emcee or host

The emcee is critical in setting the stage and the energy before the raise begins. An enthusiastic crowd can make a massive difference in contributions. If possible, hire a professional emcee who has been on the mic for other charity events before. You know your donors best; use that knowledge to pick out a host that can connect with them and elevate the room accordingly..

Alternatively, if your organization has deep ties with the attendees, you could consider a leadership figure (directors, chair, etc.) for familiarity. Of course, they need to be a good orator as well.

4. Decide the schedule and script

Since a paddle raise is relatively short, decide when the paddle raise should take place during your fundraising event or gala. You should aim to host the raise during the peak of the fundraiser, when everyone is energetic and receptive to instructions from you or your host.

Come up with a script, including your opening statement, tier announcements, anecdotes, and expressing gratitude at the end. Have alternative scripts ready for different scenarios since you can’t always predict if you’ll hit your target, overshoot it, or come close.

5. Pick the right tools for your event

You can choose to host your paddle raise with either physical paddles or through bidding software, though incorporating the former is heavily recommended.

You’ll need to assign numbers to each attendee and give them a paddle with the corresponding number. When a certain giving tier is called out, they can choose to pledge that amount by raising the paddle while volunteers keep track of it.

If you’re opting for a digital process, look for mobile-friendly bidding platforms. There are some other options as well like scanning QR codes to pledge. However, keep your attendees’ preferences in mind and try to find a balance between their experience and your team’s feature set. This is important, since the bidding and giving data will need to be synced to your CRM.

6. Running the paddle raise itself

When opening your event, it helps to set the energy high. Start with the mission statement and targets you set earlier. Here’s where the emcee does the heavy lifting. Videos and stories with emotional angles work really well at establishing a connection with your donors and creating empathy for your cause. If you have first time donors in the mix, a quick explanation of how the paddle raise works would also be helpful.

Make sure your volunteers are in place to clearly record everything. The emcee announces the levels in succession, starting with the highest one and working their way down.
Seeing major contributions right at the start might encourage the others to go beyond what they had originally planned. Make sure that the emcee acknowledges and celebrates pledges briefly for each tier before moving on to the next one.

How your staff records the pledges is up to you. You can use an app, spreadsheets, or simply pen and paper. Choose whichever would be the most convenient and accurate for your team.

7. Gratitude and stewardship

After going through all the levels, tally the total amount raised and announce it as the event draws to a close. Celebrate the impact everyone has created on the day. Tying the money raised to a tangible outcome (for example, 50 scholarships granted for struggling children, or feeding 100 people) creates even more positivity and really drives home a sense of accomplishment and giving.

After your fundraising event, follow up with your attendees to collect the pledged amounts, preferably within a day. Include key details like their paddle number, amount they pledged, and multiple payment options. Thank all the participants, regardless of whether they donated or not.

A Few Tips to Enhance Your Paddle Raise

Here are a few extra things to ensure you get the most out of your paddle raise(s):

Pre-committing a handful of donors: Reach out to some of your long time supporters, and ask for an early commitment to a particular level, especially the higher ones. Hesitation in the opening rounds of the raise can affect the overall contributions negatively. When attendees see paddles being raised immediately even at higher tiers, it gives them confidence to donate more.
Host it at the right time: If your paddle raise is part of a larger fundraising event (as is most common), avoid doing it right after a meal break when attendees are a bit languid, or at the very end of the event when a lot of them have left already.
Celebrate milestones during the raise: Every time you get significantly closer to hitting the day’s target, celebrate it. For example, if your goal is to raise $30000, then announce and celebrate when the contributions reach $5000, $15000, maybe hit a gong at $25000, and so on. Also, make sure to recognize all contributions, big or small, with equal excitement.

Almabase - A Powerful Tool for Hosting Your Paddle Raise

At its core, a paddle raise is fairly simple. But behind that simplicity is a lot of manual tracking like volunteers noting down pledges, someone tallying totals, and follow-up calls or emails to actually collect what was pledged. This is usually where a platform like Almabase can take some of that load off your team.

Instead of clipboards and spreadsheets, Almabase gives you a real-time dashboard of the event as it unfolds, so pledges don't need to be re-entered after the fact. Since collecting payment is often the trickiest part, you can also capture a guest's card at registration and charge pledges automatically once the raise wraps, rather than chasing donors down individually.

A couple of other things worth mentioning: contributions can be routed straight to the fund or project they were raised for, and everything syncs directly with your CRM so your donor records stay accurate without extra data entry.

None of this replaces a great emcee or an emotionally engaged room, but it does mean less time spent staring at numbers, and more time celebrating what you raised.
Request a personalized demo to see how this would look for you!

Featured

How to run a successful paddle raise (fund-a-need) at your event

Learn what a paddle raise is, how you can run one successfully, as well as a few tips to make your paddle raise stand out.

Hari Govind

September 4, 2026

12 minutes

Read

Modern donors expect deeply relevant, personalized communications, especially when it’s alumni hearing from their alma mater. Generic messages won’t cut it, but it can also be difficult to make your appeals stand out when you’re making the same ask every year. To develop annual fund appeal letters that drive revenue and deepen relationships, you need a strategic approach.

Annual fund appeals succeed when they have refined messaging, emotional resonance, and enough variation to win donors’ support outside of flashier, major campaigns. In this post, we’ll explore a few key ways to elevate your university’s next ask.

1. Center Authentic Student Storytelling

Donors give to people, not institutions, making personal narratives one of the most effective fundraising and marketing strategies you can use. By shifting the focus from university-wide achievements to the tangible success of individual students, you foster a direct emotional connection with your audience and demonstrate the real, lasting impact of their donations.

Instead of relying on generic asks for annual fund appeal letters, incorporate the stories of individual students and the scholarships and programs that empower them to thrive. For instance, you might share how a first-generation nursing student used a grant to complete their clinical rotations, or include a quote from a scholarship recipient about how attending your university made their dreams a reality.

No matter how you incorporate storytelling into your appeals, Meyer Partners recommends using the three R's of storytelling to make them as impactful and ethical as possible:

The three R’s of nonprofit storytelling: resonance, relevance, and respect

Resonance: Every story should include real, humanizing details that resonate with donors. Let students tell their stories in their own words, and pair testimonials with photos whenever possible.
Relevance: Make sure the donor can clearly understand their role in the story. Use donor-centric language that appeals directly to supporters’ values, inspiring them to become the changemakers who support the next generation of students.
Respect: Respect both your readers and your storytellers by maintaining authenticity. Be direct and honest about what donations can achieve, and always focus on positive emotions like empowerment rather than guilt or scare tactics.

Incorporate these stories into multiple elements of your annual fund campaign to ensure maximum visibility and consistency. For example, you might include quotes from a student in your direct mail appeals, then post a selfie video of the same student telling their story on social media.

2. Highlight Impactful Giving Opportunities

To maximize revenue and increase average gift sizes, ask for more than standard, one-time cash gifts in your annual appeal letters. Offer additional giving options that provide greater flexibility and can increase donors’ long-term impact. These opportunities are often more compelling, especially for young alumni looking for accessible options and for high-capacity donors looking to make the most of their donations.

Specifically, use your annual appeals to highlight opportunities like:

Matching Gifts

The easiest way to make supporters’ donations go further is to double them. Typically, donors can double the impact of their gifts at no extra cost in one of two ways:

Your university offers a matching donation challenge. Organizations often partner with a major donor who commits to matching every dollar donated within a set timeframe, up to a certain amount. These challenges motivate individual donors to give urgently so they don’t miss out on the match.
Donors request corporate matching gifts from their employers. At any time, donors who work for participating companies can independently request matching donations from their workplaces. If the request meets the employer’s guidelines (e.g., a donation between $10 and $100 to a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit), they’ll match their employee’s gift.

Either way, donation matching is a powerful motivator, especially during year-end giving season. Feature matching gifts prominently in your annual fund appeals, explaining how to participate and why these donations are so impactful.

Recurring Giving

Imagine you’re a recent graduate just starting your career and trying to pay off student loans. You wouldn’t want to donate $1,000 to the university you left last year, but it might be feasible to give $20 a month. In this case, you’re much more likely to respond to an appeal that highlights recurring giving.

Recurring gifts offer a more manageable opportunity to support your university while deepening donor relationships. In your annual fund appeal letters, include the option to give monthly and provide several accessible donation tiers.

Legacy Giving

Plant the seed for long-term support by introducing planned giving and bequest options in your annual appeals, too. These avenues empower alumni to leave a lasting mark on your institution without requiring an immediate, large-scale donation.

Even if most donors aren’t ready to commit to a legacy gift right now, just including information about planned giving in your appeal can get them thinking about it. Include links in emails and QR codes in direct mail letters so supporters can easily learn more on your university’s website or request a meeting with your major gifts officer. Note each donor who shows interest in the program so you can cultivate the relationship over time.

3. Leverage Donor Data for Highly Personalized Appeals

The best fundraising strategies reflect the unique relationship each supporter has with your university. Highly personalized appeals show each donor that you value them as an individual and respect their unique contributions.

Use your donor and alumni data to tailor your asks as much as possible. Go beyond addressing recipients by their preferred names—reference their specific past involvement, giving history, and personal connections to the university. Acknowledging that an alumnus was on the debate team or that a donor consistently supports the engineering department validates their identity and gives them clear, specific reasons to give again.

Segment your donor lists in several ways to maximize relevancy, and regularly audit your donor database to ensure all contact information and engagement records are accurate before sending appeals.

If you aren’t sure how to best segment your audience, hone in on the highest-value potential donors, or match supporters with the right requests, consider professional donor analytics services. Experienced fundraising consultants who specialize in data analysis can help you optimize your strategy for this year’s annual fund appeal and well into the future.

