Build lifelong relationships

Alumni engagement is not just a buzzword—it’s a critical component of an institution’s long-term success. It involves cultivating meaningful, lasting connections between graduates and their alma mater, relationships that provide mutual value.

In fact, 87% of alumni professionals acknowledge the need to improve member engagement, underscoring the demand for approaches that go beyond traditional methods. And in a world where digital communication is so crucial, implementing alumni engagement best practices means having a solid alumni engagement strategy backed by thoughtful planning and the right technology to bring it to life.

This guide takes you through ten proven strategies to refresh your approach and build stronger, more sustainable bonds with your alumni community.

What Is Alumni Engagement and Why It Matters

Alumni engagement refers to all the ways in which graduates stay connected to their alma mater after they’ve moved on—whether it’s by attending reunions, mentoring students, offering their professional expertise, or even making a donation. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) defines alumni engagement as any activity that alumni find valuable, that helps build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships, and that encourages loyalty, support, and a stronger institutional image.

And the benefits go well beyond fundraising. When alumni are actively engaged, they become powerful allies for the institution. They:

• Open up professional networks and mentorship services to students and other alumni.
• Boost the school’s reputation through their accomplishments.
• Share their knowledge as guest speakers or curriculum advisors.
• Act as ambassadors in their industries and communities.
• Help with recruitment by sharing their own positive experiences.
• Are more willing to volunteer and expand your outreach efforts.

A great real-world example comes from Franklin College, which built a comprehensive scoring system to track alumni interaction across multiple channels. Using tools like Power BI and automation, they created a live dashboard that gave them a clear view of engagement metrics. This helped them pinpoint their most involved alumni and personalize their outreach—an excellent model of how a data-driven alumni engagement plan can deliver impressive results.

Another success story comes from the California College of the Arts’ MBA in Design Strategy (DMBA) program. With limited resources, the team launched a crowdfunding initiative using Almabase. In just 21 days, they raised $4,534—not only covering their platform costs but also jumpstarting a dynamic online alumni community. It’s a perfect example of creative and strategic alumni engagement that brings people together and makes a lasting impact.

Strategies to Increase Alumni Engagement in 2026

Here are ten strategies for boosting alumni engagement this year, with insights into how Almabase can help institutions implement these approaches effectively.

1. Develop Personalized Alumni Communications

Tailored outreach is essential for meaningful engagement. Generic mass emails and one-size-fits-all communications no longer resonate with today's alumni, who expect personalized experiences in all their digital interactions.​

According to Campaign Monitor, segmented email campaigns can result in a 760% increase in revenue compared to non-segmented campaigns. Additionally, emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened. ​

Almabase enables institutions to automate personalized communications at scale by analyzing alumni data and creating dynamic content based on individual preferences, career paths, and past engagement history.

2. Leverage Data Analytics for Strategic Insights

Many institutions struggle with scattered data across multiple systems, making it difficult to gain a holistic view of alumni engagement.​

Tracking alumni behavior—such as event attendance, volunteer participation, or donation patterns—provides insights that can optimize engagement strategies. Today, a well-maintained CRM combined with an effective tool can allow your institution to automate and personalize alumni communications at scale, track engagement through synced dashboards, and continuously enrich alumni data to keep relationships strong.

Almabase's engagement reporting consolidates touchpoints like email interactions, event registrations, and volunteer hours into actionable data. Institutions can categorize activities into experiential, philanthropic, voluntary, or communication-based touchpoints to better understand alumni interests and patterns of engagement.

3. Host Targeted Events with Seamless Management

Events that address specific career stages or interests typically see significantly higher attendance than general alumni gatherings.

Creating events tailored to specific alumni segments—such as virtual networking sessions for young professionals, industry-specific panels, or exclusive reunions—can drive higher participation rates.

An event management suite allows institutions to manage complex events easily, providing attendees with a seamless experience from registration to check-ins and payments. This comprehensive approach enables advancement teams to focus on creating meaningful experiences rather than managing logistics.

4. Establish Robust Mentorship Programs

Connecting alumni with current students through structured mentorship programs fosters meaningful relationships while enhancing career opportunities for students. These programs also provide alumni with a tangible way to give back beyond financial contributions.​

Many alumni engagement tools today support mentorship initiatives by offering tools that facilitate easy sign-ups, mentor-mentee matching based on career paths or interests, and tracking participation metrics. These tools usually include guided checklists and templates to assist institutions in setting up mentorship programs effectively. It also enables automated feedback loops, allowing for regular check-ins and the collection of feedback to improve the program over time.

5. Build an Alumni Ambassador Program

Giving Empowering engaged alumni to act as ambassadors can significantly amplify outreach efforts. Ambassadors can lead initiatives such as fundraising campaigns, host regional meetups, or serve as points of contact for fellow alumni in their geographic area.​

Many engagement tools can be used for ambassador programs to recruit, train, and support these volunteer leaders effectively. The platform offers resources like communication templates, marketing toolkits, and real-time tracking metrics to help ambassadors promote campaigns and events successfully.

6. Create Segmented Newsletters and Content Hubs

Segmenting alumni into interest groups based on graduation year, academic program, career field, or geographic location ensures that communication remains relevant.

Beyond newsletters, creating dedicated content hubs where alumni can access resources related to their interests—whether it's career development, continuing education, or industry insights—provides value and keeps them connected to their alma mater between your events and campaigns.

Check out how institutions can use segmentation and automation to send personalized newsletters to different alumni groups, increasing both open rates and engagement here.

7. Implement Digital Recognition Programs

Recognition is a powerful motivator for continued engagement. It tells your alumni base that you value their time and contribution, and that you want to keep having them around. Digital badges, alumni spotlights, and public acknowledgment of volunteer contributions or professional achievements can significantly boost participation rates.​

💡Almabase allows you to build alumni spotlights to recognize and celebrate alumni achievements.

8. Develop Affinity Group Communities

Creating spaces for alumni with shared interests, identities, or experiences builds stronger connections to the institution. Whether based on student organizations, cultural backgrounds, or professional fields, these communities foster a sense of belonging that enhances overall engagement.

With tools such as Almabase's community-building tools, institutions can create dedicated spaces for affinity groups to connect, share resources, and organize their own events, driving deeper engagement through peer-to-peer relationships.

9. Reconnect with Lost Alumni Through Data Enrichment

Institutions often struggle to maintain updated contact information for all graduates. As alumni change jobs, relocate, or adopt new email addresses, they can become disconnected from their alma mater despite a willingness to stay involved.​

💡Almabase’s alumni directory addresses this challenge by enabling alumni to update their own profiles through user-friendly portals. Additionally, the platform simplifies the data enrichment process by allowing alumni to pull updated information from their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. This data is presented in a neat dashboard for all your alumni outreach needs.

