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Walkathons are one of the few fundraising events that have stood the test of time. The appeal lies in their simplicity- easy to organize, open to everyone, and surprisingly effective. Whether organized by healthcare organizations, schools, or nonprofits, they bring people together for a shared cause while blending fitness, community, and fundraising into a single event.
Of the 30 largest peer-to-peer fundraising programs in the U.S. in 2025, which raised a combined $1.17 billion and engaged more than 2.63 million participants, many of them were walkathons.
In this article, we've rounded up walkathon ideas from successful healthcare campaigns, along with a few examples from educational institutions and nonprofits.
15+ Walkathon ideas for better fundraising
Every successful walkathon has something that sets it apart. For some, it's the cause they support. Here are some ideas from real campaigns that you can draw inspiration from:
Sponsor- led walkathons
Walkathon sponsors have come a long way from logo placement and finish-line banners. They show up, bring employees, set up activities, and become part of the day. Here’s how they are doing it:
1. Corporate team sponsorships
Rather than asking companies to simply sponsor the walk, the American Heart Association turns them into participants. Businesses register employee teams, set fundraising goals, and take part in Heart Walks across the country. Companies that raise $100,000 or more across multiple events are recognized through the National Teams program, with milestones reaching $1 million+. The model has helped bring companies such as AT&T, KPMG, Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp, and ADP into the campaign year after year. Heart Walk is now held in 300+ communities nationwide and continues to rank among the country's largest peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. In 2025, the campaign raised $121 million, making it the country's largest peer-to-peer fundraising program for the sixth year in a row.
2. Sponsors beyond event day
Walk for Lurie Children's gives sponsors a much bigger role than simply putting their names on event signage. On walk day, companies run games for children, welcome families at activity booths, and send employee teams to volunteer. Many of those same businesses show up again at Lurie Children's Corporate Cup, a separate fundraiser where companies compete against one another, such as tailgate games and relay races in an effort to raise money that will help Lurie Children's patients and their families. Together, the two events give corporate partners more than one opportunity each year to support the hospital and involve their employees.
3. Sponsor-led activity zones
At the Greater Washington Region Heart Walk, sponsors were involved throughout the event, not just as names on banners. Companies formed fundraising teams before walk day, then showed up with employee volunteers, activity booths, and interactive exhibits. Participants could stop for Hands-Only CPR demonstrations, visit sponsor tents, take part in family activities, and spend time at Survivor Lane before and after the walk. In 2025, the event brought together 90 companies, 579 fundraising teams, and nearly 10,000 walkers, raising more than $2.1 million for the American Heart Association.
4. More ways to involve sponsors
A sponsor could match every donation made during a one-hour window on walk day. Another could take over a challenge along the route, with participants stopping to complete a quick game, trivia question, or fitness activity. Sponsors could also support a hospital program, scholarship fund, or community project chosen by participants.
A sponsor passport is another option. Participants collect stamps at sponsor booths during the walk and enter the completed passport into a prize draw at the finish line. They're all simple ideas, but they give sponsors a bigger role and give participants another reason to stay involved throughout the event.
Cause-based walkathons
Cause-based walkathons are among the most recognizable fundraising events in healthcare. Each one is built around a specific mission, bringing together people connected by a shared cause.
5. Promise Garden
The Walk to End Alzheimer's, held by the Alzheimer's Association, is held in more than 600 communities across the U.S. Each walk begins with the Promise Garden ceremony, where participants carry flowers representing those living with Alzheimer's, caregivers, advocates, and loved ones lost to the disease. Last year alone, the campaign raised more than $112 million to support Alzheimer's care, support services, and research.
6. Luminaria Ceremony
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature fundraising walk, held in thousands of communities around the world to support cancer research, patient services, and advocacy. One of its best-known traditions is the Luminaria Ceremony, where participants decorate paper luminaria bags with names, messages, or photos before placing them along the walking route. As evening falls, the bags are lit, and the walk continues by candlelight, creating one of the event's most memorable moments.
7. Honor beads
Out of the Darkness Walks organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention include Community Walks, Campus Walks, and the Overnight Walk, gives people different ways to take part throughout the year. Before the walk begins, participants receive Honor Beads, with each color representing a different connection to suicide prevention. As the walk gets underway, the beads become an easy way for participants to recognize shared experiences and start conversations with others along the route.
8. Choose your cause walk
Instead of asking everyone to walk for the same cause, participants choose the one they'd like to support when they register. A healthcare organization could offer options like cancer care, heart health, or pediatric services. Universities could let participants walk for scholarships, student wellness, or research programs, while nonprofits could include different community initiatives. Participants receive a colored T-shirt, bib, or wristband based on their choice, making it easy to see the different causes represented as the walk gets underway.
Beyond the examples above, organizations have built successful walks around breast cancer, rare diseases, mental health, veterans, animal welfare, environmental conservation, and many other causes. When the walk rallies behind a cause people can get behind, it gives them a reason to come together and support it.
Challenge-based walkathons
A little competition can change the feel of a walkathon. Bring in team challenges, fundraising competitions, or step goals that start weeks before the event gets participants into the spirit of the event. Here are a few examples of how different organizations have used a little competition to build excitement around their walk.
9. Classroom challenge
Every class had something to compete for at Bishop Chatard High School's Walkathon. Students tracked donations through class and student leaderboards, turning fundraising into a friendly competition across the school. The 2026 walkathon raised more than $54,000, reaching 155% of its fundraising goal with support from more than 1,000 donors.
10. Miles challenge
The Susan G. Komen 3-Day turns the walk itself into the challenge. Participants can walk for one, two, or all three days, covering up to 60 miles over the weekend. Those taking on the full event average about 20 miles a day, making it as much an endurance challenge as a fundraiser. Along the way, walkers stop at pit stops for food and water, spend the night at camp, and return the next morning to continue the journey. Since 2003, the Susan G. Komen 3-Day has raised more than $915 million for breast cancer research, patient care, and advocacy.
11. Companion walk challenges
The American Cancer Society's 30-Mile Dog Walk Challenge puts a different spin on a traditional walkathon. Participants sign up online, create a fundraising page, and join the challenge's Facebook community before setting out to walk 30 miles with their dogs over the course of the month. Along the way, they share photos and progress updates, encourage donations, and celebrate milestones with other participants in the group. Everyone who raises the qualifying donation receives an official challenge T-shirt, and fundraisers can earn additional rewards as they reach higher fundraising milestones. They run multiple virtual fundraising challenges throughout the year, giving supporters different ways to take part from home.
12. Challenge cards
Give each participant a challenge card at check-in instead of the same route checklist. Create a mix of cards so no two participants have the same set of tasks. One card could ask walkers to collect stamps from every hydration station, while another could send them on fun 1k, 2k walks towards specific destinations apart from the finish line. Families could receive scavenger hunt cards with clues hidden along the route, and children could look for mascots, signs, or landmarks. You could also include simple community challenges, such as writing a message on a tribute wall, thanking a volunteer, or taking a group photo at the finish line. Completed cards can be exchanged for a small prize or entered into a raffle at the end of the event.
Themed walkathons
Adding themes to your event can change its outlook entirely. It shapes everything from the invitations and T-shirts to costumes, activities, and photo opportunities. Here are a few organizations that have done it well.
13. Pajama walk
Friendship Circle and ZABS Place built their annual walk around one simple idea: everyone comes in pajamas. Families, schools, community groups, and local businesses all join the walk dressed for the theme. After the walk, the event continues with the Dreamland Festival, featuring carnival games, obstacle courses, inflatables, and live entertainment. An Ability Fair also gives local artists and makers with disabilities a place to showcase and sell their work. The theme carries through the entire day, turning the walk into a community event rather than just a fundraiser. The walk has become one of the organization's signature fundraisers, bringing the community together while supporting programs for children, teens, and adults of all abilities.
14. Candyland
St. Martin of Tours School gave its annual walkathon a Candy Land theme, turning the campus into a colorful course with themed decorations, games, and raffle baskets. Families, students, and staff embraced the theme throughout the event, making it feel more like a school celebration than a fundraiser. The walkathon raised more than $28,000 from 400+ donors, surpassing its fundraising goal while supporting the school's mission of faith, learning, and inclusion.
15. One walk, many themes
A walkathon can be turned into a different experience based on what theme you choose. A school could turn each stop into a page from a favorite storybook or a different country to explore. Hospitals could bring in superheroes, teddy bears, or characters that children already know. Community walks could take on a glow theme, celebrate local neighborhoods, or invite participants to bring their pets along. Small details like themed checkpoints, music, costumes, and photo stations can tie everything together without changing the walk itself.
16. Virtual walkathon
Following its inaugural event, the University of Northern Iowa Alumni Association is preparing for the second Panther Virtual 5K. Alumni, students, families, and friends can run, walk, or jog from wherever they are during September. Participants can register for free with a downloadable race bib and finisher certificate or choose the Gold Racer package, which includes an alumni-designed event T-shirt. Everyone is encouraged to share photos along the way, with a Panther prize pack up for grabs, while paid registrations support the UNI Alumni Association Engagement Fund.
17. Hybrid walkathon
For Abby's House, the annual 5K is one of the organization's largest fundraisers for women and children experiencing homelessness. The event starts in Worcester, but it doesn't end there. Anyone who can't make it on race day has the rest of Race Week to walk or run the same distance wherever they are. Whether participants join in person or virtually, they register through the same event, fundraise for the same cause, and take part as individuals or teams. The campaign also includes an online auction and fundraising awards that continue throughout the week.