An effective annual fund approach relies on deep personalization, authentic narratives, and a variety of flexible giving options tailored to your audience. Upgrading the underlying strategy of your communications with these tips will help you build stronger relationships with alumni and secure the financial future of your core programs.

Featured

3 Ways to Build a Better Annual Fund Appeal for Higher Ed

Asking for donations to your annual fund can feel repetitive, but your appeal letters shouldn’t be. Learn how to develop better annual fund appeals here.

Alyssa Jefferies

September 3, 2026

12 minutes

Read

LinkedIn continues to stay relevant for alumni outreach in 2026 as it is one of the most comprehensive self-updating directories from an advancement standpoint. Over 50% of LinkedIn’s user base holds a higher-education degree, and ~53% of US college graduates are active on the platform.

That means your alumni not only present but also likely engaging with a variety of content. But as far as reaching out to them goes, being present on LinkedIn and being reachable are two different things, and the wrong outreach strategy can disinterest or even alienate alumni.

In this blog, we’ll go through whether LinkedIn is worth your time for alumni outreach and how you can get your alumni’s attention effectively.

Is LinkedIn outreach worth the investment?

Let’s start with understanding why LinkedIn is different from the other channels

LinkedIn InMail gets a 10–25% response rate while cold email, by comparison, sits at 1–5%. The platform’s natural context is also a big factor here because when an alum receives an InMail from their alma mater, it’s in a different environment to when they’re sorting through personal emails and family messages. They log on to LinkedIn with a certain mindset, which makes them more open to professional conversations.

LinkedIn also gives outreach teams more context about who they’re reaching before they begin the process such as:

Where an alum works currently
What they’ve recently posted
What groups and communities they’re in
Who the common connections are

That’s a lot of helpful material to tailor the first message that will hopefully be the start of a donor’s journey. Combine all of this with the social media nature of the platform and you get a channel that has a lot of potential if you approach it right.

LinkedIn Alumni Outreach Strategies

Now that we’ve established that LinkedIn is at least worth a look, let’s set your team up for success so that your messages don’t go ignored.

1. Build an Active Presence Before You Send a Message

Advancement teams (and most teams in any field, to be fair) tend to treat LinkedIn outreach the same way they’d treat a cold email campaign. They find the person, write the message, hit send, and hope for the best.

But LinkedIn is, at it’s core, a social network. Your alumni notice who’s following you, who’s commenting on your posts, and whether your institution has a solid presence on the platform. If your university’s LinkedIn page hasn’t posted in months and the last post was a stock photo of a campus building, it hurts your cause already.

Before you start an outreach campaign, make sure you tick all these boxes::

First, make sure your institution’s LinkedIn page is active. Posting once per weekday helps you reach 60% of your followers in a month. You should be aiming for consistent presence over viral content.
Secondly, look for mutual connections, a shared connection increases reply rates by 27%. If a colleague or another alum is already connected,
Thirdly, follow the alum you plan to message and leave a genuine comment on something they’ve posted. If possible, build and nurture your online relationship with them. You should be looking to gain a follow-back. This can be crucial since alumni who already follow your institution are 81% more likely to respond to your InMail.

2. Build a Segmented List

Use your CRM along with LinkedIn's alumni search tool to understand who you will be sending your messages to. Many alumni engagement tools also allow you to better find, segment, and automate outreach to the right people.

The segmentation itself will be crucial as personalization is a big part of making your message stand out (as we will explain later), so take your time and make sure all your segments and alumni information is updated, synced, and ready to go.

3. Get the Subject Line Right

LinkedIn InMail by default gives you a 200-character subject line limit. When an alum receives your InMail as a notification, they see roughly 25 to 40 characters before the preview cuts off.

For this reason, short, specific, and personalized subject lines can work really well. For example: “A quick question from [University]” or “Connecting with [Name] re: mentorship”.

What won’t work on the other hand, is anything that sounds like a mass email campaign. Something like “Exciting news from the alumni office!” might feel generic or may confuse recipients.

4. Keep the Message Short and Simple

LinkedIn’s own data shows that InMails under 400 characters get higher response rates. Many institutions sometimes write messages much longer than this and have their messages scrolled past.

For your first message, your alums only need enough to understand what you’re asking and if it's worth their time. If you have more context to give and more reasons to say why this outreach matters, that can follow later.

Write a ~300-character message that asks one clear question. The message can address the basics such as who you are, why you’re reaching out, and your one specific question.

5. Personalize Beyond the Name

Alumni can tell if a message was written for them or if someone just replaced a mail merge field, so you’ll want to go further than just swapping people’s first names. Here’s a few things that might help with personalization:

Spend a couple of minutes on the alum’s profile; personalized InMails increase acceptance rates by about 40%, according to LinkedIn data. Mention a recent post they made, a project they were publicly credited for, a career transition they just went through, or a shared connection.
Find a good natural connection between what you discover about them and what you’re reaching out about. If you’re inviting them to a career mentorship panel and they’ve been posting about early-career development, mention that. If you’re reaching out around their 10-year graduation anniversary, you definitely want to acknowledge it.
Avoid mentioning generic and obvious things like “I see you graduated from [University].” Good personalization shows you’ve paid attention to their life after graduation and you have a brief window that you want to make the most out of, especially for less-engaged alumni.

6. Templates for Common Outreach Scenarios

Here are some templates that you could borrow and build on to personalize your next outreach message on LinkedIn:

General reconnect: ‍

"Hi [Name], congrats on the move to [Company]. I'm on the alumni relations team at [University]. We're putting together a small group of alumni at your career stage to get some honest input on our programs. Would a 15-minute call work?"

Mentorship opportunity: ‍

"Hi [Name], I work in alumni relations at [University]. Saw your recent post on [topic] and thought you'd be a great fit for our mentorship program. We're matching alumni with students in [field]. Would you have 30 minutes to hear more?"

Upcoming event: ‍

"Hi [Name], I'm with alumni relations at [University]. We're hosting a small dinner for [City] alumni on [date] and wanted to make sure you were on the list. Can I send you the details?"

Giving day: ‍

"Hi [Name], [University]'s giving day is [date]. This year all gifts are going toward [initiative]. Wanted to reach out personally before things kick off. Can I send you a bit more context on what it supports?"

What each of these has in common is one clear ask and customization that shows the sender did their homework before reaching out.

7. Time Your Outreach Well

LinkedIn data shows that Friday and Saturday see 4% and 8% fewer than average responses, respectively. Your alumni may want to relax and disconnect from the professional world on the weekends, so Monday through Thursday is a good window. However, depending on your event calendar, and past alumni engagement data, this can vary a bit so do double check!

Going back to the mentioned window, Sprout Social's analysis of nearly 2 billion engagements across major social platforms points to Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., as LinkedIn's peak activity window. That's when professionals are most actively checking and responding on the platform, so it's your best shot at being seen before your message gets buried.

8. What to Do When Alumni Reply

Your next message after an alum replies sets the tone for the entire conversation that follows and the subsequent relationship. So here’s a few things to keep in mind:

Reply quickly, ideally within a few hours of seeing their response.
Thank them by name and reference something specific from their reply.
Remember that this is a conversation on a social platform.

The goal should be to establish that your team and, by extension, your institution has a real interest in keeping in touch with them after graduation. For this reason, you’ll want to:

Find out what they’re working on.
Ask follow-up questions.
Make it clear that there is no immediate ask attached.

💡This doubles as an opportunity to get updated information in case their profile information hasn’t been updated in a while.

Alumni who are connected to their institution are 23 times more likely to donate than those who aren’t. That connection, however, has to be built through consistent, genuine interaction over time. So, when it’s time to make an ask, it’s coming from the context of the conversation.

Build a LinkedIn Alumni Community (and not just another contact list)

At the end of the day, one-on-one outreach can only take you so far. Advancement and alumni relations teams that are able to keep alumni engaged are also building environments where alumni feel like they want to stay engaged.

If we are sticking to the platform at hand, LinkedIn Groups are a great way to do this. You can organize alumni groups around:

Your institution
Graduation cohorts
Academic departments
Regional chapters
Donor groups
Matching gift opportunities

…and much much more

AdvancementForm looked at what the institutions running active alumni groups have in common. Here are the main takeaways:

Stay active every day: Keith Hannon of Cornell University shared that two-thirds of alumni relations professionals running thriving LinkedIn communities log in daily. That includes posting, answering questions, responding to comments, and engaging with what other members are sharing.
Give alumni the spotlight: Spotlighting a graduate's career achievement or resharing something they wrote brings their audience into your content. Even the simple act of tagging alumni where needed will ensure that their network is notified as well.
Share career resources such as job postings, industry reads/insights, career advice for alumni at different stages and make sure they are updated frequently. This is the content that consistently performs well as it provides a clear reason to engage.
Mix up your content formats: Posts with images get a 98% higher comment rate than those without, and posts with YouTube videos (that play directly in the feed) get a 75% higher share rate. Varying your formats will keep the feed from feeling like a broadcast channel.
Ask alumni to help current students: Academic Impressions flags this as an especially meaningful way to engage alumni because it gives them an opportunity to give back give back, even without a financial element. Posting something like "What do you wish someone told you in your first year in [industry]?" gets replies from alumni who would otherwise never comment on, say, an event announcement.
Run polls: Lebanon Valley College asked their alumni "What career field are you currently in or looking to enter?" and it sparked a lively, ongoing discussion among their alumni. Polls can be a great icebreaker and contextualizing them to recent events, career stages, or other segmented needs is even better!
Add in the nostalgia angle: Questions and posts about campus memories or institutional history give alumni interactive content that serves as a break on their feed from the usual LinkedIn content while also reminding them of why they feel connected to their school.