10. Implement Multi-Channel Giving Opportunities

Fundraising is a key aspect of alumni engagement, but its success depends on offering diverse giving options that resonate with alumni interests and capacities.

Institutions that provide multiple channels for giving—such as annual funds, crowdfunding campaigns for specific projects, and peer-to-peer fundraising—often see higher participation rates across all metrics.

💡If you’re looking for an effective and easy-to-set-up giving platform, do check us out!

‍

Conclusion

Alumni engagement is a long-term commitment to nurturing meaningful connections that benefit both the institution and its graduates. With the right approach, these relationships can evolve into powerful partnerships that support everything from mentorship and advocacy to fundraising and brand building.

Your alumni are an essential part of your fundraising efforts—their loyalty to your school and investment in seeing future students have opportunities to succeed in their educational endeavors make alumni some of the most impactful supporters of your institution.

However, to ensure that alumni get engaged and stay engaged with your fundraising work, you need to master the art of showing genuine donor appreciation. This goes beyond a simple thank-you note—in order for you to establish and maintain long-term relationships rooted in trust, connection, and collaboration, you’ll need tried-and-true best practices on your side. Let’s dive into some of our favorites!

1. Personalize your thank-you messages

No matter what form your donor appreciation takes, your thank-you messages should always be personalized. After all, generic is never genuine!

Personalizing your messages effectively will require you to have a strong understanding of your alumni and their needs and interests. Ensure you’re consistently collecting data on each donor and updating their profiles so that you have access to up-to-date details. (Bonus: This will not only help you with recognition but also as you invite future engagement!)

Here are some specific details you can personalize your thank yous with:

• Donor’s name or preferred name
• Donation amount
• The program or initiative the donation helped support
• Reason for donation, if known (such as giving a donation in memory of a loved one)
• Future engagement opportunities the donor may be interested in (such as volunteering or attending an event)

For major donors, you will likely have a bit more information to work with when personalizing your messages, especially if you’ve had multiple face-to-face interactions with them. Take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate that your institution truly sees and values them and recognizes the significance of their contributions.

2. Share stories of impact

One of the best ways to demonstrate genuine donor appreciation is to show donors how their support impacts your school.

To do this effectively, you’ll need to gather and analyze impact data that tells the story of how your organization is using donors’ contributions to get closer to achieving its goals, whether that means launching a new alumni-student mentoring program or providing scholarships to students in need.

According to UpMetrics’ nonprofit storytelling guide, one of the best ways to share impact information is to craft compelling narratives that include:

• A character your alumni audience can root for
• A setting where the story happens
• A plot, or sequence of events that takes place
• A conflict, or an obstacle the character faces
• A resolution, the final outcome of the narrative

For example, you might share the story of a student at your school who was struggling to pay for their dream study abroad program and was able to be part of the program thanks to a generous scholarship from your alumni network. You could include statements from the student and photos or videos of them on their study abroad, as well as hard data about the scholarship program, to paint a full picture of your alumni’s impact.

You can share impact stories like these in several ways, but embrace your creative side to make them especially engaging. For instance, you might create a short video or an interactive web page.  

3. Host exclusive donor events

According to Double the Donation’s roundup of alumni donation statistics, 72% of donors discard physical tokens of appreciation, like letters and gifts. Further, 90% of donors prefer experiential recognition instead.

Experiential recognition, like fun and exclusive alumni donor events, allows your alumni to come together and feel like they’re part of a community larger than themselves. Plus, it gives your fundraising team the opportunity to interact with donors one-on-one, which can be valuable as you steward their continued support.

Here are a few fun ideas to consider for your next donor event:

• VIP alumni reception with your institution’s president during your school’s homecoming week ‍
• Virtual or in-person wine tasting
• Themed donor gala with live music, formal dinner, and entertainment  
• Golf tournament
• Campus tours

In some instances, it may be beneficial to expand your event audience to include students, faculty, and staff. This way, your alumni can interact with the community they support with their contributions, which can deepen their personal connection to your institution.

4. Invite non-financial involvement

Many fundraising organizations make the mistake of asking for additional donations far too soon—sometimes within their appreciation materials! This pitfall can make you seem “all about the money,” even if you have urgent funding needs.

Resist the urge to issue donation appeals as part of your donor appreciation efforts. Instead, invite continuous involvement that has nothing to do with donating. For instance, consider inviting your alumni to volunteer at your next on-campus service project, fundraise for you during a peer-to-peer campaign, attend special events, or participate in mentoring and networking opportunities with current students.

While this isn’t necessarily a traditional way to show your donors that you appreciate them, it will help them feel more involved and connected to your institution. As a result, you’ll increase the goodwill between you and pave the way for future support when the timing is right.

5. Express appreciation year-round

Part of showing genuine donor appreciation is expressing your thanks consistently, even when a donor hasn’t just given a gift. This shows your alumni that they’re always top-of-mind and seen as valuable to your institution, and not just for their wallets.

Here are a few ideas for expressing appreciation year-round, even when donors aren’t expecting you to:

• Mail small, unexpected gifts like merchandise branded to your organization.
• Write letters that let your donors know you’re thinking of them and give them general updates on your alumni association’s work.
• Send holiday cards and birthday cards.
• Phone donors and ask them for updates on their own lives, like recent family vacations or professional milestones.
• Provide regular updates on projects your alumni care about, backing them up with impact data.

To cultivate a strong alumni community, the way forward is to focus on people first and donations second. Use the list of ideas above to get started, but remember to reach out in ways that you know your specific alumni will respond to best!

Donor appreciation, especially when it’s actually genuine, is an art form. Use the strategies explored above to improve your institution’s approach to celebrating and thanking its donors, and remember to rely on your donor data to take your efforts to the next level!

The non-profit quarterly states that keeping a donor is five times more cost-effective than finding a new one. Loyal donors are like a circle of friends you can always rely on. However, for institutions, building that circle requires a proactive approach and genuine commitment that can sometimes prove difficult. This is why donor retention has steadily become more important over the years.

In this blog, we’ll take a fresh approach to defining donor retention and engagement that goes beyond the traditional ask. We’ll dive into creative strategies that truly integrates donors into your goals to make a permanent part of your journey.

What is donor retention?

Basically, donor retention is the ability of an institution to keep its donors coming back to contribute over the years. It is not just the numbers but also the genuine long-term donor relationships with people who appreciate your mission and enjoy being a part of that mission. It involves understanding their motivations, doubts, and the personal connection they feel as a giver and as an individual.