18. Nationwide walkathon
For years, UNCF's Walk for Education has brought communities together to raise funds for scholarships, strengthen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and help students get to and through college. Today, the series spans multiple cities across the country, with local walks feeding into one national campaign. The 2025 season included 14 Walk for Education events between August and October, all working toward a shared goal of raising $2 million for scholarships, internships, and student success programs.
The ideas don’t stop here. There are countless ways to put a fresh spin on a walkathon. You could build the route around local landmarks, turn it into a photo challenge, celebrate community heroes, add live performances along the way, create a farm-to-table walk with local vendors, host a twilight walk under the stars, or partner with museums, parks, and neighborhood businesses to make each stop part of the experience. Take inspiration from what others have done, adapt it to your audience, and build a walkathon that feels like it belongs to your organization and the people who support it.
How Almabase helps bring event fundraisers to life
From nationwide walks and virtual challenges to campus traditions and themed events, the examples above show that there is no single idea to make a walkathon successful. Bringing them to life means giving participants an easy way to register, create teams, share their fundraising pages, and invite friends and family to support the cause.
That's where Almabase comes in. It helps foundations manage registrations, sponsorships, donor engagement, and event communications in one place, making it easier to deliver a walkathon that's memorable for the right reasons.
Whether you are hosting a neighborhood walk, a hospital-wide tradition, or a nationwide fundraising campaign, Almabase will ensure end-to-end logistics, so your team can focus on creating a meaningful experience for your community.
If you’d like to see how Almabase can power the next event for your foundation or institution, feel free to book a personalized demo below! 👇
Wrapping up
Walkathons have become a lasting part of healthcare fundraising because of how they grow and change with the communities they support. Whether it's a local hospital walk, a patient-led fundraiser, or a large community event, there's always room to make it your own. We hope these ideas have given you a few new ways to think about your next walkathon. If you're exploring platforms for your next walkathon fundraiser, we'd love to show you how Almabase can help. Book a personalized demo, and let's talk about what you're planning.
15+ Walkathon Fundraiser Ideas
Walkathons are a great way to raise funds for your foundation, institution, or cause. With inspiration from real world fundraisers, we bring you the best walkathon ideas.
Sharada Koti
July 15, 2026
12 minutes
You may notice that throughout this article, we use the term “investor” when referring to “donors.” This is because Convergent believes in reframing charitable institutions as valuable community assets worthy of investment. By positioning donors as investors, we focus on sustainable funding rather than one-time gifts.
Your educational institution is a pillar of your community. However, you may undermine its stability by approaching your alumni annual fund with a transactional mindset, focusing solely on raising funds rather than on developing relationships with supporters. As a result, you may exhaust your investors and create volatile cash flows in your nonprofit’s financial accounts.
For this reason, it is necessary to shift away from a transactional relationship (in which giving is driven by the expectation of receiving something in return, such as a tax write-off) and toward a sustainable partnership, which is rooted in shared values and strategic alignment.
This guide provides actionable steps to realign your alumni annual fund giving with long-term, mission-critical outcomes. When you treat alumni as true financial partners, you can secure robust, predictable funding that sustains your institution for decades to come.
Understand why alumni give
Different investors have their own reasons for giving, so analyzing giving behavior is an important step to tailoring your investment-driven approach. For example, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy reported that younger generations tend to support causes tied to social impact and advocacy, so if you want people in this demographic to give more, you have to highlight your mission and the impact you’ve had in your community in your outreach materials.
No two investors are alike. To understand why your supporters choose to contribute, try the following strategies:
- Conduct surveys and interviews. Directly asking your investors about their philanthropic priorities removes the guesswork from your outreach strategy.
- Analyze past data. Review your organization’s past feasibility studies to discover historical trends in your investors’ preferences and capacity.
- Collaborate with development officers. Development officers spend a lot of time cultivating relationships with investors, so they have valuable insights regarding what drives their investments.
Incorporate these insights into your nonprofit’s constituent relationship management system (CRM), so your team can segment your audiences accurately. By the time the alumni annual fundraising comes around, you can deploy tailored messaging, thereby drastically improving conversion rates.
Realign your alumni annual fund with strategic outcomes
Establish your institution’s value by demonstrating strict alignment between your mission, fundraising objectives, and the outcomes delivered to the community. For example, if your organization is planning a STEM initiative for first-generation students, you can frame it like this:
- The mission: Empower first-generation students to graduate debt-free and enter high-demand STEM fields.
- The fundraising objective: Raise $500,000 through the alumni annual fund to provide full-ride scholarships and stipends for a cohort of 50 local students.
- The delivered outcome: Provide an impact report showing that 100% of the funded cohort graduated on time, with 85% immediately securing employment at local companies, thereby boosting the regional economy.
When sharing the impact report with your investors, spotlight a specific narrative (e.g., a student who benefited directly from the funds), then pair that with hard numbers (e.g., “we’ve helped 100 students achieve their dreams like [Student X]”). By incorporating data in the narrative, you’re showing investors that their contributions fund tangible results.
Realigning your alumni annual fund with strategic outcomes can be challenging because there are several moving parts to consider. For this reason, Convergent recommends conducting a development audit, which provides a clear, objective assessment of your current fundraising efforts and a strategic roadmap to improve them. The result is that everyone in your team is aligned with your goals, and you can build a stronger case for investment.
Shift from a donation mindset to an investment value proposition
Shifting from a traditional donation mindset to an investment value proposition fundamentally changes the dynamic between your institution and your alumni. When you operate with a donation mindset, you inherently position the educational institution as a charity in need of a handout. Additionally, a donation mindset relies heavily on emotional appeals and transactional exchanges (e.g., giving a t-shirt or a tax write-off in exchange for money), which ultimately exhaust supporters.
When you reframe your outreach and treat alumni as long-term investors and stakeholders, you unlock distinct benefits that secure sustainable funding, such as:
- Clearer ROI: Transactional models historically struggle to demonstrate the rational, value-based ROI that modern investors require. An investment mindset forces your team to clearly articulate the tangible, real-world impact of the funds, providing stakeholders with the proof of success they demand.
- Engagement with younger generations of investors: As we mentioned earlier, younger demographics are highly analytical with their philanthropy. They are likely to stop investing if they do not clearly understand the strategic outcomes of their financial contributions. Presenting an investment proposition speaks directly to their desire for measurable impact.
- Preventing supporter fatigue: Relying on small-scale emotional appeals and staff-intensive events only leads to investor burnout. When you treat alumni as true partners, you can focus on continuous, data-driven stewardship rather than bombarding them with relentless, piecemeal appeals.
To complete your shift from a transactional to an investment-driven mindset, you’ll need to audit your current communication templates and eliminate passive phrasing. For example, refer to gifts and donations as “partnerships” instead. So, rather than saying “Your gifts are needed to help maintain our current programs,” you can say, “Your partnership with our organization has helped expand our scholarship endowment and directly funds our new STEM initiative.” This subtle linguistic shift empowers alumni, making them feel like co-architects of the institution's future.
Encourage other forms of giving
In addition to launching capital campaigns, your organization should integrate workplace giving into your alumni annual fund strategy. This is because corporate philanthropy programs, such as matching gifts and volunteer grants, significantly amplify the ROI of each contribution.
That said, not many people know about workplace giving initiatives; in fact, studies show that nearly 80% of donors are unaware of whether their company offers a matching gift program. Because of this, you must educate your investors about these programs by:
- Integrating workplace giving awareness into appeals: Do not treat corporate giving as an afterthought. Advise your development teams to actively educate alumni about corporate matching gift programs as part of your standard outreach, noting that many investors may qualify for workplace matching without realizing it.
- Reminding investors about these programs on their thank-you receipt: When someone contributes to your fundraiser, encourage them to check their matching gift eligibility to maximize their investment. You can set up these automated reminders on your nonprofit’s donor management software.
- Adding workplace giving to your “Ways to Give” page: Provide a brief explanation of how certain corporate giving programs work so that investors know how to participate.
- Creating educational content about workplace giving: For example, you can write a long-form informational post or create video tutorials on how to check matching gift eligibility.
By leveraging corporate philanthropy programs, you’re shifting the giving narrative away from individual charitable donations toward larger-scale, sustainable institutional investments. In other words, you’re ensuring no money is left on the table, while maximizing the impact of your existing investor base.
As an educational institution, you’re an indispensable community asset, and your funding strategies must reflect this vital role. Transitioning from transactional appeals to a sustainable, investment-focused model ensures that you maintain long-term partnerships with alumni investors. By prioritizing data-driven stewardship and clear ROI, your future fundraising efforts will build a resilient foundation for generations to come.
Transforming Your Alumni Annual Fund for Sustainability
Transition alumni giving from transactional exchanges to sustainable investments. Discover how to rethink your alumni annual fund for long-term ROI here.
Brian Abernathy
July 10, 2026
12 minutes
Your university’s marketing strategies shape whether donors feel connected to you. They also determine whether a prospective student finds your institution when they start searching, or finds a competitor instead. Done well, they benefit both enrollment numbers and campaign totals. Because guess what? Advancement and admissions teams now compete for the same audience's attention, trust, and money, whether they've coordinated around that fact or not.
In this blog, we’ll go over the best marketing strategies for your university whether you're trying to improve brand awareness, grow donor participation, or get more out of your digital marketing efforts.
What is University Marketing and What's Driving it?
University marketing is the set of strategies used to attract new students, retain and engage alumni, and build relationships with donors and community stakeholders. It spans paid advertising, content, events, email, social media, and direct outreach.