Finally, if you're thinking about content ratios, keep it weighted toward value-first content, career resources, alumni recognition, and conversation, with campaigns and event promotion playing a supporting role, not leading the feed.

Measure Your Progress and Know Your Blind Spots

You need to know whether your efforts are paying off. So, if you’re running structured outreach campaign on LinkedIn, here are the metrics which will help you track what's working:

Connection acceptance rate: You generally want to aim for ~20% or above. If you're below that, check whether you're warming up contacts before sending requests and whether your institution's page looks active and credible.
InMail response rate: With personalized, well-targeted outreach, this should sit between 10–25%. Single-digit numbers are an indication to look at your message length, your subject line preview, and how specific your personalization is.
Conversation-to-action rate: This tracks what percentage of replies converts into whatever your goal is, whether that’s an event registration, a scheduled call, or a gift.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) tracks alumni engagement across four modes: philanthropic, volunteer, experiential, and communications.

LinkedIn activity can feed into your experiential and communications metrics. If you’re not tracking LinkedIn engagement as part of your overall alumni engagement scorecard, you should consider starting now.

A few common blind spots that can be avoided include:

Reaching out only when there's an ask: If alumni only hear from you around giving day or annual fund season, the outreach feels transactional. Only 27% of alumni who donate give to their alma mater. The most common reason others don't give is because they don't feel connected enough to make it a priority.
Writing LinkedIn messages like emails: Avoid long messages, formal language, attached PDFs when LinkedIn is conversational. Keep messages short, and the tone conversational.Save the documents for follow-up conversations.
Ignoring alumni who engage with your posts: When an alum comments on something your institution shared, respond to them, thank them by name, and if appropriate, send a connection request with a brief personal note referencing what they said.
Not knowing what comes next when someone replies: Replying to a message without a clear next step might waste the opening you had spent time and effort on. Know what you’re trying to accomplish before you send the first message so that when someone replies, you’re ready to take the conversation forward.

Final Thoughts

We hope we’ve been able to give you and your team plenty of things to keep in mind. While LinkedIn outreach may seem like a simple game of numbers at first glance, any outreach campaigns involving social media rarely tend to be so predictable and you definitely want to keep that in mind.

To wrap things up, keep personalization (and segmentation by extension) at the heart of your strategy, have a consistent presence on LinkedIn just as you probably do with Facebook or Instagram, and make sure you are thinking about how to take the conversation forward many weeks ahead of time so that alumni feel appreciated after reacting to your outreach.

If you are looking for an alumni engagement platform to help you plan, execute, and measure your alumni outreach and engagement strategy, Almabase is built just for that so feel free to book a personalized demo with us!

Featured

How to Reach Out to Alumni on LinkedIn and Get Responses

Our article takes you through LinkedIn alumni outreach and how your team or institution can ensure that your alumni don't ignore your messages.

Prajnya Yelamali

September 2, 2026

12 minutes

Read

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Every thriving community begins with participation. For schools, higher ed institutions, and nonprofits, that might look like an alum mentoring a student, a parent joining a virtual town hall, or donors rallying behind a cause. Small contributions like these build on each other, shaping the volunteerism, advocacy, and momentum that sustain your mission.

When you have a community that spans multiple time zones and busy schedules, the real challenge is to design experiences that truly feel inclusive. Getting people involved can feel like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to. A few thoughtful adjustments to your approach can unlock more consistent and meaningful engagement.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled over 20+ ideas to simplify and enhance engagement in 2026. These are practical ways to boost participation, turn involvement into long-term support, and keep the energy in your community moving.

Looking for a roadmap tailored to your needs? Discover how Almabase helps communities run events, engagement, and giving on one platform.

How Online Community Engagement Benefits Advancement Teams

An online community that has consistent and meaningful interaction can unlock advantages that traditional channels often can’t for advancement teams. These interactions leave behind clear signals of interest, making it easier to understand alumni priorities and build stronger connections. They also remove barriers of distance and time, creating opportunities to involve graduates who might otherwise remain out of reach.

What this means in practice:

Better insights: Participation data highlights what resonates with alumni and guides future programming.
Wider reach: Virtual platforms connect you with alumni across regions and time zones.
Cost-effective programs: Online initiatives stretch budgets further while still delivering impact.
Stronger pipelines: Consistent digital touchpoints nurture relationships that naturally lead to mentoring, volunteering, and giving.

20+ Online engagement ideas to grow your community

Here are 25 ideas, each to transform your online community into an essential resource for your alumni-

A. Professional & Career Development

Your alumni community becomes stronger when it helps members grow in their careers. By positioning your network as a space for guidance, connections, and learning, you create lasting value.

1. Mentorship Pathways

Offer flexible formats that connect alumni at different stages of their careers. Structured programs can match mentors and mentees through data-driven pairings, while flash mentoring events provide quick, focused conversations without long-term commitment. Together, they make it easy for alumni to give and receive guidance in ways that fit their schedules.

2. Alumni-Led Conversations

Create spaces where alumni learn directly from one another. Small roundtables can dive into industry trends, while themed panels highlight career pivots and personal journeys. Both formats give members access to insider knowledge and relatable stories, making the community a go-to place for real-world insights.

3. On-Demand Resources

Build a digital library that alumni can access anytime. This could include resume guides, salary negotiation tips, or recorded lectures from faculty and industry experts. Keeping this content exclusive adds clear, practical value to being part of your network.

4. Skill-Building Workshops

Host short, focused workshops led by alumni or faculty on topics like leadership, data storytelling, or personal branding. These sessions offer hands-on learning and help members pick up new tools they can apply right away.

5. Career Opportunity Boards

Centralize job and internship postings within your platform. Alumni can share openings from their organizations, giving others a direct path to opportunities while reinforcing the idea that the network actively supports their professional growth.

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B. Alumni-Led Peer Engagement

Some of the strongest connections happen when alumni drive momentum themselves. Your role is to create the space and tools for those peer-to-peer bonds to thrive.

6. Alumni-Owned Business Directory

Create a searchable hub where alumni can list and discover businesses owned by fellow graduates. Beyond visibility, it encourages alumni to support each other’s ventures, fostering a “buy alumni” culture. Featuring rotating spotlights like a “Business of the Month” which adds recognition and keeps the directory lively.

7. Alumni Ambassador Network

Empower passionate alumni to take on leadership roles. Ambassadors can organize meetups in their city, welcome new graduates, or rally volunteers for campaigns. Equip them with a toolkit of templates, brand resources, and event ideas so they feel supported while extending your reach.

8. Peer-Led Fundraising Campaigns

Instead of every appeal coming from the institution, let alumni take the lead. With personal fundraising pages, they can champion causes that matter to them. Whether that’s a scholarship fund or a student club initiative. This grassroots approach creates deeper ownership and often draws in gifts from networks you might never reach directly.

9. Short-term Projects

Offer short-term opportunities for alumni to collaborate. For example, a three-month committee to plan a cultural showcase, designing a mentorship toolkit, curating alumni stories, mentoring a student for an hour, reviewing portfolios, or providing professional feedback. These projects appeal to busy professionals who can’t commit year-round but are eager to contribute in bursts of time and expertise.

10. Alumni-Led Web Series

Invite alumni to host informal webinars or live Q&As on topics they’re passionate about, from launching a startup to balancing career and family. These sessions position alumni as thought leaders, while providing practical, real-world learning for the community.

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C. Storytelling & Digital Content

Stories are at the heart of engagement. Sharing authentic experiences and milestones reminds alumni of their shared identity and the impact they continue to make.

11. Alumni Journeys & Spotlight Series

Celebrate alumni achievements while highlighting their long-term paths. This could feature recent success stories, career transitions, or reflections from former student leaders and creatives. Combining recognition with narrative, these stories inspire peers, show the value of an education from your institution, and reinforce community pride.

12. Faculty AMA Sessions

Reconnect alumni with professors through live "Ask Me Anything" events. These sessions provide a casual, engaging way for graduates to ask questions, hear about current research from their favourite faculty and feel connected to the evolving campus life.

13. Student Success Highlights

Showcase the accomplishments of current students to bridge generations. Highlight scholarship recipients, award-winning teams, or innovative projects. Seeing the tangible results of their support strengthens alumni pride and encourages ongoing involvement.

14. Alumni Takeovers on Social Media

Offer alumni the chance to run your social media channels for a day. They can share personal stories, career experiences, or campus memories, giving peers an authentic look into their lives and perspectives. This fresh, unfiltered content keeps engagement lively and relatable.

15. Themed Story Campaigns

Launch campaigns around themes like “Alumni Making a Difference” or “Campus Then & Now.” Curate photos, videos, and short written reflections to weave a narrative across channels. Themed campaigns provide structure while still allowing many alumni to participate and share their stories.

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D. Events & Community Experiences

Creating memorable, accessible experiences keeps alumni connected to each other and the institution. The right events spark engagement, foster nostalgia, and make participation easy across geographies.

16. Live-Stream Campus Events

Broadcast homecoming, lectures, or student showcases so alumni can join from anywhere. Interactive features like live chat, polls, or Q&A sessions make virtual attendees feel part of the action, not just observers. These events give alumni who can’t travel a chance to celebrate milestones and stay connected to campus life.

17. Virtual Book Clubs

Engage alumni through curated groups that meet online regularly around shared hobbies or interests like hiking, photography, cooking, or book discussions. Inviting a graduate to lead sessions or spotlighting alumni contributions adds a personal touch. Over time, these groups create smaller, dedicated communities within your network, encouraging repeat engagement and fostering meaningful conversations around shared passions.