Making a habit of measuring your donor retention rate allows you to spot trends early and find new ways to keep supporters engaged. The data from the most recent Fundraising Effectiveness Project report shows that the first-time donor retention rate is 26%. In comparison, the average donor retention rate is around 46%, meaning most donors stop after contributing for the first time. Considering the unpredictable nature of the world today, keeping donors on board will be even more essential for the long-term success of K-12 and higher education institutions.

Factors influencing donor retention

Several factors can influence donor retention. Let’s take a look at some of them to understand what motivates long-time donors—big or small—to stay:

Donor Engagement:

Engagement is one of the key pillars for long-term donor retention. Your emails, newsletters, blogs, in-person events, and reports all play a key part in making returning and new donors alike feel connected to your institution. For past donors especially, continuous and meaningful interaction can reinforce their dedication to supporting your mission.

Trust and Loyalty:

Trust and loyalty drive any fundraising effort. Your donors come with their own expectations This can be achieved by a transparent demonstration of the impact of their contributions.  

💡Check out how Thomas Aquinas College holds one of the highest alumni donor participation rates across the country

Donor Management:

For retaining donors, donor management matters even more as it involves how you collect and analyze their data, as well as what you provide through communication, recurring gift enrollment, etc., to keep them interested and in the loop.

Feedback management:

To retain donors, you’ll want to be proactive in collecting and acting on feedback to show your commitment to how donors feel as well as what they can expect by sticking around. It will also help returning or past donors develop a sense of community and progress, making them feel like a vital par of your overall fundraising efforts.

Strategies to improve donor retention

Understanding the components of a well-rounded donor retention strategy is necessary to create a pathway for first-time donors to walk on and become repeat donors. These can include:

Strengthening Donor Relationships

Your efforts to reach out to the donors should go beyond fundraising needs. Send them timely thank-you emails, curate programs to identify and honor long-term donors for their valuable contributions, and conduct community meet-and-greet events that strengthen your bond and forge a trustworthy relationship.

💡Check out these 6 ways to take your donor relationships to the next level

Donor Management Tools

Try to get the most out of your donor management software for real-time engagement metrics,  deep integrations, live dashboards, automated communication tools, etc., to create an environment where donor interactions are recorded and analyzed to power future outreach and fundraising efforts.

💡If you’re looking for a new donor management tool, give Almabase a try

Personalized Communication

Tailor your communication to each donor to make sure you communicate your goals, acknowledge their impact, and make them feel appreciated. Emails, phone calls, handwritten notes, gifts, and event invitations are all viable communication channels to show how you can personalize your outreach to each donor.

Social Media Engagement

Keep your donor informed and engaged by providing updates on where their donated funds are being spent, any achievements arising out of them, and acknowledging their generosity whenever possible. Depending on how your donors use social media platforms, you can consider forming groups of similar donor segments to form giving communities.

Annual Reports

Annual reports are a time-tested way to communicate the impacts the beneficiaries achieve. These longer reports and real-life success stories inspire donor loyalty to the institution and the cause as they allow your donors to zoom out and view your overall fundraising mission as you do.

You can also provide subscription and recurring donation options or welcome different kinds of donor engagement through volunteering, referrals, and advocacy. At the end of the day, there are countless ways to retain donors, and what works for one institution may not work for you. Always consider your donors and how they they prefer to contribute to your cause.

Determining the success of Donor Retention

You can take a quick look at your overall donor retention rate using the formula below.

Donor retention rate = (Number of Donors who gave again / Total number of donors in previous period) × 100

With the wide array of tools available today, however, tracking your donor retention rate is a lot more extensive than it used to be. Making detailed segments of various levels of donor retention, however, will require more effort.

At its core, donor retention will take more time and investment from your team to get started and you’ll want to make sure you get a good ROI from your efforts. For this, you’ll first want to consider all donor retention expenses such as:

• Staff time and salaries
• Communication and engagement materials
• Events and stewardship activities
• Technology and software costs

It may be a bit difficult to narrow down your exact expenses for retaining donors but once you have a somewhat reliable estimate, you can use the following formula:

ROI = (net gain from retained donors / cost of retention efforts) x 100
‍
where Net Gain = Total donations from retained donors - Costs of retention efforts

Keep in mind that these are rudimentary calculations meant to give you a simplistic idea of your donor retention efforts. No two donors are exactly the same, and one retained donor might just be the right person who can snowball your efforts into a large giving community later down the line.

Challenges and considerations

Keeping the donors around throughout is not an easy task. Some of these challenges include but are not limited to:

• Lack of manpower or funding
• Donor fatigue
• Mismanaged or messy databases
• Inconsistent donor engagement
• Over-solicitation
• Changing donor expectations
• Lack of personalized outreach/generic communication
• Demographic shifts
• Inadequate stewardship
• Insufficient transparency and/or reporting

‍

Consider these key questions to improve donor retention strategies:

• Do your donors get to see and feel the impact of their gifts?
• Is your donor retention strategy appropriately scaled to your institution’s resources available?
• Which gaps in your fundraising strategy most often seem to cause donor fatigue?
• Do your existing digital engagement strategies and tools inspire donors to maintain interest long-term?
• Is your database/CRM suited to integrated communication, donor tracking, and analytics?
• Are your outreach efforts sufficiently customizable and scalable to enhance donor retention?

How Almabase helps you retain donors

Almabase offers digital engagement tools with features such as dynamic event management systems, personalized donor portals, and automated communication workflows to foster stronger donor relationships. Institutions such as the Merchant Taylors’ School and the Alumni Association of the School of Medicine at Loma Linda University have not just increased their donor base but have formed active online communities to power future fundraisers.

Finding the right tools to balance technology with a personal touch is crucial. That’s where Almabase’s engagement solutions come in—helping organizations offer both a personal and digital experience that makes donors feel valued, keeps them engaged, and drives sustainable long-term giving.

If you’re interested in learning more on how we can help, we’d love to not just tell you about us but also hear your problems and show you how we can help! Request a personalized demo and we’d love to get in touch with you ⬇️

Over the past few years, it’s become clear—text messaging isn’t just for friends and family anymore. It's now a powerful communication channel for institutions that want to cut through the noise and connect with their communities in a way that’s timely, personal, and effective.

When every inbox is overflowing and attention spans are shrinking, SMS stands out. Text messaging drives 5 times more responses than emails, making it one of the most effective ways to spark action—whether it’s registering for an event, completing a donation, or simply staying in the loop.

So when our partner institutions told us that emails weren’t always getting the job done, especially for time-sensitive campaigns and updates, we listened.

We heard it often:

“We need a faster way to get people to act.”

“Our email open rates are dropping.”

“We’re using a third-party text tool, but it’s disconnected from our data.”