Several forces are shaping how universities approach marketing right now. One of the main factors is in how students and donors find and evaluate universities is changing. A school's digital presence, its website, search ranking, social media, and reputation on review platforms all influence decisions and are questions frequently asked on AI tools.
Over 80% of students now use AI tools to research programs. They ask questions about costs, outcomes, and campus life. A university website that doesn't answer those questions effectively to help AI-assisted searches or feed Answer Engine Optimization gets skipped.
Generation Alpha in particular, who entered high school in fall 2024, grew up watching short-form videos and expect two-way conversations. They want to know what a degree leads to in more specific terms. In this case, personalized and outcome-focused communication works well with them.
For advancement teams, the same principle applies. Alumni and donors expect to feel like the institution knows who they are. When communications feel mass-produced, engagement drops, and donor participation follows.
Why University Marketing Matters More Than Ever
Advancement raised money. Marketing recruited students. For a long time, those were separate jobs with separate teams. But that separation is not so clear cut in 2026.
American colleges and universities received $61.5 billion in voluntary contributions in FY24, according to the CASE VSE report. That number grows at institutions that stay visible and credible all year round, and not just between campaigns.
Here's where the connection between marketing and fundraising becomes inevitable:
- Digital presence affects donor confidence because donors research institutions online before they give.
- Alumni expect personalized communication. Generic emails see lower engagement and higher unsubscribes.
- A university's reputation is influenced by its students, parents, faculty, and donors. This reputation has an impact on donor confidence.
- Brand awareness through digital channels keeps the institution visible in the gap between campaigns, so donors haven't gone cold by the next giving day. It also creates familiarity for new donors, which affects their confidence to give again.
- Digital channels give fundraising teams real data on what's driving engagement and gifts, so campaigns get progressively smarter.
Advancement, alumni relations, admissions, and communications share more goals than most universities acknowledge. When those teams coordinate around a shared consistent message, their work compounds. When they don't, they often compete for the same audience's attention with conflicting messages.
12 University Marketing Strategies for Modern Advancement Teams
These strategies focus on how advancement and alumni relations teams can use marketing to drive donor participation and deeper engagement.
1. Segment your audience
Sending the same appeal to a recent graduate, parents, and a major donor is a missed opportunity for all 3. Effective segmentation divides audiences by graduation year, geographic location, interest area, giving history, and engagement level. Start with what's already in your CRM, even basic segmentation will get you good results.
2. Personalize email outreach
Personalization today goes far beyond using someone's first name. It means referencing their class year, their program, or the cause they previously supported. Personalized email campaigns consistently outperform generic ones on click-through rates and on conversion to gifts.
3. Invest in video storytelling
Short-form video on TikTok and Instagram Reels generates the highest engagement rates among prospective students, who will be your future donors. It’s also an effective way to invite current students to be influencers or advocates for your campaign. On the other hand, longer-form impact videos work well for alumni and donor audiences. For example, showing how a scholarship changed a student's trajectory or how funding to a particular department helped keep an important program alive. Both formats outperform text-only content for emotional response and sharing.
4. Build a peer-to-peer fundraising program
Alumni give more when asked by people they know. Peer-to-peer campaigns, where engaged alumni solicit gifts from classmates and community members, have consistently raised more per campaign than institution-led appeals. They also extend reach into networks the advancement office can't access.
5. Use student and alumni-generated content
The less scripted and more user-generated your content is (while keeping the core message intact), the better. All audience segments are starting to prefer more organic content over polished scripts. Alumni sharing their own stories reinforces the value of an institution's network for current donors and giving-day prospects.
6. Run giving day campaigns with urgency mechanics
A giving day is a marketing campaign with a deadline. The urgency mechanics that make it work are the countdown timers, matching gift challenges, leaderboards, and other gamification elements on the fundraising page. They are the same tools any timed marketing campaign uses to drive action.
Thomas Aquinas College used this approach to achieve a 45% alumni donor participation rate, raising $142K+ from more than 650 donors.
7. Optimize for answer engines, not just search
New donors and alumni nowadays often use ChatGPT, Claude, and Google's AI Overview to research institutions and causes before they give. They ask questions like "what has [university] done with donations?". Answer Engine Optimization for AI-powered search tools is now as important as traditional SEO. So, if your institution's impact content, donor stories, and program outcomes aren't structured to answer those questions clearly, you won't appear in AI-generated responses. This means writing content that leads with specific answers: how gifts were used, what changed, and what outcomes were achieved.
8. Build a digital alumni engagement program
Mentorship platforms, alumni directories, job boards, and affinity group networks give alumni reasons to stay connected all year round and not just during fundraising campaigns. Engaged alumni are significantly more likely to donate than those with no ongoing relationship to the institution.
Illinois Tech generated 123,000+ engagement activities in a single month after rebuilding its digital engagement strategy with Almabase.
9. Prioritize content marketing
Blog posts, impact reports, case studies, and research-backed thought leadership serve multiple purposes: they improve SEO, build institutional credibility, and give advancement teams shareable material for donor outreach. Content that addresses what prospective new donors actually care about will work wonders over generic promotional material (for example: student outcomes, program impact, institutional stewardship content over generic giving day numbers)
10. Track attribution across the full donor journey
Which email led to which gift? Which event attendance correlated with a subsequent donation? What content on which platform led to the most amount of engagement? Advancement teams that track attribution across touchpoints can plan and allocate marketing budgets toward what works, and stop spending on what doesn't.
11. Make mobile-first the default
Most alumni and prospective donors open emails, visit giving pages, and register for events on their phones. Giving pages and event registration forms that aren't mobile-optimized see higher abandonment rates. Test the entire donor journey on a phone before every campaign launch.
12. Coordinate digital and traditional channels deliberately
Digital-only or mail-only campaigns never consistently outperform integrated approaches. A direct mail followed by a personalized email, or a social ad retargeting someone who visited your giving page but didn't donate, will outperform either channel working on its own. The next section covers the data.
Digital Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing for University Fundraising
According to the M+R Benchmarks 2026 report, direct mail revenue grew 9%, online giving revenue grew 15%, and email revenue grew 16% in 2025. Digital is growing faster, but direct mail is holding its own.
According to the same report, the average direct mail gift was $120. For every dollar raised online, nonprofits in the study raised $0.66 through direct mail. That's a channel that still drives real money and not one in decline, especially with donors who already know your institution.
But digital channels do bring different strengths to the table: lower costs, wider and more accurate targeting, real-time data, and the ability to reach alumni whose mailing addresses have long since changed.
The truth is, the right mix depends on your audience, budget, and your data quality. Older alumni tend to respond better to direct mail. Younger alumni and recent graduates engage more through digital. That's not a reason to run two separate campaigns. You can let channel selection be driven by the audience segment rather than what’s been the norm.
How to Create a University Marketing Strategy
Step 1: Define the goal
Generic goals like "Increase alumni engagement" are too broad to act on. Create clear and practical goals such as "Increase donor participation rate among alumni who graduated between 2015 and 2022 by 10% before our March giving day" which is actionable.
Here are some common goals you can include:
- Increasing applications or improving yield
- Growing brand awareness in target recruitment markets
- Increasing event attendance or registrations
- Re-engaging alumni who haven't interacted with the institution in over two years
- Promoting a new program or research initiative
- Increasing the number of first-time donors
Step 2: Identify the audience
Different audiences need different messages, channels, and timing. Know who you're talking to before you decide what to say or where to say it. Typical higher ed audiences usually include:
- High school and graduate students, and parents
- Transfer students
- International prospective students
- Recent active alumni and alumni with no giving history
- New donors and lapsed donors who haven't given in 2+ years
- Major gift prospects
- Faculty, staff, and community partners
Step 3: Define the message
Most universities lead with what they're proud of. Rankings, facilities, research output. But for some that might already be common knowledge and in any case, that's not always what your audience is there for.
A prospective student is curious about the costs involved, the campus life, and whether the degree will open doors for them. A donor wants to know if their last gift made a difference and if this one will too.
Build the message around what your audience is asking, not based on internal priorities or what your institution wants to say.
Step 4: Choose the right channels
Channel selection should always follow your audience and your goal, not over team familiarity. Ask yourself,
- “Where does this audience actually spend time?” “
- What format does this message need?”
- “What's the budget?”
- “Which channels give you measurable data for the outcomes you care about?”
A giving day campaign has vastly different channel needs than a graduate program recruitment campaign, and marketing is heavily dependent on choosing and making the most out of the right channels for each objective.
Step 5: Create content and campaign assets
Based on what we’ve already discussed above, you'll need a combination of:
- A landing page or giving page
- An email sequence (usually 3-5 emails for a fundraising campaign)
- Social media posts and ads: organic and paid
- A short video (for email, social, or the giving page itself)
- Blog content to support SEO and content marketing
- Event pages with clear registration flows
- Donor testimonials or impact stories
- FAQs addressing the most common points of confusion
Step 6: Launch, measure, and optimize
A smart team builds a measurement before launch. Set up A/B tests where volume permits and track which channels, subject lines, and messages are actually driving the outcomes important to you, not just opens and clicks, but registrations, gifts, and engagement activities.
Use your analytics tools during and after each campaign to review and carry the findings forward.
Your marketing strategy will continue to improve through several iterations. For longer campaigns, a team that collects data and iterates on the go tends to see better results.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in University Marketing
Here are some common pitfalls that you or your team may want to avoid while marketing your university.