18. Themed Trivia Nights

Host friendly, competitive events focused on university history, campus traditions, or milestone decades. Trivia nights encourage alumni to reminisce, spark laughter, and connect across generations. They’re low-pressure, fun events that make it easy for alumni from anywhere in the world to join and interact, often sparking follow-up conversations long after the event ends.

19. Pop-Up Happy Hours

Organize short, informal meetups with specific themes or for select groups (e.g., young alumni in tech, regional chapters, or parents of current students). These casual settings encourage alumni to talk, exchange ideas, and meet new people without committing to a full-scale event. They’re perfect for building local or niche communities while keeping energy high and logistics simple.

20. Cross-Generational Story Exchanges

Bring together alumni from different decades to share personal stories and lessons learned. These small-group conversations help newer alumni see the long-term impact of their education, while older graduates reconnect with the evolving culture of the institution. Cross-generational exchanges build a sense of legacy and continuity, strengthening bonds across the entire alumni network.

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E. Fresh Paths for Engagement & Alumni Impact

This section focuses on innovative ways to involve alumni that go beyond traditional events or giving, making participation fun, purposeful, and mutually beneficial.

21. Reverse Mentoring

Pair younger alumni with seasoned professionals to share insights on emerging technologies, industry trends, or modern work practices. This two-way exchange benefits both groups: younger alumni gain guidance, while senior alumni stay updated and connected to the latest developments.

22. Engaging Polls and Quizzes

Use interactive social media features to spark participation with fun, university-related questions. Polls or quizzes about campus history, student life, or alumni trivia keep the community active and encourage sharing, creating low-effort but high-value engagement.

23. On-Ramp for Young Alumni

Make it easy for recent graduates to join the alumni community with a simple, compelling online form. Feature it on your website and in welcome emails, giving newcomers a clear first step to participate in programs, discussions, and events tailored to their interests.

24. Data Verification Challenges

Turn updating alumni contact information into a friendly competition. Offer a prize for the class or affinity group that verifies the most profiles. This gamified approach keeps data accurate while making the process engaging and rewarding.

25. Alumni Flash Challenges

Organize short, themed challenges that alumni can participate in over a day or week like submitting a campus memory, sharing a professional tip, or posting a photo from their graduation year. These bite-sized activities drive engagement, create shareable content, and make alumni feel involved.

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Tips for Effective Execution

Creating lasting connections goes beyond hosting events or sending newsletters. Here’s what to keep in mind to make every initiative count:

Set Clear Goals: Define what success looks like for each program, whether it’s participation, stronger networks, or increased support. Clear objectives guide planning and measurement.
Understand Your Alumni: Tailor outreach and activities to different segments, such as graduation year, professional interests, or location. Relevance drives engagement.
Leverage Your Data: Keep profiles up to date and track interactions. Use insights to refine initiatives and identify the alumni most likely to participate.
Keep a Steady Rhythm: Regular touchpoints like newsletters, check-ins, or mini-events help maintain ongoing engagement throughout the year.
Focus on the Experience: Smooth onboarding, clear instructions, and personalized follow-ups make participation rewarding and meaningful.
Show the Impact: Close the loop by sharing outcomes, celebrating successes, and highlighting tangible results. Alumni are more likely to stay involved when they see the difference they’re making.

How Almabase helps you execute these ideas

A comprehensive and customizable alumni and donor engagement platform like Almabase makes it simple to put these strategies into motion. From branded directories and seamless onboarding to virtual events and mentoring programs, everything lives in one place. Built-in analytics show in real time which initiatives are driving participation, connections, and impact, so you know where to double down.

For community managers and advancement teams, the day-to-day tasks like messaging members, segmenting groups, or surfacing the right opportunities take just a few clicks. With our Re: NXT integration, all engagement data flows directly into your advancement CRM, so nothing gets lost between platforms. Features like Next-Gen Directories, Event Management, and Affinity Groups go beyond the basics, making it effortless for alumni to connect, RSVP, and engage on their own terms. With an all-in-one platform powering your strategy, advancement teams can focus less on logistics and more on creating meaningful engagement.

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Moving forward

Hopefully, this blog gave you a chance to step back and appreciate one of the cornerstones of advancement and alumni relations. Even the most experienced teams benefit from revisiting why these events exist in the first place; it’s a chance to approach your next one with fresh ideas and renewed perspective. Because when done well, they remind graduates why they belong, spark pride in your institution, and create new ways for alumni to support one another.

If you’re looking for a partner to help plan your next alumni event and make it a success, we’d love to chat. Whether it’s brainstorming, planning, or running the event, you can start a conversation or request a personalized demo, and we’ll help you bring your vision to life.

20+ Online Community Engagement Ideas for 2026

In this blog, we'll take you through over 20 ways to engage your online communities to foster loyalty, inspire giving, and grow your brand for future programs.

Sharada Koti

September 30, 2025

12 minutes

Read

A strong donation page can be the difference between an inspired gift and a missed opportunity. With donors expecting a fast, trustworthy experience, the design and strategy of your giving page matter more than ever.

In this article you’ll find best-in-class donation page examples from schools, universities, and nonprofits, as well as actionable takeaways to help your institution inspire more gifts.

Why Your Donation Page Matters More Than You Think

Online giving keeps growing - Blackbaud’s 2024 Charitable Giving Report shows overall online giving rose 2.2% in 2024, setting a new record after pandemic-era peaks, and education-related nonprofits saw a 10% jump in online gifts.
Convenience counts - Shorter forms are more likely to increase donations, so it’s in your nonprofit’s best interest to keep them concise and to the point.
Your donation page is the closer - It’s the moment where trust, emotion, and ease must meet to convert intent into action.

💡If you want a page that inspires giving and syncs seamlessly with your donor database, check out Almabase’s Giving Module.

Donation Page Examples from Educational Institutions

1. Punahou School – Heritage Meets Historic Success

Punahou leveraged their 175th anniversary celebration to create their most successful fundraising campaign in school history. The Ku'u Punahou campaign raised over $176 million from more than 12,800 donors with 40,000 individual gifts. The campaign effectively connected historical legacy with future vision, emphasizing how gifts would support cutting-edge learning environments, expand need-based financial aid, and inspire students to "pursue lives of purpose".

Punahou Giving page — A snippet from Punahou School's donation page

Why it works: Their donation platform provides clear funding priorities including the Punahou Fund for current needs, PunsUnited for student financial aid, and specific capital projects, while offering multiple giving vehicles from cryptocurrency to IRA distributions.

Takeaway: Tie major fundraising campaigns to significant institutional milestones while providing clear, varied pathways for different donor interests and capacities.

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2. University of Cambridge – Multiple Causes & International-Friendly Design

University of Cambridge giving page — Snippet from University of Cambridge's donation page

Why it works: The platform supports over 150 academic departments, faculties, and research institutes, offering donors a comprehensive range of causes from student support (including scholarships and bursaries) to cutting-edge research spanning climate change to cancer research, plus historic preservation and global outreach programs.

The platform is genuinely international-friendly, supporting multiple currencies and UK Gift Aid (adding 25% to donations). It uses various payment methods including international bank transfers, and provides tax-efficient giving structures through partnerships like Cambridge in America and Transatlantic Giving Circle, making it accessible to donors from the US, Europe, India, and beyond.

Key feature: Comprehensive cause selection across all academic disciplines combined with seamless international giving infrastructure.

Takeaway: Offering diverse funding priorities while optimizing for global accessibility significantly expands both donor engagement and gift potential.

3. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Community-Centered Giving

UCLA’s donation page emphasizes the collective impact of gifts of all sizes, framing every donation as a valuable contribution to a larger circle of support. The page spotlights the university’s multi-year fundraising drive, presenting goals and clear priorities such as student scholarships, faculty research, and campus initiatives. Donors can choose from a wide range of designations: schools, departments, or specific programs, and the form makes it easy to give once or set up a recurring pledge. Campaign progress updates and donor stories reinforce momentum, while the blue-and-gold branding keeps the experience unmistakably UCLA.

Why it works: By reinforcing that every gift counts and supports a shared mission, UCLA creates an inclusive and motivating environment for donors at all capacity levels. This sense of community nurtures donor loyalty and encourages repeat giving, from modest contributions to major philanthropic commitments.

Key feature: Messaging that connects individual gifts to a broad, impactful community mission.

Takeaway: Position donations as part of a collective effort that transcends the institution, inspiring donors with a compelling sense of shared purpose.

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Impact-Centered Storytelling

MIT’s donation page uses an interactive grid of impact cards instead of a traditional banner. Each card highlights a key funding priority—such as “Approximately 40% of MIT’s operating budget relies on unrestricted dollars,” and “Over 25% of first-year graduate students are supported by fellowships.” Donors can hover over each card to reveal concise impact statements and click “Learn More” to dive deeper or give directly to that area.

Why it Works: The card-based layout engages donors by inviting exploration and discovery, turning passive scrolling into active interaction. By surfacing bite-sized data points about financial aid, unrestricted funding, and fellowship support, MIT appeals to diverse donor motivations, whether they value student support, institutional flexibility, or graduate research. The clear, quantifiable facts build credibility, while the hover-to-reveal design keeps the page visually clean yet informative.

Key feature: Interactive impact cards with hover-revealed data points tying gift options to specific institutional needs.

Takeaway: Use interactive, data-driven elements to educate donors about multiple priorities, letting them choose what resonates most while maintaining a clean, engaging design.