The real problem wasn’t just about sending messages. It was about:

• Reaching the right people at the right time

• Avoiding fragmented tools that don’t talk to each other

• Staying compliant while collecting and managing consent

We set out to build a solution that would be powerful and seamless. A tool that lived inside your existing Almabase workflows, not outside them.

Integrated Text Messaging on Almabase

We’re thrilled to share that text messaging is now live on Almabase.

Whether you're organizing an event, running a giving campaign, or sending out general community updates, you can now do it all via SMS, directly from Almabase.

This feature is designed to fit naturally into the way you already work, while giving you the speed and reach of text-based communication.

How you can use Almabase Text Messaging in your engagement strategy

Whether you're running a campaign, planning an event, or sharing general updates, text messaging on Almabase fits right into the way you already work:

For events

Text messaging is even more powerful for events because it's built right into the event workflows. You don’t need to go to Data Studio—just access it directly from your event or sub-event page. Send registration reminders, confirm payments, or share last-minute updates like venue changes. You can also follow up after the event with thank-you messages or photo links.

For giving campaigns

Send donation appeals, nudge incomplete donations, or thank donors instantly with personalized texts that feel thoughtful and timely.

For program updates and general announcements

Share program updates, alumni news, or important reminders with your community quickly and effectively.

Key features: How Almabase Text Messaging works for you

Here’s how Almabase text messaging helps you engage smarter:

Send SMS from Data Studio

Target any segment of your alumni or donor base directly through Data Studio, just like you would for email.

Send personalized and targeted messages

Use merge tags and segmented lists to send messages that feel personal and relevant—whether it’s addressing someone by name, following up after an event, sending a tailored giving appeal, sharing a personalized reunion itinerary or nudging them about an upcoming mentoring session.

Seamlessly manage consent

Collect consent during event registration, from alumni profiles, or upload it via Excel using the new "Consent" tab under text communication.

Track results in real time

Monitor delivery rates, replies, and unsubscribes from a central dashboard so you always know what’s working.

Use local numbers for authenticity

Ensure your messages look familiar and trustworthy by sending them from local phone numbers.

‍

Want to understand how it can work for your unique workflows? Our team is here to walk you through it.

👉 Talk to an expert and see how SMS can elevate your engagement strategy—from giving to events and everything in between.

‍

Giving Days are one of the most important fundraising events today for institutions and nonprofits alike. According to EAB, 12.7% of private institution alumni and 19.8% of public institution alumni make their first gift on a giving day. In turn, powerful Giving Day platforms have cropped up to help teams get the most out of these events.

With so many excellent giving platforms available today, we’d like to zoom out and let you know which features you should consider essential and how you can make the most of your eventual choice. Let’s get started:

Key features for any Giving Day Platform

1. User-friendly interface

A good giving platform should ideally be:

• intuitive and easy to navigate for donors
• fast, responsive, and easy to integrate for staff
• easy to set up and customize for supporters in peer-to-peer campaigns

Test your dashboards, giving pages, forms, and all other touchpoints to make sure all the people involved in your Giving Day have a smooth and memorable experience across all devices.

2. Social media integration

For social media, your team should be looking for features such as:

• pre-populated social media messages
• shareable campaign links
• ability to celebrate donations publicly
• engagement touchpoints synced to your CRM

💡 Consider which social media your donors and supporters are most active in. You’ll want a platform that integrates to the same level of depth on those specific platforms.

3. Flexible and scalable payment processing

Giving Days, due to the nature of being a focused fundraiser within a short window, will naturally need a platform that can handle many transactions at the same time. You will have bursts of transactions, such as when the campaign launches and after a successful promotion. A good Giving Day platform also needs to incorporate SSL/PCI-compliant payment processing as well as any other compliance requirements depending on the national or state laws applicable to your fundraiser.

4. Donor engagement tools

You need to be able to engage donors and potential donors before, during, and after your Giving Day. Automated and personalized engagement through email, text, and social media may be crucial, especially if communicating with a larger pool of donors.

💡 Depending on your overall engagement strategy, you may want a fundraising platform that has a few donor engagement features on top or a dedicated engagement platform that works in tandem with your fundraising tool.

5. Donor analytics and reporting

With a relatively short burst of high activity, you should be looking for platforms that support:

• real-time progress tracking and insights
• accessible and customizable dashboards
• comprehensive post-event overview
• streamlined donor segmentation for long-term planning

💡 Keep the above features as well as your needs in mind as different might CRMs interact with different tools in varying capacities.

6. Mobile optimization

Engaging and enabling donations from mobile device users are no longer something novel. Today, you’ll want a giving platform that not only engages mobile users but also optimizes their experience so that they don’t end up with an inferior experience.

Some platforms provide an app-based approach, while others go for mobile-optimized browser experiences.

💡Surveys and donor device metrics should help you get a sense of how much of a priority mobile features are for you as well as which method your donors prefer.

7. Customization and branding

The cornerstone of any modern-day Giving Day campaign is a well-designed, customizable fundraising page that captures your organization's unique brand and mission. Customization is especially important for peer-to-peer fundraisers, where you’ll want to find the right mix between flexible templates and recognizable branding.

8. Long-term fundraising

If you are regularly hosting Giving Day fundraisers, chances are that you have a long-term fundraising plan. This is where you’ll want a giving platform that is viable for both long-term and short-term fundraising efforts. Depending on your needs, look for platforms that include:

• recurring gift opt-ins or enrollments
• affinity groups
• volunteering programs
• segmentation
• personalized and automated communication

to make sure that your Giving Days produce an effective ripple effect.

Best practices for using Giving Day platforms

1. Keep storytelling at the heart of it

It’s easy to get lost in all the fancy and innovative features that fundraising platforms offer today. Instead of trying to use a feature simply for the sake of trying something new, keep your mission and the people involved at the heart of your Giving Day campaign by enabling your storytelling and vision through the features available.

2. Make the most out of segmentation features

Whether it’s connected to an existing CRM or comes with its own, you will most likely get a good amount of data about your supporters, donors, and prospects throughout your campaign. Make detailed segments to optimize your outreach and communication efforts and enrich these segments after your campaign to make your engagement better with each fundraiser.

3. Keep mobile users in mind

Always test your forms, pages, and communication efforts on mobile devices to check how they would feel for a donor trying to donate. Your CTAs might be a couple of scrolls away and on the side of your giving page when it’s front and center on other devices.

4. Keep the momentum going

Your recent first-time donor might just be your next superstar supporter. Make sure your donors feel good about their contribution by keeping them informed on goals reached throughout the day. Keep them looped in on how the funds are being used and inform them about future initiatives coming up.

Conclusion

Giving Days are so integral to your long-term fundraising plan that you might feel like the choice of platform might make or break your strategy entirely. However, a lot of work goes into making these platforms work optimally for a specific institution or organization.