1. Treating your audiences as a homogeneous group
A 23-year-old recent graduate and a 60-year-old major donor share almost nothing as an audience. Generic communications that try to speak to everyone end up reaching no one. Basic segmentation by graduation year and giving history alone will improve your campaign performance.
2. Running campaigns with no follow-ups in between
A lot of advancement teams pour everything into a giving day and then go quiet for months. Donors who give once and hear nothing back are less likely to give again. A newsletter, an alumni spotlight, an event invitation, or impact stories - low-pressure touchpoints between campaigns keep the relationship warm.
3. Optimizing for vanity metrics
High follower counts and strong open rates feel good. But they don't always translate to gifts. Track what actually matters: donor participation rates, year-over-year retention, cost per gift, and lifetime donor value. Track the entire journey, from first impression, to gift, to retention.
4. Writing about the institution instead of the donor's impact
Donors want to know their gift made an impact. Show them, specifically: "Our endowment grew by X%" tells a donor little to nothing. "Here's a student whose scholarship changed what was possible for her" tells donors their impact.
5. Neglecting the donor experience
A slow-loading giving page, a confusing registration process, or a broken confirmation email does more damage than a weak campaign. Donors who hit friction don't often come back. Walk through your own giving journey multiple times and fix on the go.
6. Letting channel preference override audience preference
Some teams default to direct mail because that's what they've always done. Others go fully digital because it's cheaper. Both channels work. The best results come from using them together and letting your audience segment guide you.
FAQs About University Marketing Strategies
How can universities improve brand awareness?
Give current students, recent alumni, and active donors moments and opportunities worth sharing, since organic awareness grows when people with a genuine connection to your institution talk about it publicly. Build on that momentum through consistent content marketing across every channel and paid social advertising in your target markets.
Is digital marketing better than traditional advertising for universities?
Neither of them win out categorically. Both channels work and the right balance changes from one institution to another. Most modern approaches use them together, as in a direct mail piece followed by a personalized email to the same person lets each touchpoint build on the last and reinforces your message.
What social media platforms should universities use for admissions?
For undergraduate programs, Instagram and TikTok see the highest engagement. RNL's 2025 research found that social media mattered most for 56% of students when they first started thinking about college, and students tend to follow college accounts for organic student life content, application information, and major-specific content. For graduate and professional programs, LinkedIn usually performs better. You’ll want to pick two or three that match your audience and invest in them.
How do you measure the ROI of university marketing campaigns?
Define what ROI means for each campaign first, because it changes with the goal. A giving day might be measured by total revenue raised, cost per gift, or donor participation rate, while admissions might look at applications per dollar spent or yield improvement. Track the full funnel rather than the single channel that drove traffic, asking which touchpoints in what sequence led to the outcome you wanted. UTM parameters reveal which email, ad, or post someone clicked, CRM attribution reporting shows which touchpoints led to a gift, and A/B testing tells you which subject lines, messages, and formats perform best.
University Marketing Strategies: 12 Proven Tactics for Higher Ed
Whether it is to attract admissions, donations, or simply to raise your institution's brand, university marketing plays a big role in your institution's engagement strategy.
Prajnya Yelamali
July 8, 2026
12 minutes
For decades now, fundraising galas have been at the forefront of philanthropic events, and with good reason. It’s a format that combines formality, cause and accessible fun very effortlessly.
The best part about a fundraising gala is that it doesn’t have to follow specific guidelines; you can customise it however you want according to your needs and your donors. It can include just about anything ranging from live entertainment, food, presentations to auctions and awards.
And that’s also why the distinctness of your particular gala is all the more important. We’ll take a look into how these events are planned, and some unique ideas that you can adopt to engage your donors.
Are Fundraising Galas Worth it in 2026?
Galas have been a philanthropy event mainstay for a long time now, but it begs the question of whether they still provide ROI or just function as a general networking event.
The data on this leans towards the former. Overall, in 2025, about 77% of organizations met or exceeded their fundraising goals. The ones that organized purely in-person events or mixed it up with virtual/hybrid events were the standout performers.
But there’s more. Here are a couple of interesting takeaways from the same study:
- Around 80% of organizations who incorporated in-person events met their fundraising goals.
- In contrast, almost half (46%) the nonprofits who skipped events altogether failed to meet their goals.
This gives us two important takeaways: one being that events in general continue to be a crucial part of philanthropy. Secondly, galas meet both the criteria of being an in-person event as well as an event that can incorporate virtual or hybrid events (or purely any of the three).
All that is to say that galas continue to meet the preferences of donors as well as the innovations of fundraising teams, giving us an easy answer to our question above: Yes, galas are definitely worth it in 2026 and will in all likelihood, continue to be in the foreseeable future.
Exploring the Impact of a Fundraising Gala
With events involving so much of spontaneous conversation, recreation, chance sign-ups, and curating experiences, it can be quite hard to see how extensive the benefits are and the areas they influence:
- Relationships with major gift prospects: Community building is an obvious benefit but more specifically, wealthy donors and philanthropists require multiple touchpoints, a lot of trust, and a relationship with not just your team, but the cause itself. All of which can be generated through fundraising galas.
- Increased awareness of your efforts and success: There’s no better way to share stories, heartwarming moments, and showcase your progress. Newsletters and blogs are fine, but not nearly as thought-provoking or emotional.
- Brand Visibility: Successful galas can attract new supporters. If people recognize the influence you’re able to have on your donors and beneficiaries as a brand, they are more likely to trust you.
- Multiple avenues for revenue: Donations aren’t the only support you’ll get. A fundraising gala offers so many more opportunities to contribute. You can generate revenue through ticket sales, selling merchandise, organizing fun workshops, and so much more.
How to Plan a Fundraising Gala
As you might know, a successful fundraising gala sometimes takes months and months of preparation. Coming up with plans and goals is easy enough, but with the amount of moving parts, keeping track of progress across all fronts can be confusing. The step-wise approach outlined below ensures you don’t leave any stones unturned.
1. Form Your Gala Planning Committee
Clearly define every team’s roles and responsibilities. A few key roles to include are:
- Event Chair
- Auction Chair
- Marketing Head
- Sponsorship Lead
- Volunteer Coordinator
- Treasurer/Finance Lead
It’s important to make sure you have enough event volunteers to pull the gala off without a hitch. You will inevitably need help with minor problems and logistics hurdles during the gala itself.
2. Set Clear and Actionable Fundraising Goals
Go through past event data to set a realistic goal. Refresh your lists and segments, check ticket sales from previous galas, and take into account all the revenue sources. The key here is to have goals centered around net revenue, not total cashflow. Setting goals using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) can help a lot.
3. Decide the Total Budget
Getting this right is crucial, as your fundraising goals are directly dependent on the gala budget. Be as extensive as you can, and categorize expenses to track them better. Separate fixed costs (like venue, catering) from variable costs (merch, printing, staff) and compare it against projected revenue from all the different sources like tickets, donations, and auctions. If your expenses are greater than the potential earnings, reduce costs wherever possible without taking away from the core experience itself.
4. Choose your Date, Venue, and Theme
You don’t really have restrictions as fundraising galas can be held at any time of the year. So decide the date and venue based on your donors’ availability and proximity. You can gauge this through surveys/forms or analyzing participation data from previous events.
Depending on projected footfall, choose a venue that has enough space to comfortably accommodate everyone. Before you book it though, gather information on AV capabilities, official capacity, catering conditions, and Wi-Fi speed. Visit the venue in person and take note of power sources, layout, and parking as well. Evaluate the venue based on the participant’s convenience.
5. Decide Ticket Prices
A good way to land on a feasible ticket price is to work backwards from the total cost of hosting the gala. A simple yet useful formula for calculating ticket prices is as follows:
(Total event cost + fundraising goal) / paid attendees = minimum ticket price
On average, gala tickets are usually in the $100 - $250 range. Of course, you also have to account for platform fees if you’re using ticket management software.
There’s really no need for all tickets to be the same price. There are also options like the pay-what-you-want model if you want to provide more flexibility to your attendees. Introduce tiered prices offering different perks. Give discounts to families, students, etc. Early-bird offers are actually great to get some initial ticket sales and momentum going.
6. Arranging the Program and Speakers
Identify your event host early. Finding a good orator who is familiar with your organization, and does a good job of engaging the crowd, can take time. Create an inventory tracker and source equipment for entertainment (speakers, lights, stage props and the like).
If you’re running a live auction, then contact and book an auctioneer a few months before the event. Set procurement targets for auction items and include 3 or 4 premium ‘big-money’ items that bidders will contest over (like unique art, travel packages, etc.)
Prepare a full-fledged agenda for attendees to refer to and for you to plan around with.
7. Secure Sponsors and Form Partnerships
Getting the right sponsor can not only reduce expenses, but also add to your marketing efforts. Depending on the scale of your gala, choose between local businesses and corporate sponsors. Having a company whose mission aligns with yours (creating affordable health-monitoring devices, for example) can provide a big boost in trust.
Have a tiered system for sponsorships, and clearly outline the different levels of visibility and recognition that your sponsors get like social media shoutouts, speaking slots, banners, and so on.
8. Promotion and Marketing
After you have your list of prospects, promote your gala in as many channels as you can. This means multiple teams with their own responsibilities. You’ll have to create email sequences, a social media post schedule, landing pages on your website, and visual media like billboards and posters. Marketing starts months before the gala. Start off by providing sneak peeks, and gradually reveal details as the event draws closer. Building anticipation takes time.
For your more affluent donors, send out personalized invites through their preferred mode of communication.