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5. University of Texas at Austin – Multi-Channel Giving Options

UT Austin’s “Ways to Give” page offers a comprehensive menu of 14 distinct giving channels, from traditional methods like mail-in gifts and wire transfers to strategic options such as matching gifts, appreciated securities, endowments, and estate/planned gifts. They also feature specialized pathways for UT employees (payroll deduction), international donors, and industry or foundation partnerships. Each option includes a brief description of benefits, such as tax advantages for securities gifts or legacy impact for endowed funds, guiding donors to the method that best aligns with their needs and goals.

University of Texas at Austin giving — University of Texas at Austin's donation page

Why it works: By presenting diverse giving vehicles in a single, clearly structured page, UT Austin accommodates donors at every level and life stage. This breadth of options signals inclusivity and respect for individual donor circumstances, strengthening trust and inspiring larger, more strategic commitments.

Key feature: Detailed, side-by-side descriptions of multiple giving vehicles tailored to varied donor profiles.

Takeaway: Empower donors by offering clear, well-explained giving channels that match diverse preferences, maximizing both participation and gift size.

6. Stanford University – Comprehensive Giving Hub

What they did: Stanford’s Giving site serves as a one-stop destination for every type of donor. “How to Make a Gift” section organizes every giving method into three clear columns: Give Now, Give Over Time, and Plan Your Gift. Under “Give Now,” donors can contribute online, by phone or mail, through stocks or wire transfers, or via memorial, matching, or international gifts. “Give Over Time” highlights new pledges, pledge payments, and recurring gifts, while “Plan Your Gift” details options like bequests, life-income gifts, donor-advised funds, and other asset-based contributions. Each link opens concise guidance so donors immediately understand requirements and benefits such as tax advantages or long-term impact.

Stanford University giving — Stanford's gifting page

Why it works: This tiered layout simplifies a complex set of choices. Donors can instantly self-select whether they want to give immediately, spread payments over time, or create a legacy gift, without wading through multiple pages. By presenting planned giving alongside quick online options, Stanford invites both spontaneous and strategic donors, signaling professionalism and respect for different financial circumstances.

Key feature: Three-column structure, “Give Now,” “Give Over Time,” and “Plan Your Gift”, that clarifies intent and shortens the path to the right giving vehicle.

Takeaway: Grouping donation methods by timing and complexity helps donors quickly find an approach that fits their goals, increasing both participation and the likelihood of larger, long-term commitments.

Donation Page Examples from Nonprofits

7. Charity: Water – Transparency Through the 100% Model

Charity: water did something exemplary with online giving through their “100% Model”, ensuring every public donation funds clean water projects, while operational costs come from private supporters. Their donation page appeals to donors of all levels, highlighting that just $40 can bring one person reliable access to clean water. The giving form encourages small, meaningful gifts, reinforced by clear, low-pressure messaging and a welcoming design. Donors can also give in honor of someone special, adding a personal touch that widens participation.

Charity: Water donation page — Charity: Water's donation page

Why it works: The low-barrier entry point clearly states the tangible impact of every dollar, making action feel accessible to all. This transparent, approachable style removes hesitation from new and returning donors alike.

Key feature: Transparent cost-of-impact messaging (“$40 brings clean water to 1 person”) and personalized giving options.

Takeaway: A combination of radical transparency and inclusive, low-pressure donation options makes every supporter feel valued, lowering the barrier for action and building long-term loyalty.

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8. American Red Cross – Trust Signals Front and Center

The American Red Cross places credibility and transparency at the forefront on their donation page by prominently displaying their 4-star Charity Navigator rating.
They provide donors clear choices to give toward specific disaster relief efforts (such as wildfire relief or hurricane response) or general emergency preparedness, ensuring funds are allocated to donor-intended uses. These trust badges and fund-designation options reassure potential donors about the responsible handling of contributions in times of crisis.

American Red Cross giving page — The Red Cross' donation page

Why it works: In disaster fundraising, trust is paramount. The presence of third-party certifications and transparent fund allocation reduces donor skepticism and encourages first-time giving. Having clear, situational giving opportunities tied to recent emergencies increases relevance and urgency, motivating donors to act quickly.

Takeaway: Demonstrating strong third-party accountability and offering clear, cause-specific giving choices build donor confidence, especially important in emergency response fundraising.

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9. World Wildlife Fund (Canada/US) – Recurring Giving Emphasis

WWF donation page — A snippet that show the membership benefits for WWF Heroes

Why it works: WWF frames monthly giving as joining their "WWF Heroes" community, emphasizing how monthly donations provide "dependable support for global conservation efforts". Their donation pages offer membership benefits including quarterly World Wildlife magazine, annual calendars, and exclusive updates. They make monthly giving attractive by highlighting that 84% of spending goes directly to conservation and offering thank-you gifts for donations of $16+ per month.

Key feature: Monthly giving positioned as exclusive membership with tangible benefits.

Takeaway: Present recurring gifts as joining a special community with exclusive perks rather than just a payment method.

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What the Best Online Donation Pages Have in Common

The examples above show that high-performing giving pages share a core set of traits:

Clear Pathways for Every Donor: From Stanford’s “Give Now/Give Over Time/Plan Your Gift” columns to UT Austin’s 14 giving channels, these top pages make it effortless for each donor to find the right option fast.‍
Impact-Driven Storytelling: MIT’s interactive cards and Charity: Water’s $40-per-person promise do a great job at showing the journey from gifts to tangible change.‍
Trust and Transparency Signals: From the American Red Cross’s Charity Navigator rating to Cambridge’s detailed tax-efficient giving info, visible assurances build donor confidence and encourage first-time gifts.‍
Mobile-First, Streamlined Design: UCLA’s minimal required fields and WWF’s frictionless monthly sign-up demonstrate the importance of quick, mobile-friendly forms to reduce drop-offs.‍
Strong Brand Integration: Pages like UCLA’s weave institutional colors, fonts, and imagery throughout, reinforcing institutional spirit and branding to their constituents to foster an emotional connection.‍
Recurring Gift Emphasis: WWF’s “Heroes” program highlights recurring giving as the default, increasing donor lifetime value.‍
Flexible Payment and Currency Options: Cambridge’s multi-currency support and Stanford’s stock or wire transfer options make giving accessible to international supporters and attract those with diverse assets.

These shared elements ensure donors can give with confidence, understand their impact, and complete a gift in minutes. These are key ingredients for sustainable, long-term fundraising success.

Common Donation Page Mistakes to Avoid

Overcomplicating forms with too many fields: Long forms make people quit before they finish.
Neglecting mobile optimization: If the page is clunky on a phone, you’ll lose a lot of gifts.
Using generic, uninspiring asks: Vague language doesn’t show why a gift matters right now.
Not tracking conversion drop-offs: Without data on where donors stop, problem-solving can get delayed.

How to Improve Your Own Donation Page

Use this short checklist when reviewing your site:

Show real impact: Make it obvious how each gift will help: use clear numbers, stories, or visuals.
Keep the process under two minutes: Limit fields and clicks so a donor can finish fast.
Highlight recurring giving: Present monthly or yearly options up front as the easiest way to give.
Connect with your CRM: Ensure gifts sync automatically so records stay accurate and follow-ups are easy.

💡Almabase’s Giving Module integrates directly with RE NXT to automate processing and personalize appeals. → Learn more

Conclusion

Whether you run a K-12 school, university, or global nonprofit, we hope that these donation pages and our tips have proven that clear design, trust signals, and emotional storytelling go a long way in the effort to convert visitors into donors.

9 Best Donation Page Examples for Better Fundraising

Donation pages are the interface for your donors to make a change. In this blog, we're going through 9 great examples you can take inspiration for your next page.

Anwesha Kiran

September 26, 2025

12 minutes

Read

Alumni mentorship programs can help current students find their footing and construct their ideal college experience with guidance from alumni with similar interests. These kinds of relationships can reach beyond choosing the right classes and finding their way around campus—rather, mentorship can forge deep connections that last even after graduation.

With some strategic planning and guidance, higher ed development professionals like you can leverage alumni mentor-mentee relationships to cultivate students into donors down the line. Plus, alumni who serve as mentors often feel a deeper sense of connection to your university themselves, making them more likely to give back financially as well.

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Let’s explore why alumni mentorship programs are useful donor cultivation tools and review best practices for building a natural pathway from casual involvement to enthusiastic giving in the future.

How Alumni Mentorship Impacts Donor Engagement

On the surface, alumni mentorship programs aren’t a direct pathway to fundraising success. They’re designed to give current students resources and guidance from alumni who have already navigated the college experience. However, this structure naturally fosters personal bonds that often inspire alumni to stay connected and support the institution’s mission over time, which lends itself to fundraising.

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Here are some specific ways alumni mentorship programs can influence giving:

Strengthens emotional connection for alumni. Similar to how volunteering for a nonprofit strengthens supporters’ emotional connection to the cause, serving as a mentor helps alumni feel more invested in the success of students and the broader university community.‍
Encourages sustained involvement. Serving as a mentor keeps alumni engaged beyond reunions and events, while students who receive mentorship are more likely to see lifelong value in staying connected.‍
Builds a culture of giving back. Alumni who give time often see financial giving as a natural extension of volunteer support, and mentees who benefit often want to “pay it forward” when they become alumni.‍
Reinforces institutional trust. Positive mentoring experiences increase alumni confidence in the institution and demonstrate to students that the university invests in their success, building stronger ties that lead to giving.‍
Boosts group involvement and recruitment. Some clubs, like fraternities and sororities, offer alumni mentorship within the organization. This can spark student interest in joining or staying active in organizations, which increases the likelihood that both alumni and students will want to give back to sustain the organization’s future.