If you’re looking for a platform that syncs effortlessly with CRMs with a team committed to ensuring your giving day success, get in touch with us, and we’d be glad to show you how we can help. 🫡

Alumni are one of an institution’s greatest assets and engaging them isn’t just a matter of maintaining their bond with your institution, but also strengthening it. This is where alumni management software come in to help teams reach out to an ever-increasing alumni population.

Over time, it has developed into its own market with many great choices available. In this blog, we’d like to present you with some of the best options available and what you need to consider so that you can find the best alumni management software for you.

What is an alumni management software?

First things first, let’s understand what you should expect from an alumni management software. It serves as the central hub for all alumni bookkeeping and engagement efforts.

It works with your alumni database and/or CRM to maintain an up-to-date directory of your alumni. With this data, it allows you to segment, analyze, and engage your alumni for all your fundraising, communication, and networking needs. Today, alumni management tools can automate directory updates, personalize and automate communication, manage events and programs, and serve as the main hub for all your analytics and reports for these and other efforts. Some tools focus on excelling at a specific offering, such as directory management, while others offer an integrated approach that encompasses your entire alumni relations efforts.

10 alumni management software to consider in 2026

Below, in no particular order, we’ve compiled a list of 10 alumni management software you should consider in 2026.

Please note that certain features and details are subject to change over time.

1. Almabase

Almabase is an all-in-one alumni engagement and fundraising platform. Almabase offers an impressive set of features designed to seamlessly integrate with popular CRMs and help teams set up fundraisers, mentorship programs, digital engagement programs, and much more.

Pros:

1. Offers best-in-industry sync with Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge NXT via Truesync.
2. Almabase’s engagement platform comes with specialized tools for mentorships, job boards, alumni directories, and personalized communication.
3. Designed for easy CRM integration and no-code setup
4. Excellent 24/7 customer support over email and chat

Cons:

1. Almabase does not offer a free trial or free tier
2. Not as extensively experienced with nonprofits and NGOs as some others on this list

Best for: educational institutions and small to medium nonprofits

Pricing: Almabase offers friendly and personalized pricing based on user needs. Get in touch with us here to get a free personalized demo.

‍

‍

2. PeopleGrove

PeopleGrove focuses on the career and networking aspect of alumni and students by offering tools for alumni engagement, career advancement, and mentorship among others.

Pros:

1. Good choice for institutions that need mentorship or career advancement tools specifically.
2. Specialized tools for training mentors and mentor/mentee matching

‍

Cons:

1. Some users mention difficulties with data integration
2. Reviews mention that it can be difficult to learn for some

Best for: Institutions looking specifically for a mentor/mentee management tool

Pricing: No public pricing. You can speak to a representative to get a quote here.

‍

3. Hivebrite

Hivebrite is an all-in-one community management platform used by universities, nonprofits, and corporate alumni networks. Hivebrite provides a customizable hub for alumni engagement. It’s often praised for combining a wide range of alumni activities – from events and groups to mentoring and fundraising – into one unified platform.

Pros:

1. Hivebrite offers good community-building, group management, and online interaction features
2. Many reviews praise their customer support

Cons:

1. Comes with a steep learning curve
2. As a well-established and extensive tool, it is one of the more expensive options
3. Some users mention limited customization outside of templates

Best for: Large institutions looking to invest in a comprehensive engagement program

Pricing: Hivebrite has three pricing tiers: Connect, Scale, and Enterprise, with baseline pricing that varies based on each customer. Learn more here.

‍

4. Graduway

Graduway (now part of Gravyty) specializes in helping educational institutions build exclusive online communities for their alumni, focusing mainly on alumni engagement and fundraising. 

Pros:

1. Has integrations with Raiser’s Edge NXT, Salesforce, and Handshake among others
2. Provides fundraising solutions as well for interested teams

Cons:

1. Standardized framework may feel restrictive for institutions with specific customization needs
2. Some users report limited customer support

Best for: Higher-ed institutions looking for versatile administrative tools

Pricing: Graduway’s pricing is not publicly posted. You can request a demo or contact them here.

‍

5. Encompass by Encoura

Encompass (formerly iModules and Anthology Encompass) is a supporter engagement solution. It has a data-driven approach intended to cover each stage of alumni engagement. It is best used in combination with other other ecosystem tools such as Raise and Advance.‍

‍Pros:

1. A unified database across features for better analytics
2. Good for customers used to other Encoura products

Cons:

1. It has a steep learning curve due to its complexity
2. Some users complain that the software feels clunky and dated

Best for: Customers who enjoy the Encoura software environment

Pricing: Encompass does not have public pricing. You can request a demo or speak to a sales representative here.

‍

6. EverTrue

EverTrue is an advancement platform that helps alumni and development offices personalize outreach and fundraise more effectively. It’s not a traditional alumni social platform; rather, EverTrue focuses on equipping your advancement team with rich insights about alumni and donors – pulling in data from social media, career info, wealth indicators, and more.

Pros:

1. Allows teams to identify and track Facebook interactions
2. Provides extensive engagement and giving history tracking features
3. Syncs with Eventbrite, Emma, Graduway, Thankview, and Hustle

Cons:

1. Reliant on Facebook integration and alumni usage of the social media platform
2. Some users mention lackluster CRM integration

Best for: Teams who want to engage alumni active on Facebook and mainly prioritize fundraising

Pricing: EverTrue’s pricing is not publicly available. You can request a demo to get a quote here.

‍

7. 360Alumni

360Alumni is an all-in-one alumni networking, management, and fundraising platform geared towards schools and nonprofits that want to build an engaged alumni community and also facilitate giving.

Pros:

1. Integrates with Blackbaud and Salesforce
2. Provides alumni-centric features such as the alumni map and directory which motivates alumni adoption
3. Also provides fundraising and event management solutions

Cons:

1. Some users mention that the pricing can be relatively high
2. Due to the extensive features it provides, it can potentially discourage less proficient or irregular alumni from getting the most of it

Best for: Institutions with a technologically proficient alumni pool and a higher budget.

Pricing: 360Alumni requires an initial setup cost, an annual subscription, and transaction fees. You can find more information and request a demo here.

‍

8. Wild Apricot

Wild Apricot is a membership management software used mainly by associations, clubs, and nonprofits.  It’s known for being affordable and user-friendly, essentially a one-stop system for managing contacts, collecting dues or donations, registering event attendees, and even building a basic website.