9. Set Up Registration Workflows
Open registration around the same time you send out invites. Collect key information such as meal preferences, payment methods, and additional guests to ensure a smooth experience during the gala. Save-the-date emails can be sent a couple of months prior.
Your registration process should only ask for necessary information and should be fairly easy to complete. As the event date approaches, send targeted reminders to certain segments.
Fundraising Gala Ideas
Fundraising galas are heavily customizable, making it easy for you to incorporate themes and programs catered to your organization and its donors. Here are a few gala ideas that can create fun, memorable experiences that inspire your donors to contribute.
1. Silent Auction + Cocktail Party
Silent auctions can be a great alternative to conventional ones as they don’t involve crowding, too much competition, or loud announcements. You’ll have to decide on a bidding app and pay a lot of attention to how the items are presented, but it is well worth the effort.
Combined with a cocktail party, this creates a really nice environment for interesting conversations, some friendly competition, and generates good interest for items in the auction. Attendees can bid at their convenience without the stress of time running out or the pressure of matching someone else’s amount on the spot.
2. Casino Night Gala
This one changes the energy of the room entirely. Instead of a seated program with a single fundraising moment, guests rotate between blackjack tables, roulette, and poker throughout the evening, with chips that convert to charitable contributions at the end.
It's also one of the easier formats to get sponsors involved with. Each table can be presented by a different sponsor, giving them more visibility without cramping the experience. You could layer it with a James Bond or Las Vegas theme, but it’s entirely optional, the format holds up even without the extra theatrics.
Note: Check your local regulations on charity gaming events before you start planning as the rules vary quite a bit by state.
3. Live Art Auction
Commission local artists to create work live during the event. Guests watch the pieces come together over the course of the evening, and it goes up for auction towards the end of the night when emotional investment is at its peak.
It works particularly well because it gives people something to gather around and talk about, rather than just passive participation. Art is an important subject of interest for a lot of wealthy donors. But do keep in mind that the work should be compelling enough that guests actually want it, not just feel obligated to bid. Vetting the artists beforehand is not something to skip over.
4. Masquerade or Themed Gala
A strong theme does something a generic gala dinner can't – it gives guests a reason to get excited before the event even starts. A masquerade or a black and white affair creates a strong visual identity perfectly suited for social media. They’re also extremely conversation friendly, with plenty of compliments and ice-breakers being thrown around.
The key is committing to it properly. Half-hearted theming, like placing a few props in a standard hotel ballroom can sour things. The decor, music, dress code, and even the menu should all ideally have the same aesthetic. For healthcare organizations especially, a well executed theme can shift the tone away from the clinical and toward something your donors look forward to all year.
If you’re stuck on deciding a theme or are looking for some inspiration, check out this list by the American Fundraising Association.
How Almabase Helps Teams Run Successful Fundraising Galas
Keeping track of outreach sequences, responses, and registrations while simultaneously planning for event logistics can end up being messy and stressful. Almabase gets some weight off your shoulders by bringing together engagement, giving, and event planning under one roof.
Especially with a gala involving auctions and sponsorships, you’ll need varying registration forms and workflows. With the built-in event builder module you don’t have to worry about losing track of different groups of attendees and the relevant forms. Almabase can also accommodate complex tiered ticketing structures, which you will need to tackle for a large fundraising gala with multiple sub-events.
With Emily AI, you don’t have to take painstaking effort to manually personalize outreach for every segment of attendees. The context-aware AI drafts subject lines and event emails which you can further tweak to your liking.
During the gala itself, ground operations can be hard to manage even with enough volunteers. QR check-ins, payments, and on-site registrations are all automatically synced to your CRM when using Almabase. Additionally, seating assignments and name tags are easy to arrange.
As for tracking and collecting event data, you can do away with spreadsheets (well, most of them). Almabase lets you see registrations, revenue, attendance, and engagement data all at the same place. If you’re selling merch, tracking order count ensures that you’re prepared with just the right amount of stock next time around.
Wrapping Up
Fundraising galas inject some much needed spectacle and celebration when it comes to giving. They’ve been a mainstay in philanthropy for many decades, and will continue being so long into the future. Hopefully, you’ve gained some helpful pointers in planning one of your own and drawing people to your cause.
If you’re on the lookout for tools that could help your team and wish to learn more about Almabase, we’d suggest booking a personalized demo. Happy planning!
How To Plan a Fundraising Gala + Gala Ideas
The perfect blog for planning your next fundraising gala. We go over the essential steps to planning your next fundraising gala as well as creative ideas you can use.
Hari Govind
July 7, 2026
12 minutes
In honor of Black History Month, we spent time researching some incredible leaders from the Black community, who have made an indelible impact in the world of Alumni Relations and Development. We wanted to do something special by creating a podium to showcase the remarkable achievements of some of these powerful leaders.
But this was no easy feat - while conducting our research online, we discovered so many amazing leaders whose achievements are a shining beacon to professionals in the industry. In our endeavor, we also reached out to our network to see if they have any recommendations on whom we can showcase. We were truly grateful to everyone who reached out to us.
After weeks of brainstorming and thorough research, it is entirely possible that a few great leaders who don’t have an online presence might have skipped our purview. If you feel like this is the case, we would love to hear your recommendations.
Before we dive in, we would like to say that this article is by no means a ranking or a tier list of any sorts. Instead, this is our attempt at shining the spotlight on some amazing leaders that we have had the opportunity to interact with and/or learn from.
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With that being said, here are 12 alumni leaders from the Black community that are making an impact in alumni relations and advancement.
Montique Cotton Kelly
Montique Cotton Kelly, or “Mo”, as she is referred to by her colleagues, friends, and family, has over 24 years of experience in university advancement. With her exceptional leadership and relationship-building skills, she has cemented her name in the industry as one of the all-time greats.
Mo currently serves as VP of Alumni Relations, Marketing and Communications and Annual Giving at UConn Foundation, but that’s not all she is known for. She is also an active member of the Council for Alumni Association Executives (CAAE) and currently sits on the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE) District 1 Board. Mo wishes to make UConn an inclusive organization, and hopes that someday, they become one of the best institutions in the country.
Bishop Alexander
Connect with Bishop on LinkedIn
Bishop Alexander currently serves as the Director of Alumni Relations at the University of North Alabama (UNA), which also happens to be his alma mater. His role involves facilitating positive communication and building meaningful relationships among the university’s 60,000-plus constituents. Prior to his role at the University, Bishop was a Congressional aide for the United States House of Representatives.
Bishop has two noteworthy awards under his wing: the University Fraternity/Sorority Advisor of the Year (which was awarded to him in 2015 by UNA), and the UNA Promising Alumni Award (which was awarded to him in 2008 when he was a student). Recently, Bishop also featured as a speaker for Unity programs at both the Fulton and Tupelo campuses, in honor of Black History Month.
Yolanda F. Johnson
Connect with Yolanda on LinkedIn
Yolanda is an experienced fundraising and special events consultant, who has over two decades of experience working in the non-profit sector. She currently serves as the President at YFJ Consulting, an LLC that provides non-profit organizations expertise in fundraising, special events and philanthropic counsel. She is also the founder of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC), a membership organization that champions women of color in fundraising, philanthropy, and other related fields. Additionally, Yolanda also founded the Allies in Action Membership Network, which helps support and train allies in the fight for racial equity.
Having raised millions of dollars for various nonprofit organizations, one of her crowing achievements include being the first African-American president-elect in the 40-year history of Women in Development, NY (one of the NY Metro Area's premier professional fundraising organizations). Yolanda is also an active lyric Soprano. She has performed at various operas and concerts, both at a national as well as an international level.
Ralph Amos
Connect with Ralph on LinkedIn
Ralph Amos, who currently serves as the AVP of Alumni Relations, as well as the Executive Director at Caltech Alumni Association, has over 25 years of experience specializing in alumni and donor engagement. As part of his role at Caltech, Ralph works towards fostering relationships with Caltech's 24,000-plus living alumni, scattered across the world.
Ralph has been a member of CASE's Committee on Opportunity and Equity and Commission on Alumni Relations. He is also a recipient of CASE's Crystal Apple Award for Teaching Excellence. Additionally, Ralph serves as a member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship Advisory Board.
Birgit Smith Burton
Connect with Birgit on LinkedIn
Throughout her 30-year long career with the United Negro College Fund and Georgia Institute of Technology, Birgit Smith Burton has helped raise more than $500 million, making her a renowned leader in the fundraising profession. Currently the Executive Director of Foundation Relations at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Birgit led her team in raising $309 million toward the institute's most recent and successful $1.8 billion capital campaign. Birgit has penned numerous articles on diversity in the fundraising profession, and has also co-authored the book The Philanthropic Covenant with Black America.
Birgit serves on the boards of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the A.E. Lowe Grice Scholarship Fund, and Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. She is also the founding chair of the African American Development Officers (AADO) network, which for 17 years, has supported diversity in the fundraising profession.
Correan Barker
Connect with Correan on LinkedIn
Correan, who is currently the Associate Director of Events, Alumni, and Donor Relations at The Evergreen State College, is an experienced nonprofit and Institutional Advancement professional who specializes in special events, alumni relations, and donor communications. Recently, he successfully led his Advancement division in growing support for their annual scholarship fundraiser by more than $150,000 over the last three years, and unified all Advancement events under a singular program. Correan is also a musician, and has earned a BM in classical clarinet performance from the University of Houston.
Correan has a unique approach to Evergreen’s programming, and we can’t wait to cover some of his amazing ideas in the future editions of Almabase Spotlights, so stay tuned!