These fundraising advantages are only possible if you intentionally create mentorship programs that make alumni and students more likely to donate.

How to Design Alumni Mentorship Programs That Drive Donor Cultivation

1. Underscore the Benefits of Participating

Alumni mentorship programs are only valuable if students and alumni actually want to participate! To create an appealing mentorship program for both students and alumni, promote participation perks such as:

Exclusive networking circles. Give mentors and mentees access to invite-only mixers, career panels, or digital forums where only program participants connect.
Priority access to events. Offer early registration or VIP seating for homecoming, fundraising galas, or fraternal chapter reunions as a thank-you for active mentors.
Enhanced career visibility. Spotlight mentors and mentees on campus platforms, alumni publications, or LinkedIn features. This public recognition raises professional profiles while strengthening institutional pride.

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Regardless of your program’s specific perks, frame mentorship as a legacy-building opportunity. Alumni who love your school want to be a part of its history and help make it better for future students. Mentorship is a great way to make a tangible impact on students, who can then pay their mentors’ support forward. Bridging this gap is essential for bringing alumni (and eventually students) into your donor pipeline.

2. Make Participation Flexible and Accessible

Program benefits attract interest, but a convenient program structure is essential to keep alumni and students actively engaged. Considering how busy your alumni and students are, mentorship needs to be easy to fit into their schedules! Facilitate participation by:

Offering varying levels of involvement, such as one-time conversations, per-semester guidance, or ongoing mentorship.
Building in virtual meeting options like video calls and messaging platforms.
Providing clear expectations by outlining time commitments and responsibilities up front.
Supplementing one-to-one mentorship with panels, networking sessions, peer circles, or other group formats that let alumni contribute without one-on-one meetings.

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Flexible program structures allow alumni and students to participate reliably. This consistency strengthens the donor pipeline on both ends—mentors stay engaged longer, and mentees are more likely to follow their example as future donors.

3. Officially Integrate Mentorship Into Donor Cultivation Strategies

Your development team likely already has a donor cultivation strategy in place. If you’re investing in alumni mentorship programs, it’s worth taking the time to officially consider it a donor cultivation strategy. That way, you can devote resources to tracking its success and improving effectiveness over time.

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Try these tips to view mentorship programs through a donor cultivation lens:

Incorporate mentorship into engagement scoring models. Assign weighted values to mentorship engagement activities (e.g., length of service, repeat participation, mentee outcomes) alongside other involvement and giving history data.
Design mentorship as a pipeline step. Track patterns showing how mentors move from giving time to giving financially. Formalize mentorship as a recognized early stage in the donor journey, and train gift officers to use it as a cultivation signal.
Tie mentorship impact directly to funding priorities. When mentors see student outcomes firsthand, they’re more likely to support initiatives that make those outcomes possible. OmegaFi suggests hosting an alumni reunion with current students as a fundraising idea to tap into this feeling of community impact.
Cross-train advancement staff. Ensure alumni relations and development teams share mentorship data. This way, fundraisers can approach donor conversations with context about the alum’s mentorship history, creating more personalized and compelling asks.

These strategies are designed to help you track alumni mentors, who are generally in a stronger position to donate since they are no longer paying tuition and are often further along in their careers. However, you should also note if a student is a mentee in their file, as that can be an advantage when cultivating them as donors after graduation.

Conclusion

Alumni mentorship (whether whole-university or club-based) creates a cycle of engagement: time investment leads to emotional bonds, which often evolve into financial contributions. By structuring programs thoughtfully, reducing barriers, and integrating mentorship into fundraising strategies, your institution can transform alumni volunteers into lifelong donors.

The Role of Alumni Mentorship Programs in Donor Cultivation

Alumni mentorship programs build lasting bonds with alumni who have donor potential. Explore how mentorship strengthens engagement and supports giving.

Dain Lewis

September 22, 2025

12 minutes

Read

Alumni events have evolved throughout the decades and have taken many forms to become the powerful touchpoints that strengthen engagement, loyalty, and fundraising that we know them for today.

Their importance has only grown for advancement teams looking to fundraise and engage alumni. For example, the University of Delaware partnered with Blackbaud to refine its event-driven outreach and reported a 43% increase in fundraising dollars. It’s a reminder of how events stay at the heart of alumni experiences and drive both engagement and fundraising simultaneously.

Today, we’re going back to the basics and looking at why events continue to be at the heart of advancement teams and what they bring to the table today.

Why Alumni Events Remain Essential

Advancement professionals generally consider events as the most effective activity to engage alumni. In-person gatherings in particular offer the irreplaceable value of face-to-face connections, while hybrid formats make it possible for alumni across the globe to join in. Together, these formats keep communities active and connected in ways that emails or newsletters alone can’t achieve.

A well-planned alumni event often becomes the spark that triggers mentorship drives, giving, and the gradual growth of your constituent community. They serve as anchors in the alumni journey, offering memorable moments that fuel long-term engagement and creating touchpoints that keep alumni coming back.

10 Key Benefits of Alumni Events

Here are 10 key benefits of alumni events in 2026, each showing how the right strategy can turn a simple gathering into a lasting impact for your institution and community.

1. Shaping your community’s culture

The true mark of an alumni program is when events evolve from being occasional highlights to becoming part of the institution’s culture. Alumni who attend one event and have a positive experience are more likely to show up for the next, to mentor a student, to make a gift, and to stay connected in between. Over time, these small touchpoints compound into lifelong support, and mutual support is crucial for building communities.

Events have become cultural community touchstones that are both natural and enduring, creating a culture that grows stronger with every gathering. This is why alumni events today are both a great opportunity as well as an important responsibility.

2. Providing a clear path to giving

When alumni attend a reunion, regional mixer, or even a casual alumni picnic, they’re showing they still feel connected to the institution. That act of participation often becomes the first step toward giving back. Engaged alumni are naturally more likely to become donors.

By creating an inspiring and positive atmosphere, you can motivate alumni to give back. Whether it’s through a direct fundraising appeal during the event or as a follow-up, a well-executed gathering often leads to a significant increase in contributions.

3. Alumni events create mentoring opportunities

Events are a natural setting for pairing seasoned professionals with recent graduates or current students. The conversations between professionals and current students or recent graduates can often lead to internships, referrals, or ongoing mentorships that wouldn’t happen through online platforms alone.

For students and young alumni, meeting someone who once sat in their classroom but is now established in their field is motivating. For senior alumni, offering advice strengthens their pride in the institution and renews their connection to the community. Both sides walk away with value.

4. Support Student Recruitment

Enthusiastic and successful alumni are your best ambassadors. When prospective students and their families see a thriving alumni network, it serves as powerful social proof of the institution's value. Alumni can share their positive experiences and career successes, making a compelling case for why your institution is an excellent choice.

5. Increase brand visibility and reputation

Every successful alumni event is a public relations opportunity. Positive social media mentions, photos, and testimonials from attendees amplify your institution's brand and showcase a vibrant, active community. This positive exposure can attract prospective students, impress stakeholders, and solidify your institution's reputation as a place that cares for its community long after graduation.

6. Facilitate professional networking

For many alumni, professional networking is a primary reason to attend events. By connecting individuals from various industries and career stages, you provide a valuable resource for career development and mentorship. Facilitating these connections not only benefits your alumni but also positions your institution as a hub for professional growth, enhancing its reputation.

Activities and features such as flash mentoring, corporate matching gifts, and networking-specific events and online communities are great ideas to make both prospects and professionals feel appreciated.

7. Re-engage lapsed alumni

Every institution has a segment of alumni who have lost touch. Your institution can attempt to re-engage these segments. A compelling milestone, tailored reunion, or a unique themed gathering, can be the perfect excuse to re-establish contact. By offering an experience they don't want to miss, you can bring lapsed members back into the fold and remind them of their connection to the institution.

8. Showcase institutional progress

An alumni event is the perfect stage to unveil new campus developments, academic programs, or research breakthroughs. Bringing alumni back to campus allows them to see the tangible results of their past and future support. This transparency builds trust and excitement, making them more likely to stay involved and contribute to future projects.

9. Gathering Feedback

Events offer a direct line to your alumni. Informal conversations and structured feedback sessions can provide honest insights into what your alumni want and need from your institution. This information is gold for refining your engagement strategies, academic programs, and communication efforts, ensuring they remain relevant and impactful..

10. Strengthening cross-generational connections

While alumni increasingly prefer smaller affinity-based events and reunions, there is great value in fostering engagement between different generations through your events. While this mostly comes through major events such as family weekends and homecomings apart from the obvious mentorship-related events, you can tailor events to mingle specific segments to promote a sense of community among different generations.

These multi-generational connections ensure that alumni don’t just stay tied to their classmates, but to the broader community itself.

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Making the Most of Your Alumni Events

The alumni events that stand out today are the ones that feel intentional. It’s not about how big the guest list is, but how well the event reflects the needs of your community. A small, personalized dinner can often create more impact than a large formal gala. Adding hybrid access for those who live abroad, collecting fresh alumni data at check-in, and following up with clear impact reports are simple shifts that transform events from “one-off memories” into long-term engagement drivers.

Free Planning Checklist: Alumni Event Success

We’ve prepared a simple checklist that covers the basics you should look out for when planning your next event. Have a look:

Pre-Event

Set the Purpose

Define the “why”: reunion, networking, fundraising, or mentorship.
Align goals with alumni expectations.
Form a planning team with clear roles and assign leads.

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Pick the Right Time & Place

Lock in the date early.
Sync with campus traditions or big weekends.
Choose a venue that feels welcoming and memorable.