Pros:

1. Features a website builder and online store
2. Relatively user-friendly, especially for simple membership and event management

Cons:

1. As a general membership solution, Wild Apricot may lack some educational alumni-specific features out-of-the-box
2. It is best suited for smaller groups as the pricing scales exponentially with the number of contacts

Best for: Associations looking for a simple membership solution

Pricing: Wild Apricot has a transparent payment scheme based on number of contacts and billing cycle. It also has a free 60-day demo. You can find more information here.

‍

9. ToucanTech

ToucanTech is a UK-based alumni management software built for independent schools, colleges, and alumni foundations. It offers an elegant, all-in-one alumni portal that combines a database, community news, events, fundraising, and email features.

Pros:

1. ToucanTech offers an activity tracker that shows how alumni engage with your email, website, and events
2. Users mention the approachability of the support team

Cons:

1. Steep learning curve to get the most out of the wide array of features
2. Will take time and effort to switch to if your institution already has an extensive software environment or CRM in place

Best for: Teams looking to get started with a comprehensive alumni management CRM

Pricing: ToucanTech’s pricing isn’t publicly listed. You can request a demo and get a quote here.

‍

10. Join It

Join It is a lightweight, user-friendly membership management software. While it’s not exclusively built for alumni engagement, its affordability and ease of use make it a great option for smaller alumni groups, associations, and nonprofit networks.

Pros:

1. While not built specifically for educational institutions, it is one of the more affordable options

2. Has a wide range of integrations with popular tools

3. Users report that it is easy to use and setup

Cons:

1. Does not include fundraising or mentorship features.

2. Basic customization: The platform offers limited branding and customization features, which may not meet the specific needs of larger institutions seeking a tailored experience.

Best for: Small teams that need an affordable and simple member management only solution

Pricing: Join It offers a starter, total, and extra package as well as a custom enterprise package that can be paid monthly or yearly. It also has a free trial. You can find the exact prices here.

‍

Why alumni management software is essential for your institution

Alumni relationships don’t maintain themselves. Without the right systems in place, institutions risk losing the interest of their alumni and missing out on valuable engagement as well as mentorship and fundraising opportunities. An alumni management software helps prevent this by:

1. Organizing and updating alumni directories

2. Building hubs and touchpoints for alumni to get in touch with each other and your institution

3. Simplifying, personalizing, and automating communication (depending on the platform)

4. Facilitating career and networking opportunities, mentorship programs, and exclusive events for alumni

5. Building a strong community online for fundraisers, reunions, and other important events

Key features to consider when opting for alumni management software

With so many alumni management platforms available, we’d like to help you refine your shortlist by highlighting some key considerations to make when choosing your next platform. Let’s get

CRM integration:

Depending on your institution, you may want a solution that comes with its own CRM or integrates seamlessly with an already existing CRM. Whatever you go with, make sure that there are as little data siloes as possible between your various solutions.

Social media integration:

Keep your alumni pool in mind and what social media platforms they historically prefer. A Facebook integration-heavy tool may not be right for you if your alumni prefer LinkedIn groups or Instagram pages. Once you identify a few tools that fit that niche, make sure the level of engagement analytics is to your liking.

Communication:

Depending on how big your alumni base is, your needs for segmentation, personalization, and automation will vary. If your team is focused on fundraising for a large institution, a platform that includes giving and engagement history may be important for you while it may be an unneeded cost for a small school only looking for simple membership management.

Pricing:

Many of the tools in alumni management offer customizable or contact-based pricing. Try to get a feel for what feels right considering both the short-term (your next three events for example) and long-term (Will the platform scale well into your third annual subscription?) needs. Also keep in mind your already existing software and what you may need to pay extra for considering additional integration costs to keep them in line with your chosen solution.

Fundraising and donation:

Most alumni management tools also offer fundraising tools as well. Depending on how the tool is set up, consider how your potential and past donors will engage with your efforts. A solution may be really intuitive for you but be clunky and hard to navigate for your donors. Some donors may prefer networking and donating from the same platform while others think it’s a hassle. Always keep your donor’s preferences in mind before making a choice.

Wrapping up

At its core, the effectiveness of alumni software comes down to how well it enables institutions to connect with alumni in meaningful ways and drive tangible outcomes—whether that’s increased participation, stronger professional networks, or higher donations

We’d love to work with you to connect and engage with your alumni better. If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help you, feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll be glad to give you a personalized demo!

Peer-to-peer fundraising (also referred to as p2p fundraising) has established itself as a mainstay fundraising method with fundraisers like the American Heart Association's Heart Walk setting the standard by raising an impressive $110 million—making it the largest P2P fundraising program in the U.S. and a testament to the power of community-driven giving. According to Nonprofit Source, peer-to-peer fundraisers bring in an average of 4 new donors for every fundraising page created.

Whether you're a nonprofit, K-12 school, or higher education institution, p2p fundraising offers a versatile solution that combines social networking with charitable giving. By the end of this article, you'll understand how to implement this strategy and choose the right peer -to-peer fundraising platforms to support your mission.

What is peer-to-peer fundraising?

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a fundraising method where supporters create personal fundraising pages and solicit donations from their networks on behalf of an organization. Unlike traditional fundraising where an organization directly asks for donations, p2p fundraising empowers individual supporters to become advocates who raise funds from their friends, family, and colleagues.

What makes P2P fundraising so effective is its personal touch. When people give to someone they know and trust, they’re more likely to donate—and often in larger amounts. This approach turns passive donors into active fundraisers, helping your cause gain visibility and build stronger connections with new supporters. In fact, 39% of Americans report donating to charity based on a request from a friend or family member, which goes to show the power of personal connections in driving support.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Ideas

Looking for creative ways to implement your next p2p fundraiser? Here are some proven ideas to inspire your next campaign:

1. Athletic Challenges: Organize walking, running, or biking events where participants create fundraising pages and collect pledges from their networks. Events like charity runs, walkathons, or bike-a-thons create built-in communities of supporters. The American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" raised over $5.2 billion since its inception by empowering participants to create personal fundraising pages for their relay teams.

2. Tribute Campaigns: Enabling supporters to fundraise in honor or memory of loved ones leads to meaningful campaigns that resonate with their personal networks. For example, the Alzheimer's Association's "The Longest Day" campaign raised $13 million in a recent season by encouraging participants to create tribute pages for loved ones affected by the disease.

3. DIY Fundraising: Allow supporters to create their own unique fundraising events, from bake sales to backyard concerts, empowering them to leverage their specific talents and interests. St. Jude's "Create Your Own" program generated $4.2 million in 2023 through supporter-created events ranging from lemonade stands to corporate challenges.

4. Team Competitions: In 2023, during Cornell Giving Day, a 24-hour fundraising event, the university raised a record-breaking $13,043,165 from 18,296 donors. While specific details about class competitions contributing $2.4 million in 2023 weren't found, the overall success of such events highlights the potential of friendly competitions in fundraising.