Timothy Minor
Having worked in institutional advancement with various institutions for the last 26 years, Tim Minor currently serves as the Vice President for University Advancement at the University of North Carolina. Tim is in charge of administrative direction and support for external funding within the UNC multi-campus university, which includes all 17 of North Carolina's public institutions. While working with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he played an integral part in the University’s $500 million Bicentennial Campaign and the university’s largest campaign, the $2.3 billion Carolina First Campaign.
Tim serves on the board for the Chatham County Education Foundation. He has also served as a member of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History Board at the UNC Chapel Hill for several years.
LaDaniel Gatling II
Connect with LaDaniel on LinkedIn
LaDaniel, who has over 20 years of experience in institutional advancement, currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Bennett College, a private historically black liberal arts college for women in Greensboro, North Carolina. His areas of expertise include financial advising, philanthropic management, and fundraising. Prior to his role at Bennett College, LaDaniel was the Director of Development for constituent programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During his time there, he played an integral part in developing effective strategies to increase major donor activity and grow the prospect base to support a $4.25 billion comprehensive campaign.
One of LaDaniel’s recent achievements include being featured as a part of the CASE’s 2020 District III Faculty Stars.
Scott Francis
Connect with Scott on LinkedIn
Scott Francis currently serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor and President at the East Carolina University Alumni Association. With over 20 years of experience working with various educational institutions, Scott’s current role involves serving the interests of nearly 170,000 constituents of the University. He leads the association’s dedicated staff and volunteers, and provides direction on the association’s many programs and their component parts. He is committed to developing and executing programs and initiatives that transform the experience of constituents.
In his previous role at the University of Florida Alumni Association, he served as the Director of Gator Clubs and Affiliate Groups. During his tenure there, he was responsible for the support, training, direction, and stewardship of 95 Gator Clubs and six affiliate groups, representing over 422,000 alumni.
Karen E. Osborne
Connect with Karen on LinkedIn
With over 42 years of professional experience, Karen E. Osborne is an experienced frontline fundraiser, staff and board trainer, speaker, and consultant for nonprofits. She is the Co-Founder of and Senior Strategist at The Osborne Group, a full service management, consulting and training firm for non-profit organizations. She is a strong believer in the power of philanthropy and nonprofits. Karen was the recipient of the Crystal Apple for Outstanding Teaching and Public Speaking by CASE. She was also awarded the Ashmore Award for Outstanding Service to the Profession in 2014 by CASE.
Besides being an eminent leader in the nonprofit space, Karen is also a published author. Her debut novel, Getting It Right, was published in 2017. She is currently working on her next novel, Tangled Lies, which will hit bookshelves later this year.
Shalonda Martin
Connect with Shalonda on LinkedIn
Shalonda Martin is the Senior Director of Data Integrity at the University of Southern California. She has over 18 years of professional experience, and her specialties include organizational development, data integrity, leadership, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion). Additionally, she is the founder of Shalonda Martin Coaching and Consulting, where she provides career and executive leadership coaching and consulting services.
Shalonda serves as a member of the programming committee for the Association for Advancement Services Professionals (AASP). She is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, and creating work environments that embrace an anti-racist culture.
Garvin Maffett
Connect with Garvin on LinkedIn
Dr. Garvin Maffett, who is currently an independent consultant, has over 18 years of experience working with various educational institutions in the field of higher education philanthropy and advancement. While he was serving as Vice President for Institutional Advancement and College Relations at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Dr. Maffett directed and implemented strategies that helped the college surpass its campaign goal of $125 million. As the Associate Director of Leadership and Major Gifts at Yale University, he oversaw the development program and planning of the University’s comprehensive $1.5 billion campaign.
Dr. Maffett is the Founder of CFRE International Network on LinkedIn, which is the most active professional platform of Certified Fund Raising Executives online with 6,298 members from 20 countries.
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That wraps up our article that highlights some incredible leaders and their achievements. These leaders have been a significant and continuous source of inspiration for us at Almabase. It was a pleasure to learn about the stories of so many professionals in our industry - even those that we were unable to feature here.
Though we tried to be as comprehensive as possible with our research, it is still possible for us to have omitted someone who deserves to be featured here. If you think we left someone out, feel free to let us know - we strive to showcase the work of as many deserving people as possible.
12 Black Alumni Leaders Making an Impact
Take a look at the achievements of some amazing leaders from the Black community who have made an indelible impact in the world of Alumni Relations and Development.
Fundraising
As we dive into 2021, alumni relations teams across institutions are gearing up to upgrade their programming for the year ahead.
However, the stakes for this year are high – alumni relations professionals cannot rely on a set of strategies that have worked for them in the past. Thanks to the new normal they find themselves in, institutions need to come up with an alternate plan of action that will help them succeed.
With the industry constantly evolving during these testing times, we understand the need for you to be on top of the latest trends and best practices. As you navigate this new normal, we bring to you top industry experts on LinkedIn who can help you find new strategies and get closer to your alumni engagement goals. These top 15 Alumni Relations leaders are helping revolutionize the alumni relations landscape with their valuable insights and thought leadership.
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Without further ado, here are our top 15 Alumni Relations Leaders to follow in 2021, in no particular order.
1) Jay Le Roux Dillon, Ed.D.
Dr. Jay Dillon has over 17 years of experience in alumni advancement in higher education. He is a skilled alumni strategist with expertise in alumni relations management, fundraising, and donor engagement. He has collaborated with renowned advancement professionals for multiple podcasts that are available on his website.
Jay founded the Alumni Identity Fundraising Consultants in March 2018, a consultancy that helps educational institutions accelerate philanthropy and improve fundraising outcomes. He is presently serving as the Executive Director of Alumni Relations at The University of California, Berkeley.
Here are some of our favorite picks from Jay’s library of resources on LinkedIn:
1. Is Fundraising more Science or Art? The results are in.
2. Donor Demographics are the Enemy of Equity.
2) Ryan Catherwood
Ryan Catherwood is currently the Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Career Services at The Longwood University in Virginia. He has hosted numerous podcasts on alumni management and advancement. His podcast series, Advancement Legends, features 36 episodes specifically aimed at alumni engagement and fundraising professionals in educational advancement.
Ryan was the former host of Advancement Live, a part of Higher Ed Live (a network of professional development web shows and podcasts) which aired over 30 live episodes covering topics like digital engagement, reunions, and donor relations.
Ryan also specializes in digital marketing, public relations, content management, and community building, in addition to alumni relations management.
Some of Ryan’s resources on LinkedIn you might enjoy reading:
1. For alumni and donor engagement pros, asking questions is the answer
2. What's next for alumni and donor engagement post COVID-19 crisis?
3) Don Philabaum
If you are looking for ideas to improve the impact of career services at your institution, then Don Philabaum is someone you should definitely follow on LinkedIn.
Don is the President and CEO of Talentmarks, a company that specializes in career and professional development programming for students, grads, and alumni. He has vast experience helping students find their career paths after graduation.
Don has authored six wonderful books. We highly recommend ‘Change It!: Create A Career Centered College Culture’ for colleges focused on becoming more career-centric.
Some of our favorite resources by Don:
1. What Should Your Alma Mater Focus On? Friend Raising or Career Raising?
2. What Do Alumni REALLY Want From Their Alma Mater?
4) Mark W. Jones, J.D.
Mark W. Jones, who is currently the Principal and Founder of Flywheel Strategies, has nearly three decades of experience working in frontline fundraising and communication for higher education. He has worked at various leadership levels across different institutions, including serving as Chief Advancement Officer at four leading liberal arts institutions.
Mark’s experienced insights, teaching, and writing have cemented him as a thought leader in the philanthropic advancement field. He has abundant experience working with institutions in unlocking their philanthropic potential through strategic training plans. While working as the leader of Flywheel Strategies, Mark has helped over 20 schools and non-profit organizations with his consultation, facilitation, and coaching services.
Mark regularly writes resources on fundraising strategies, alumni engagement, and talent development. He is also the owner of the Higher Education Advancement Professionals (HEAP) group on LinkedIn.
A few recommendations from Mark’s resource library on LinkedIn:
1. Time + Training = The Two Keys to Sustained Fundraising Success
2. A Checklist: 11 Ways to Train and Develop Your Staff from Day 1
5) Maria L Gallo
Maria is the Founder & Principal of KITE - Keep In Touch Education, a consultancy that is at the forefront of research and thought leadership in alumni relations, trends, and engagement.
With over 20 years of experience working in various leadership roles in higher education and advancement, Maria brings expert insights and unique perspectives to the table through her resources. Besides having an active research portfolio, Maria also has several peer-reviewed academic journal publications in alumni relationships and philanthropy.
Through her publications, Maria expresses her strong belief in the power alumni networks possess. She also featured in a TEDx Talk in 2018 where she spoke about how one can make the most out of alumni networks.
Here are some of our recommendations from Maria’s LinkedIn library:
1. Orchestrating Alumni Serendipity: Masterminding Alumni Relations of the Future
6) Jon Horowitz
Jon Horowitz has more than 15 years of experience in alumni and constituent relations, communications, and fundraising. He currently works as the Director of Market Research & Impact Insights for Advancement at Dartmouth College. He also hosts Advancement Live, a part of the Higher Ed Live network.
Jon is driven by the belief that the marriage of engagement analytics with a contextual understanding of constituent experiences and interests can yield powerfully dynamic intelligence about alumni and donors which, in turn, can drive advancement strategy that can profoundly transform their sentiment and involvement.