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Budget with intention

Break the budget into buckets:
- Venue & rentals
- Food & beverages
- Technology (AV, livestream, Wi-Fi)
- Marketing & outreach
- Photography & videography
- Swag or keepsakes
- Travel support (for speakers/guests)
- Contingency (10-15% buffer for surprises)

Prioritize spending where alumni feel the impact- quality food, smooth check-in, strong AV.
Track expenses live in a shared sheet so the whole team stays aligned.
If fundraising is part of the event, forecast ROI by comparing expected gifts vs event spend.

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Design the Experience

Draft the agenda; balance fun, networking, and storytelling.
Confirm speakers or alumni spotlights.
Plan icebreakers or interactive activities.

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Spread the Word

Send save-the-date and follow-up reminders.
Keep registration quick and mobile-friendly.
Personalize outreach to make alumni feel seen.

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Event Day

Welcome with Warmth

Smooth check-in with QR or name tags.
Volunteers ready to greet and guide.
A visible welcome station that sets the tone.

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Keep Energy Flowing

Stick to the schedule but stay flexible.
Icebreakers, networking corners, or alumni bingo.
Showcase alumni stories or achievements.
Encourage live social sharing with a hashtag.

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Support Behind the Scenes

AV and livestream tested and staffed.
Volunteers on standby for any hiccups.
Catering and seating managed without fuss.

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Capture the Magic

Photos, videos, and quick alumni quotes.
Highlight memorable, candid moments.

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Post-Event

Share, Listen & Learn

Send personalized thank-you notes, feedback forms, event photos, videos, and highlights across channels within 48 hours.
Share an impact snapshot: funds raised, participation rates, mentorship sign-ups, donor impact.
Offer personalized next steps: volunteer roles, giving opportunities, or mentorship programs.

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Reflect & Refine

Hold a quick debrief with your team. Note what worked and where to improve, and start building a playbook for the next event.
Sync all new data (RSVPs, gifts, sign-ups) to CRM.
Review event KPIs: attendance vs. RSVPs, cost vs. ROI, and new donor/volunteer conversions.

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Wrapping up

Hopefully, this blog helped you revisit and re-appreciate the wonderful cornerstone of advancement and alumni relations which is the alumni events. Even the most experienced teams sometimes need to take a step back and look at the rudimentary reasons why these events happen in the first place to help them approach their next event with fresh ideas, which is what this blog was meant to do.

That being said, if you’re looking for a partner to help you and your institution/organization set up your next alumni event and make it a big success, feel free to start a conversation or request a personalized demo with us and we’d love to get in touch!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What makes an alumni event successful?

A successful alumni event has clear goals, provides tangible value to attendees (like networking or learning opportunities), is well-organized, and is effectively promoted to the right audience. Post-event follow-up is also crucial for maintaining momentum.

2. How can I measure the ROI of an alumni event?

Measure ROI by tracking metrics tied to your event goals. These can include attendance numbers, a survey of attendee satisfaction, the number of new volunteers or mentors, and the amount of donations raised. Tracking website traffic to alumni pages or social media engagement around the event can also provide valuable data.

3. What are some popular ideas for an alumni event?

Popular ideas include traditional homecomings and reunions, professional networking nights, industry-specific panels, family-friendly picnics, virtual workshops or webinars, and exclusive gatherings for major donors. The best idea will depend on your specific alumni base and institutional goals.

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10 Key Benefits of Alumni Events in 2026

Discover the top 10 benefits of hosting an alumni event. Strengthen your community, boost donations, and enhance networking with our expert insights.

Sharada Koti

September 18, 2025

12 minutes

Read

Alumni are key participants in your school’s fundraisers, but they also have busy lives and aren’t always aware of your funding needs or deadlines. Even when they do contribute, they may not keep up with campaign progress or understand the tangible impact of their gifts. In the long term, this lack of information could lead to disengagement and cause donors to unintentionally lapse.

Fortunately, there are plenty of creative solutions to this common challenge. Let’s explore six strategies for keeping alumni informed and engaged throughout all of your fundraising efforts.

1. Experiment with multimedia text messages

Text messages are the perfect way to share quick updates and reminders with alumni without taking up too much of their time. SMS messages are short, direct, and much more likely to be opened by recipients than emails. They also feel more personal than emails, and they’re easy for alumni to engage with—all they have to do is click a link or text back.

But did you know you can make your texts stand out more by incorporating multimedia? MMS (multimedia messaging service) enables you to send photos, GIFs, videos, and more. Mogli’s MMS marketing guide breaks down the benefits of multimedia messages over plain texts:

Three phone screens showing example MMS messages to illustrate the benefits of MMS text marketing, also listed in the text below

Multimedia content boosts engagement. Incorporating other media types adds another layer to your text messages and naturally catches the eye of your recipients, making them more likely to respond.
Visuals easily showcase your brand. With branded graphics or photos of your university, alumni will immediately know who the message is from and feel connected.
Graphics and videos communicate information faster. Alumni can get the gist of your update with just a glance.

You can use MMS messages to highlight campaign milestones, share event reminders, send urgent appeals, and more.

Plus, these messages are easy to create and track with a higher education texting solution. These platforms facilitate bulk sending and two-way conversations so alumni can respond directly. They also provide features like segmentation and automation to help you personalize messages as much as possible.

2. Turn updates into impact spotlights

Fundraising updates feel more compelling and tangible when you incorporate real impact stories. To boost engagement and retention, regularly feature alumni or student testimonials in your communications.

You might share a quote from a current student, compare "before and after" visuals to show progress on dorm renovations, or create infographics that quickly communicate how many students will receive scholarships this year thanks to alumni donations. Include an impact statement in every fundraising update so donors always understand the good their gifts are doing.

3. Get creative with email formats

With the amount of emails your alumni get, it can take a lot to make your fundraising communications stand out. Put yourself in their shoes—they likely receive hundreds of promotional emails, news alerts, and advertisements in addition to your fundraising updates.

To get and keep recipients’ attention as they read your emails, you need new, creative strategies. For example, you might try:

Mixing up your email structure or design.
Sending story-focused emails.
Incorporating more images and graphics.
Highlighting a video from your recent event.
Adding interactive click-to-vote polls.

Since these ideas focus on the content of your emails, remember that it’s still important to optimize your subject lines—alumni need motivation to click into your emails, after all. Consider incorporating emojis, numbers, urgent language, and donor first names to get their attention.

4. Make surveys easy and fun

You likely already use surveys to gather donor information and feedback, but do you use them for stewardship? What about fundraiser promotion? Experiment with different types of surveys and questions to take full advantage of this interactive strategy.

For example, you might ask alumni to vote on which project gets funded next, then share the outcomes with a message like, "You voted, we funded! Here’s what happened next." Or, ask them to vote on which class they think will win a fundraising challenge. You could even have donors vote on a prize for top peer-to-peer fundraisers.

Once you have an idea, make the survey as easy and quick to complete as possible. This might look like:

Creating automated SMS surveys so alumni can complete them without leaving their messaging app.
Using playful, visual-first formats like emoji sliders or multiple-choice image answers.
Leveraging social media poll features so participants can vote and see real-time results with one tap.

Track engagement as alumni respond, and don’t forget to follow up later about the survey results and what action you took.

5. Tap into social media trends

The best way to keep alumni up to date is to meet them where they are, on their preferred platforms. Analyze engagement data and past survey results to identify which social media sites different groups of alumni are most active on. Then, create content that taps into the strengths and trends of each channel.

Depending on the platform, you might post interactive Instagram stories, share LinkedIn updates, or use trending sounds on TikTok to engage alumni. Go live for key moments like campaign launches and groundbreaking ceremonies, and don’t be afraid to chime in on relevant online conversations.

No matter what type of content you post, encourage alumni ambassadors to share it or post their own updates relating to your fundraiser. For example, you might ask an alum who serves on your board to comment on and share your LinkedIn posts with their own network.

6. Create mini-newsletters or digests for alumni

Plenty of alumni love receiving your newsletters and learning about all the latest happenings in your community. But whether they’re digital or physical communications, alumni newsletters tend to be long and content-heavy. Avoid overwhelming your donors by giving them an easier way to catch up: mini-newsletters or alumni digests.

Format these digests as one-page PDFs, simplified emails, or even a microsite—as long as it’s easy to skim and share with peers. In your mini-newsletters, you can share information about:

Fundraising progress and goals.
Upcoming and recent events.
Highlights from the community.
Quotes from other alumni, faculty, or current students.
The deadline for donating to a matching gift campaign.
A countdown until your next giving day.

Although you have limited space, links and call-to-action buttons don’t take up much room. Include a few prominent links alumni can follow to donate, register for events, or access the full newsletter to dive deeper into each topic.

As you try out these strategies, monitor and analyze your donor data. Determine which channels and outreach methods generated the most donations, and reflect on ways to replicate those strategies going forward.

6 Engaging Ways to Keep Alumni Up-to-Date on Fundraisers

Looking for new fundraising communication ideas? Discover creative and effective ways to update alumni about your fundraisers while boosting retention.

Christina Marmor

September 15, 2025

12 minutes

Read

Addressing key challenges Healthcare Foundations face in managing events

Marquee events like galas, auctions, and grateful patient gatherings are opportunities to inspire. Yet too often, the tools in use make this work harder, not easier.

Healthcare foundations are riddled with rigid tools that fail to handle their needs; custom ticketing workflows aren’t supported, registration pages take days to set-up, and managing communications takes creating and moving multiple lists for invitations, follow-ups and payment reminders. Further, bidding for auctions are either managed on disconnected third-party tools or on clipboards, while not connected with their payment systems. (Blackbaud Merchant Services).