Benefits of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Implementing P2P fundraising offers numerous advantages for organizations:

• Expanded Reach: Research indicates that the average individual's social network size varies. A study found that the average person has 450+ social connections. This expansive network can significantly broaden your organization's potential donor base when supporters engage in peer-to-peer fundraising.
• Cost-Effective: Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns can yield substantial returns. According to data from the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum, the average amount raised per participant in 2020 was $187, up from $139 in 2019. This demonstrates the potential of volunteer-driven campaigns to generate significant funds.
• Sustainable Growth: By empowering supporters to take an active role, you not only inspire more donors but also boost donor retention as you turn one-time or occasional donors into active supporters. Institutions nowadays integrate peer-to-peer fundraising into their overall donor engagement strategy and encourage fundraisers to participate in recurring campaigns, provide them with the tools to share their stories, and recognize their efforts to keep them engaged.

How Does Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Benefit K12 and Higher Ed?

Educational institutions face unique fundraising challenges, making peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising particularly valuable in engaging their communities and expanding their support networks.

K-12 Schools:

For K-12 schools, P2P fundraising fosters deeper parent involvement and strengthens community bonds. Parents can become fundraising champions, reaching out to their extended families, colleagues, and social networks to support their children's education. This approach not only increases financial support but also teaches students valuable lessons about community service and philanthropy.

For instance, Cathedral High School embraced digital fundraising by empowering students to raise money and awareness for their annual tuition assistance campaign. This initiative allowed students to actively participate in philanthropy, enhancing their engagement and understanding of community support.

Higher Education Institutions:

Higher education institutions can leverage their extensive alumni networks through P2P fundraising. Graduates often maintain strong emotional connections to their alma maters, making them effective advocates. Class reunions, homecoming events, and giving days can be amplified through P2P campaigns that tap into class pride and friendly competition among alumni groups.

Princeton University's Annual Giving program engaged over 2,500 volunteers and received contributions from many more, resulting in $73.8 million raised. This success underscores the power of peer-driven campaigns in sustaining donor engagement over time.

Both K-12 and higher education institutions can use p2p fundraising to support specific initiatives such as scholarships, facility improvements, or technology upgrades, providing supporters with concrete goals to rally behind.

Getting Started with Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Ready to implement p2p fundraising for your organization? Here’s a refresher on the essential steps to ensure success:

1. Define your campaign goals: Establish clear objectives for your P2P campaign, including fundraising targets, participation goals, and timeline.
2. Select the right platform: Choose a P2P fundraising platform that integrates with your existing systems and offers the features you need (more on this below).
3. Create compelling campaign materials: Develop engaging stories, images, and videos that supporters can use when sharing your campaign.
4. Recruit and train fundraising champions: Identify enthusiastic supporters and provide them with the resources they need to succeed.
5. Develop a communication plan: Create a schedule of regular updates, reminders, and encouragement for your fundraisers.
6. Provide fundraising tools: Give your champions customizable email templates, social media posts, and other resources to make sharing easy.
7. Offer incentives: Consider recognition programs or small prizes for top fundraisers to boost motivation.
8. Show impact: Regularly share how funds raised are making a difference to keep supporters engaged.
9. Express gratitude: Thank both fundraisers and donors promptly. Keep them looped in on how the funds are used as well as future opportunities.

Choosing the Right Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Platform

Choosing the right platform is like hiring a handy staff member, and you’ll want to make sure you get the choice right. Consider these essential features and your own needs to narrow down your shortlist:

1. User-friendly interface: Ensure all your supporters can easily create and manage fundraising pages
2. Mobile optimization: If mobile fundraising is a priority, look into the level of optimization and donor user interface.
3. Customization: Depending on your budget and needs, you may want simple template pages or customizable templates that support extensive customization and integration.
4. Social media integration: Look for platforms that have good integration with the social media platforms where your donors and supporters are more active.
5. Team fundraising capabilities: Depending on your needs, you may want team fundraising support and better gamification support in a platform.
6. Donor management: Some teams may want a platform that also comes with alumni management features, while for some others, a simple Facebook or LinkedIn group might do the job.
7. Payment processing: Consider the payment options supported by a platform as well as the fees associated and if it fits your donor base as well as your budget.
8. Reporting Tools: Some platforms offer deep analytics and engagement metrics which may be crucial for some teams but redundant for a small team that only wants to track a few metrics.
9. Communication: Your team might want automated and personalized text and email communication features, while for smaller teams with a smaller donor base, these features may stretch their budget unnecessarily.
10. CRM Integration: Depending on your team’s needs, you may want a platform that can connect seamlessly with your existing CRM or one that comes with its own CRM.

💡Check out our picks on the top peer-to-peer fundraising platforms to power your next campaign

How Can Almabase's Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Tool Elevate Your Fundraising Efforts

Almabase offers a powerful peer-to-peer fundraising solution designed for educational institutions and nonprofits. As one of the most loved platforms, Almabase sets itself apart by seamlessly integrating into most educational CRMs. Our industry-leading two-way synchronization with Raiser's Edge NXT, ensures your donor data remains consistent across all systems.

Almabase's unique features include:

• ‍Effortless fundraiser onboarding & management: Supporters can easily set up personalized fundraising pages, track their progress, and engage their networks—all from an intuitive dashboard.
• Seamless integration with your advancement CRM:Designed to work with leading CRMs, Almabase ensures that donor data flows effortlessly between systems, reducing administrative overhead and improving efficiency.
• Customizable campaigns to fit your needs: Whether you’re running a giving day, class challenge, or alumni fundraiser, Almabase offers fully customizable campaigns tailored to your institution’s unique goals.
• Engagement tools that drive results: Features like automated donor outreach, gamification (leaderboards & badges), and social sharing encourage friendly competition and help fundraisers reach more donors.
• Dedicated support: Almabase offers active support via email and live chat for customers in the US, UK, and Canada, ensuring seamless fundraising experiences and quick issue resolution.

Conclusion

Peer-to-peer fundraising has become a proven strategy for expanding an organization or institution’s reach and engaging supporters in meaningful ways. By empowering your community to become active fundraisers, you can tap into new networks, create authentic connections, and ultimately raise more funds for your mission.

Whether you're just getting started with P2P fundraising or looking to enhance your existing efforts, the right approach and technology can make all the difference. With platforms like Almabase, you can implement sophisticated campaigns that engage supporters and drive results.

Ready to take your fundraising to the next level? Explore these resources for more insights:

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Success For Higher Ed in 2024

Building Community Through Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Introduction

A high school reunion allows alumni to relive memories, celebrate growth, and forge or rekindle connections. Yet orchestrating them has required better and better planning over the years. Alumni are more scattered than they used to be, their calendars fuller than ever, and their expectations higher. You can improvise your way through a high school reunion but planning a memorable reunion is no easy task today.