Before working as a director at Dartmouth College, he headed his consulting firm that focused on digital strategies for higher education advancement and engagement. He has previously also been acquainted with Princeton University and Rutgers University in implementing digital alumni engagement strategies.
Our top picks from Jon’s resources:
1. The Best Habits for Successful Digital Alumni Engagement
2. The Best Habits for Successful Digital Alumni Engagement, Part 2
3. The Best Habits for Successful Digital Alumni Engagement, Part 3
7) Duane Wiles
Duane, who currently serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has 22 years of experience working in leadership roles in various institutions across the country. One of his numerous accomplishments include being named by Legacy Magazine Miami as one of South Florida’s 50 most powerful, influential black professionals.
Duane is an active board member of the Council of Alumni Association Executives (CAAE), and the organizations led by Wiles have received more than 10 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awards of excellence. He has also made contributions to resources on CASE.
Besides his experience in the industry, Duane was also a former football player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Here are some of the resources we loved from Duane’s LinkedIn library:
1. The evolution of virtual volunteering
2. Alumni chapters get creative throughout the pandemic
8) Jason Lewis
If you are looking for expert tips and guidance on how to effectively raise funds for your campaign, then Jason Lewis is someone you should watch out for.
Jason is the founder of Responsive Fundraising, a management consultancy that helps non-profit leaders find meaningful and sustainable ways of raising funds for their campaigns. His book titled ‘The War For Fundraising Talent: And How Small Shops Can Win’, is an amazing resource for small organizations aiming to fundraise better.
Jason hosts The Fundraising Talent Podcast, a 100-episode series that deals with the latest trends in fundraising
Here are some of our top picks from Jason’s resources:
1. The Decisions Our Donors Are Making, Part 1
2. The Decisions Our Donors Are Making, Part 2
9) Lyndsey Crum
Lyndsey, who has over 15 years of experience in university advancement, currently serves as the AVP for Alumni Relations at her alma mater. She has also served as an advancement leader at the University of Denver and the University of Colorado.
She has worked in raising philanthropic support for educational advancement and also drove public relations and marketing efforts to boost the relevance and impact of higher education.
One of Lyndsey’s driving force is to work towards building a global network of alumni volunteers, donors, advocates, and friends to raise the bar for educational success and career outcomes of current and future students.
Our top picks from what Lyndsey has shared on LinkedIn:
2. Making the Most of LinkedIn
10) Andrew Shaindlin
Andrew is a non-profit leader with over 3 decades of international experience in alumni engagement, communications, and fundraising.
Currently the Vice President for Alumni Relations at Brown University, he specializes in strategies for community-driven organizations and coaches education professionals on career success.
He is also a frequent international speaker and author on topics related to global non-profit strategies.
Our recommendations from Andrew’s library of resources that you might like:
1. Alumni Relations in the COVID Era
2. Democratizing Alumni Relations: The Shifting Balance in Engagement
11) Kathleen Loehr
Kathleen, who is currently the Principal at Kathleen Loehr LLC, has more than 35 years of experience working with university and nonprofit leaders as an advisor. Using her knowledge and expertise, she works with leaders who want to create a sustainable model of fundraising for non-profit organizations.
What makes Kathleen stand out as a leader is her impact on modern philanthropy, which puts the focus on women and their growing contributions. Her book, titled Gender Matters: A Guide to Growing Women’s Philanthropy, provides a detailed analysis of how women have taken the center stage in fundraising and also provides actionable insights for fundraising leaders to follow.
Kathleen’s women-centric philanthropy expertise comes from her experience in working with universities and nonprofit organizations to more deeply engage women donors.
What stood out for us among Kathleen’s resources:
1. As Women Surge in Leadership and Philanthropy, Are They Among Your Top Fundraising Priorities?
2. A Broader Definition of Philanthropy by Women
12) Christopher Vlahos
Christopher Vlahos is the Principal & Owner of Chris Vlahos Alumni Engagement Consulting LLC, a consultancy that helps institutions become more effective at alumni engagement. He is the author of multiple blogs and articles, most notably his work on the link between alumni engagement and fundraising.
Christopher’s experience and work are characterized by his emphasis on ‘purposeful alumni engagement’ - a metrics-based concept for institutional advancement that utilizes insight, strategy, and experience.
Heis a founding member of the Council for Alumni Membership & Marketing Professionals (CAMMP), a network of 450+ individuals committed to the needs of membership and marketing programs in alumni relations. Besides being an integral part of CAMMP, he has also maintained a long affiliation with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Some of Christopher’s resources on LinkedIn you might like:
1. The 12 Characteristics of a High Performing Alumni Relations Office
2. Alumni Engagement Strategic Planning: A Necessary Normal
13) Lynne Wester
Lynne Wester is a well-known personality in the field of donor engagement and alumni relations. She is the Principal and Founder of Donor Relations Guru, a consultancy that helps non-profit organizations unlock their true potential for fundraising and donor retention. She strongly believes that donor relations hold the key to exceptional fundraising results.
Lynne has helped top institutions in the country with alumni relations and management for over 16 years. She has authored numerous resources that help non-profit organizations and institutions improve their donor retention and engagement.
Here are some must-read resources from Lynne’s extensive library:
2. What you can do for your donors and others in Times of Crisis: COVID-19 Edition
14) Louis Diez
Louis Diez, who is currently the Executive Director of Annual Giving at Muhlenberg College, has 8+ years of experience working as a fundraising professional for various educational institutions. He is also the Principal of MarktLab, a non-profit management organization.
Louis is an expert at annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies. He runs the Donor Participation Project, a group of fundraising professionals who take an active interest in the national decline in donor participation.
Some of the resources Louis has written that we recommend:
1. Helpful articles for alumni relation professionals
2. How fundraising should be approached
15) A Philanda Moore
A. Philanda (A.P.) Moore has served as the Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement at the University of Oregon for nearly 3 years. In his role, he serves as the point of contact for minority, special interest, and professional alumni constituency groups in the university.
Recently, A.P. served as a panelist in a webinar that featured noteworthy leaders from the industry. The panel, titled ‘Alumni Relations & Diverse Populations - Reframing Engagement Towards Equity & Inclusion’, was a platform for him and other leaders to discuss how social science research has impacted the engagement of diverse graduates, and how advancement can be more inclusive.
Our top picks from A.P.’s resources shared on LinkedIn:
1. Can colleges be saved in the COVID era?
2. The Coming disruption to colleges
That about wraps up our list of the top alumni relations leaders you should follow on LinkedIn.
We are immensely grateful for the overwhelming response that we received for this article. A special shout-out to all the advancement leaders for all the inspiration and support:
Institutions will need to bring their A-game to stay on top of their goals for alumni engagement and advancement in 2021. We hope the resources shared by these experts can bring you greater success this year and beyond!
15 Alumni Relations Leaders You Should Follow on LinkedIn
As you navigate the new normal in 2021, here's our pick of the top 15 Alumni Relations Thought Leaders that you must follow to stay updated about the latest alumni relations trends & best practices.
Alumni Engagement
Kalyan Varma
January 18, 2021
12 minutes
The past five or so years changed the landscape of innumerable things around us, and alumni relations was no exception. Existing boundaries were pushed, which resulted in new virtual methods emerging to resolve the challenges that the pandemic brought about.
While alumni engagement in 2022 looked promising as many institutions open up their campuses with adequate restrictions, the alumni relations landscape is currently undergoing a tremendous transformation.
Traditional alumni engagement metrics like event attendance and in-person fundraisers can no longer be relied upon entirely. Ever since the pandemic, schools, colleges, and universities have taken a step back and plan their programming in accordance with the ‘new normal’ and have continued to innovate and look for flexible solutions.
As you start planning your strategy for the year, here are five alumni engagement ideas you don’t want to miss out on.
1. Start your year with a small meet-and-greet
The pandemic had everyone bottled up inside their homes for far too long. While you can’t go all out and invite all your alumni to campus every time, you can start the year with small meet-and-greets across various cities around the country, with the help of your local volunteers and chapters. We suggest creating proper guidelines, which can help the volunteers organize these events to increase engagement and guarantee a good time for everyone involved. These small-scale events can be a refreshing break from the webinars and large-scale fundraisers often attended by your alumni and students alike. This is also a great opportunity to help your alumni meet peers in and around their area, creating strong bonds within the alumni community.
Today, it is essential to find the right balance between online and offline events that stay relevant and useful for the near future.
2. Give the mic to your alumni
Your alumni programming should be centered on your alumni. Regularly collect feedback and ask your alumni what they’d love to see. Open yourself to ideas beyond events and fundraising campaigns, when you ask for suggestions. An easy way to do this would be to send out questionnaires to your alumni via email or conduct polls on social media. Whether it is an online networking fair to promote interaction between alumni or a virtual dance party: you could be surprised at the innovative suggestions you might get from your alumni.
The best way to encourage alumni to share their suggestions is by providing lucrative incentives. An e-gift card or a small memento from their time at college could be a great motivation for your alumni to participate.
West Virginia Wesleyan College conducted a survey to ensure the opinions of their alumni are heard and taken into consideration while planning the virtual homecoming for the class of 2015.
3. Think fundraising, think out-of-the-box
Fundraisers continue to be a mainstay for any alumni relations program. Along with aiding important causes, turn your fundraisers into fun and festive affairs. Drive competition amongst alumni, students, and faculty members by setting challenges to unlock new milestones. To make it more engaging, conduct a poll with some challenges for alumni to choose from! Have a look at Calvert Hall College High School’s out-of-the-box challenge at their 5th Annual All Day Hall Day.