Guests too are left uninspired with clunky forms, long-queues at check-ins, and making payments after they’ve won the bid in an auction.

Healthcare foundations feel boxed-In due to vendors that don’t inspire trust or integrate with their Blackbaud systems

Healthcare foundations and hospitals using Blackbaud platforms often review many third-party tools to address their unique event and auction needs. However, these tools often lack effective integration with core systems like Raiser’s Edge NXT, Blackbaud CRM, and payment processors such as Blackbaud Merchant Services, resulting in inefficient processes.

Many vendors also refuse to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) making them unsuitable under HIPAA regulations and undermining trust.

The Blackbaud–Almabase Partnership: Putting healthcare fundraisers and event managers in control

Regaining control of your Healthcare missions

With this strategic partnership between Almabase and Blackbaud, healthcare foundations finally have both efficiency and trust in one platform. They can host events with confidence, deliver simple and smooth experiences, and maintain compliance by proactively separating patient health information and fundraising data.

Most importantly, this partnership puts healthcare foundations back in control of their mission—so they can spend less time fighting inefficiencies and more time building relationships that change lives.

An event management platform that understand their unique needs

Together, Almabase and Blackbaud deliver a solution designed for the real challenges of healthcare fundraising. Foundations can easily manage ticketing, payments, guest lists, and even large-scale events like galas and auctions, all while staying fully connected to Raiser’s Edge NXT and Blackbaud CRM. Data flows automatically—keeping lists in sync, tracking guest activity, updating donor records, and saving teams from hours of manual work. This ensures fundraisers can focus more on donors and less on processes.

Key highlights of the platform:

Integrated, multi-channel marketing automation: Avoid jumping tools, creating lists, and burying yourself in sheets. Automate the entire process - pull your marketing lists from Raiser’s edge NXT, and use smart segments to automate communications for follow-ups, pending payments, or those checked-in.‍
A powerful no-code platform for a flexible and branded set-up: Manage flexible ticketing, seating, sponsor packages, and auctions without spreadsheets, and automate receipting - configurable to your needs, and integrated with Raiser’s Edge NXT and Blackbaud CRM‍
TrueSync with Raiser’s Edge NXT and a native BBCRM integration: Industry’s true bi-directional integration with Blackbaud CRM and Raiser’s Edge NXT to ensure no time is lost moving data manually. Configure sync rules flexibly to your needs while keeping your database clean and structured.‍
Manage guests better during the event: Ensure a seamless experience at the event—no queues or paper check-ins, or worries about seating management, payments, and in-person registrations.‍
Real-time guest tracking: Realtime dashboard tracking payments, tickets, meal preferences and any guest-activity to plan better.‍
Simplify how you approve events requested by supporters: Allow families, volunteers and other supporters to quickly request an event. Streamline the process of verifying and approving that request while eliminating manual work, and ensuring privacy.

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Learn more about the platform

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Healthcare Foundations can now run events without worrying about HIPAA compliance

Almabase also helps foundations separate sensitive patient data from fundraising & engagement data, ensuring donor engagement efforts stay secure and compliant. This gives healthcare fundraisers and event managers confidence that they are protecting what matters most while still achieving their goals.

Better together: Blackbaud & Almabase partner to streamline event management for Healthcare Foundations

With this strategic partnership between Almabase and Blackbaud, healthcare foundations finally have both efficiency and trust in one platform.

September 11, 2025

12 minutes

Read

AB50C will soon be closing for nominations - get nominated today, and become a champion like Rebecca!

"Storytelling is how we make education matter; whether you're applying for a scholarship or donating one."

—Rebecca Long, Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications, Lane Community College

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If you’ve ever seen a Lane Community College campaign that made you stop, think, or feel something; that was probably Rebecca Long’s handiwork.

As Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications, Rebecca leads a small-but-mighty five-person team responsible for everything from advertising and media relations to capital campaign strategy and student outreach. But behind every post, pitch, and print piece lies Rebecca’s secret weapon: powerful storytelling.

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From "spray and pray" to precision messaging

When Rebecca first stepped into her role at Lane, marketing felt like shouting into a void—mass emails with little personalization, ads with no targeting, and campaigns designed for everyone and no one at once.

“We were a ‘spray and pray’ operation. We’d hope something would land, but we weren’t measuring what worked or why.”

Under Rebecca’s leadership, the team now creates persona-based marketing strategies with clearly defined audiences, tailored messages, and measurable outcomes. Whether it’s a scholarship campaign for first-gen students or a targeted ad series promoting Lane’s aviation program, everything starts with data and ends with impact. She’s also built intentional bridges with the alumni and development offices to ensure that every story and appeal is relevant—not just another touchpoint, but a meaningful one.

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An award-winning leap of faith

It was a snowy day in Eugene, Oregon, and the power was flickering. Rebecca was unsure about submitting an expensive entry to the prestigious PRSA Silver Anvil Awards. She made a deal with herself: if the power stayed on, she’d go for it.

It stayed on.

Months later, Lane became the first community college to ever win in the “Integrated Communications” category.

“I always said I’d win one someday. I just never dreamed I actually would.”

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Bringing alumni back with meaning

Lane is a community college, but for many alumni, it’s also a turning point. Rebecca taps into that emotional connection to re-engage former students—not with gimmicks, but with genuine storytelling and clear invitations to be part of Lane’s ongoing mission.

When the college launched a new RN-to-BSN completion program, her team used alumni filters on Almabase to identify and reach out to former nursing students—bringing them back not just for nostalgia, but for a new opportunity. She also partnered with the alumni team to collect and showcase stories for Lane’s 60th anniversary—transforming the celebration into a moment of collective pride and visibility for graduates who may have felt overlooked.

“We’re not asking alumni to remember us. We’re showing them how we’ve remembered them—and how they still fit into the story.”

Rebecca sees alumni not as a list to be mined, but as people with chapters still unfolding—and she’s building the bridge for them to return, contribute, and belong.

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What’s next for Rebecca and Lane Community College?

Rebecca’s goal is to build on Lane’s new era of data-driven communications using audience insights, story mining, and refined KPIs to craft messaging that actually lands.

Her north star? Making sure every message counts. No more shouting into the void.

And while AI plays a supporting role in helping her brainstorm interview questions or understand technical concepts, Rebecca is firm on one thing:

“AI enhances what we do, but it doesn’t replace it.”

We asked Rebecca some fun questions during our rapid-fire round.

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Rebecca's official AB50C 2023 Trading Card

Inspired by Rebecca’s story?

Connect with her on LinkedIn and don’t forget to nominate the next communications changemaker for the #TheOG50!

#TheOG50: The one with Rebecca Long

We recently caught up with Rebecca Long, who is the Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications at Lane Community College. Rebecca shares her experience in Advancement, and why storytelling is crucial in creating alumni engagement that lasts.

September 9, 2025

12 minutes

Read

AB50C will soon be closing for nominations - get nominated today, and become a champion like Bill!

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"If's everything's a priority, nothing's a priority. Focus drives impact."

—William (Bill) Miller, President & CEO, Kean University Foundation

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Bill Miller doesn’t just talk about transformation, he lives it. As President and CEO of the Kean University Foundation, Bill has helped grow his team nearly 4x in seven years, launched the university’s first comprehensive campaign in two decades, and contributed to over $1 billion raised in philanthropic support throughout his career.

Bill’s journey in advancement has been rooted in strategy, people, and purpose. But if you ask him what he’s most proud of, it’s not the dollars, but the team he’s built and the people he’s mentored.

Bill with his AB50C 2023 trophy (formerly 50U50)

$1 Billion and Counting

Bill’s fundraising journey spans nearly two decades and crosses multiple sectors. But his heart has always been in education and health. He credits successful fundraising to a few key ingredients: a compelling story, a strong plan, institutional trust, and a passionate team.

“People want to invest in something that’s impactful. When you pair a powerful mission with great leadership, the money follows.”

At Kean University Foundation, he’s applying these principles to fuel the university’s R2 research ambitions, growing enrollment, and expanding donor reach, especially through their current quiet-phase comprehensive campaign.

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From Fundraising to Foundation-building

One of Bill’s proudest milestones is watching his team thrive. He’s passionate about mentoring others and watching them grow into industry leaders.

“If you asked me 15 years ago, I might’ve said my biggest gift. Today, it’s seeing the people I’ve worked with go on to do great things.”

Bill’s leadership philosophy is simple: take care of yourself so you can take care of your team. With a strong culture and high retention at the Foundation, it’s clear that philosophy is paying off.

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Charting the Next Chapter at Kean

With Kean now classified as an R2-designated institution and enrollment on the rise, Bill is laser-focused on executing their comprehensive campaign, and setting the stage for the next one.

“We’re in a strong moment of growth, and this campaign is a way to fuel the university’s future.”

And while AI and digital tools are beginning to shape philanthropy, Bill remains grounded in one truth: people give to people.

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What’s next for Bill and Kean University Foundation?

A completed campaign. A growing team. A bold vision. But also - making space for joy. Bill jokes that he was voted “Most Likely to Be on a Talk Show” in high school, and if you’ve ever been in a room with him, you know why.

He brings passion, wit, and purpose to every interaction, making him not just a leader in fundraising, but a catalyst for lasting impact.

We asked Bill a few fun questions during our rapid-fire round.

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Bill's very own, official AB50C Trading Card

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Connect with him on LinkedIn and don’t forget to nominate the next incredible leader in advancement for the #TheOG50!

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#TheOG50: The one with Bill Miller

We recently caught up with William (Bill) Miller, who is the CEO at Kean University Foundation, as he shared some advice on what helped him raise over a billion dollars in his fundraising career.

September 9, 2025

12 minutes

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