Luckily, there are decades of past experiences and learnings to guide you and in this blog, we’re going to condense all that expertise into actionable strategies that make your event truly worthwhile. Let’s get started:

1. Determine your audience

Your alumni are at the heart of every reunion so it makes sense that your first priority will be who the reunion is for. Every other bit of planning branches out from this core decision. For example,

- a reunion based on a school milestone (say a 20th anniversary) will draw in a larger crowd

- a reunion for a specific batch (2004 batch for example) or a geographic location (like the school’s district) will be smaller and better for deeper connections

- interest groups (say, 2005 state champions team) are great for reuniting like-minded people for a specific cause

2. Enlist help

Even the relatively smaller reunions today require more than one person to organize successfully. This is where you should look for students, alumni, or staff who might be willing to volunteer. Depending on the scale of your reunion, you may need anywhere from a couple of planners to a whole committee to help in each stage of your planning. Keep in mind that each helping hand can also be an

3. Choose a theme

Themes serve as the emotional backbone of a reunion. We can’t choose your theme for you as this depends entirely on your audience, budget, and the goals you have in mind. However, we can provide you with some types and examples of reunion themes to help generate some ideas:

- based on alumni batch (for example, an 80s dance for multiple batches with a nostalgic theme)

- based on school traditions (say, a sports-themed event with decorations based on team colors and past achievements, accompanied by a friendly game between alumni)

- based on seasonal timing (like a summer bash or a winter formal event)

4. Establish a budget

Financial planning can make the difference between a memorable reunion and a fiscal disaster. Start by itemizing non-negotiable expenses such as venue deposits can catering. These two will take up a large chunk of your budget.

You’ll also want to think about how you want to monetize your event (apart from the typical ticket sales). You can consider Implementing tiered pricing through early bird discounts or premium tickets that include accommodation or commemorative yearbooks. Crowdfunding platforms can be great to help you subsidize costs for financially constrained attendees or farther alumni as well. Finally, always allocate 10–15% for unexpected expenses like overtime fees or weather-related adjustments.

5. Choose a time and place

Venue choice profoundly impacts attendance and atmosphere. Hotels offer convenience with built-in accommodations, while outdoor spaces allow for more activities and picnics. When evaluating locations, scrutinize any possible hidden costs. Some venues may charge extra for cleanup, equipment, or security. 

As for the time, consider the schedule of your alumni to maximize attendance. Holiday weekends might boost availability but could conflict with their family obligations. You can also consider hybrid options, such as a Friday evening cocktail hour for local professionals and a Saturday brunch to travelers.

6. Set up a reunion website

Once you have your audience, theme, budget, and other basic details ready, it’s time to set up the main online hub for people to learn about your reunion—your reunion website. This is a crucial step as you will probably be reaching out through online communication and you’ll want all your CTAs to lead back to it.

Depending on your team and the resources available, you might already have a solution like Almabase that can easily set up an event page for you, or you may need to manually create a webpage from scratch. Whatever it is you go with, make sure that all the vital details and registration links are up and working. You’ll also want to keep updating the page with updates, maps, walk routes, and teasers as the reunion gets closer.

7. Get the word out

Now it’s time to spread the word and attract eyes towards your upcoming reunion! Promote your reunion on relevant school pages, social media platforms, and directly to alumni inboxes. While physical invitations can be seen as accommodation for less tech-savvy people, they are also a great means to create a heartfelt invitation. Here are some other things to keep in mind while promoting your reunion:

- Your promotions should have all the necessary details (who it’s for, theme, time, place, route, etc.) or direct them to where they can find all of it.

- Some alumni may respond with questions. Keep an eye on your inboxes.

- Promote volunteers or supporters to humanize your event further.

- Share any important updates as soon as possible to avoid frustrated travel bookings and reschedules from interested alumni.

8. Finalize logistics

While your initial budgeting would have accounted for a lot of your expenses, some other potential expenses are best dealt with a month or a few weeks before the date of your reunion. These include:

- dietary preference surveys and corresponding orders to caterers

- shots list and other requirements from photographers/videographers

- attendee gifts

9. Keep attendees updated

It goes without saying but make sure your potential attendees stay interested and informed. Keep mentioning any ticketing changes, crowdfunding opportunities, or fundraising goals associated with the reunion in your regular communication.  As the reunion gets closer, you can switch to more frequent communication to build up hype and inform them of any important updates.

10. Post-event engagement

Depending on the audience you gathered, you can try a variety of alumni engagement methods after your reunion. If you had a reunion of similarly minded or hobby-specific alumni, you can create online interest groups to keep the conversation going. For the most part, digital engagement will be your friend. Annual virtual meetups via Zoom can maintain momentum between in-person gatherings, ensuring your class’s story continues to unfold.

For philanthropically inclined classes, establish scholarship funds or community service initiatives that extend the reunion’s impact.  Alumni located nearby can be engaged through volunteering opportunities to turn them into active supporters as well.

Finally, make sure to include your attendees in your marketing and social media strategies as a segment so you can measure and compare your engagement strategies with other events over time as well as target specific initiatives to interest them.

Wrapping it up

We recognize that it takes a lot of planning and logistical execution behind the scenes. That’s why we’ve come up with a neat little editable checklist to help you plan your next high school reunion. No strings attached, check it out here!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I track down alumni?

Your school’s alumni database should be the first place you look. Social media platforms, yearbooks, and connections to staff or contactable alumni should help you fill out the gaps to build a comprehensive list. For a larger reunion, you may want to form a committee specifically for this task.

2. How do I make a reunion memorable?

A memorable reunion isn’t just about reliving old memories but also making new ones. It is about reconnecting or even making new connections through a common alma mater. Keeping this in mind, you can plan activities and venues that your alumni will remember fondly. Your post-event engagement will also play a major part in their impression of the event.

3. When should I start planning a reunion?

It is ideal to start planning 6-12 months ahead to secure venues, track down alumni, and gather feedback. You should ideally look to finalize RSVPs and payments 1-2 months before the event.

4. How do I handle RSVPs and ticket sales for my reunion?

Your event management platform of choice should be the place for all RSVPs and ticket sales. If you don’t have one, you can use specialized tools for each task such as a combination of Google Forms, Facebook events, and Mailchimp to track responses.

5. What if my reunion has low attendance?

You can try to increase attendees by including virtual events for alumni who won’t be able to attend. If you want to keep if offline, you can use the lower attendance as an opportunity to have an intricately personalized event that will make the attendees glad they made it.