4. Organize Professional Networking Events
Ever since the pandemic forced forced furloughs and small alumni businesses to shut down, professional networking events such as job fairs and virtual conferences slowly became an integral part of alumni programming. After all, there is no better way to build strong relationships with your alumni than helping them power through when they need you the most.
Speaking of those hit the worst by the pandemic, one cannot overlook the Class of 2020, 2021, and 2022. These young graduates are looking at a potentially rough start to their careers even in 2024 as the economic situation and job market continues to prove hard to navigate. Your alumni network is a valuable source of opportunities for these new graduates looking for internships and jobs. Organizing virtual networking events can help facilitate job shadowing services, and serve as a major boost towards career development and discovery, helping students find their field of interest and get hands-on experience.
5. Up your social media game
Social media has undeniably become the most powerful tool for communication, particularly in the last few years. A strong social media presence is not only advisable but almost necessary to keep your alumni engaged. While young alumni are turning towards more instant modes of communication, your regular mail in their inbox can go unnoticed. Start a trend to share a memorable moment from their college years with a hashtag on your handles, post a picture from their graduation days, the ideas are unlimited!
Here is an idea to try: Invite your alumni to write open letters of support to your current students. As your students feel fatigued with online classes, assignments, and exams, and struggle to find internships and jobs, letters from their favorite alumni can help put a much-needed smile on their faces.
While the pandemic brought along its own set of challenges, it also provided us with ample room for trying out new ideas. Traditionally, it would have been harder to implement these new ideas, especially with the pre-existing programs giving us fairly good results. But we have learned valuable lessons from both the pandemic and the post-pandemic situation, and as the alumni relations keeps evolving, the best time to experiment with your alumni programs is now.
5 Ways To Level-up Your Alumni Relations Program
Alumni engagement in 2024 looks promising with institutions learning from lessons of the past few years. Here are five alumni engagement ideas you can leverage.
Alumni Engagement
As a fundraising professional, you understand the importance of building relationships with your valuable donors. They’re the ones who provide the funding that make it possible to provide new opportunities for students and alumni. Therefore, building relationships with them secures support both now and in the future for these fundraising programs to continue taking place.
Considering the disruptions that everyone experienced (and continues experiencing) during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the industry has evolved since then, your relationships with many donors might appear to be volatile or different. When everyone changed up their strategies to incorporate the latest trends in engagement, some strategic aspects undoubtedly fell through the cracks.
We recommend taking your approach back to the basics of engagement and donor relationships this coming year. Revisit some tried-and-true ideas that have been proven time and time again to bolster relationships with your supporters. After all, these are the strategies that are most often forgotten when we embrace new methods and change up our approach to relationships.
The tips we’re covering in this article are ones that you may have seen before. However, they’re immensely important to maintain throughout the hubbub and chaos of the year. Without further ado, let’s dive deeper into these important and timeless strategies to help take your donor relationships to the next level.
For students, alumni, and donors, it’s painfully obvious when you send out emails or other communications that do not employ segmentation or other personalization strategies. Everything from a “To whom it may concern” introduction to the lack of personal details in the message makes it clear that you sent the same message to everyone on your email list.
Generic, impersonalized outreach is the easiest to ignore and causes the downfall of many marketing programs. See how institutions such as Gann Academy increased alumni email open rates by personalizing their email campaigns.
When it comes to your donors, you should include the same personalization strategies for outreach.
The easiest way to start making the most of personalization is to use the same approach as Gann Academy: start with your email campaigns. Use the information in your donor database to fill in some gaps and to show your supporters that the message you’re sending is customized just for them. You can do this by:
- Using the donor’s preferred name in the introduction.
- Including details about the supporters’ engagement history.
- Approaching specific segments of donors with targeted messages.
- Sending messages relevant to the interests of the donor.
When you have access to an effective donor database, a lot of this information can be automated to save you time and energy in sending these highly targeted messages. This effective donor database buyer’s guide explains that automation features, when used correctly, can make personalization more effective and efficient.
Your database can be used to auto-populate details into message templates and ensure you reach the right audience segments in your communications to enhance donor engagement.
Building relationships is impossible if it’s a one-sided effort. Your institution needs to not only work to communicate and show your donors that you care, you need to invite them to engage back with you by providing ample opportunities.
Since COVID-19, engaging opportunities look a little different than they have in the past. To create engaging opportunities amidst of a pandemic, many institutions had to adhere to social distancing guidelines by coming up with new virtual event ideas.
We’ve come up with a list of our favorite virtual fundraising ideas that any educational institution, nonprofit, or other organization can make use of. While you can find the full list here, we’ll highlight some of the options below:
- Online Gala - This is a great opportunity to encourage your major donors to get dressed up and network with one another using virtual conferencing software.
- TED Talk Events - Encourage your donors while enforcing your emphasis on education by providing TED Talk-style events to spread knowledge about certain topics.
- Online Classes - Provide online class opportunities for donors as well as students. These may not be full-fledged courses, but mini opportunities to sharpen skills.
- Annual Giving Days - Giving days encourage a great number of people (especially alumni) to give on a very specific day, similar to #GivingTuesday.
- Matching Gift Drives - This is a great way to encourage more donations and maximize impact. Promote corporate giving opportunities and remind supporters to check their eligibility for matched gifts.
When your donors get involved with all of the opportunities you offer, they strengthen their ties to your institution. This makes it all the more likely that they’ll continue supporting you in your upcoming fundraising events.
A phone call is an often overlooked relationship-building strategy because it can be somewhat time-consuming. However, it’s a valuable tool and makes a huge difference, especially when it comes to new donors.
For instance, consider the new donor cultivation timeline below. It shows that a thank-you call within 48 hours of a donation can dramatically improve your donor retention rates. Plus, it’s the first step to begin a strong relationship with your donors. This is because you establish a personal connection with the donor while showing your appreciation for their contribution.
Phone calls are a great way to start a relationship with donors on the right foot. However, don’t forget to employ the strategy with your seasoned donors as well! Call them to maintain regular contact and to express your gratitude for their continued support in your fundraising initiatives.
You’ll notice that on the cultivation timeline from the previous section that the step after a “thank you phone call” is sending a “signed thank you letter.” While email is likely your primary method of communication with the donors, the power of a physical letter of appreciation should not be underestimated, especially when it’s hand-written.
Handwritten notes are a classic way to show your donors that you will truly take the time out of your day for them. They want to feel like a priority for your organization, which is what a hand-written note should communicate.
When you write these notes, there are specific elements that you should make sure to include, such as:
- The preferred name of the donor. Just like in email communications, you should make sure to refer to the specific donor as you hand-write letters (be sure to double-check your spelling, too!)
- The activity they participated in. If your donor has just contributed funds, be sure to thank them for the specified amount. If they attended an event, thank them for their involvement and participation.
- The president’s signature. Letters are generally better received when they come from the top office of your institution. Therefore, you should make sure the president of your institution’s signature is on each and every one of them.
Just like phone calls, hand-written letters tend to be important strategies as you cultivate relationships with your new donors. However, don’t forget about the strategy for your veteran donors!
Be sure both phone calls and hand-written letters are a part of both your cultivation and stewardship strategies to strengthen donor relations.
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Don’t we all love stories? Your donors want to hear your inspiring story. They want to hear the reason behind all the great work that you do and the support that you provide to your community. Sharing these stories with your donors is a great way to show them what it is that their contributions support.
One of the current trends in the higher education space is the use of images to communicate these types of narratives. This trend is important to keep in mind because there are so many different platforms on which you’ll be telling stories. For instance, consider the following examples:
- Email - Whether it’s an email to a certain segment of your audience or a regular newsletter sent to many, include an image of an individual who attended your institution along with their story. This adds a face to the name and a personal touch to show the impact of donations.
- Social media - Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are made for visual storytelling. Be sure to use an image that tugs at the heartstrings to gain the attention of your audience, then caption it with details about the story itself. If it’s a longer story, be sure to provide a link to where donors can read the rest of it.
- Blog posts - Blogs are the perfect way to write long stories about individuals or about the progress of your institution. Showing images, faces, and specific names makes them even more powerful.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And it’s true! Be sure to leverage both text and image when you tell the story of your institution’s successes.
In the last section, we mentioned briefly that stories are a method of showing impact. Communicating impact is critical for donor engagement and continued support down the line. Think about it. If you give to an organization, you’re not contributing money for the sake of spending it. That would be silly! Rather, you’re donating to help accomplish a mission.
Communicating the progress of this mission and the impact of specific donations is a great way to give your donors the warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of their stomachs that was probably what drove them to contribute in the first place. You’re reinforcing the positive aspect of donating.
Check out this nonprofit annual report guide that conveys the story of The Johnsons and how their impact was communicated to all contributors in an end-of-year report.
Notice some key aspects of this example:
- It shows a picture of The Johnsons
- The text uses a statistic showing the impact their contributions made
- The text is framed to put all of the emphasis on the Johnsons rather than on the efforts of the organization
These aspects are some of the most important things to remember when you communicate the impact of specific donors. Generally, on annual reports such as this, it’s your major donors that you’ll highlight. However, you can still use these strategies in emails, letters, phone calls, and other methods of communication to show any supporter that they’ve made a difference.
Building donor relationships is an incredibly important part of the fundraising strategy at your institution. Therefore, even as you explore all of the new and exciting ways to communicate and engage with them, don’t forget about the basics. Form a strong foundation for your donor relationships by using these tried-and-true strategies. Then, continue to cultivate and build these relationships to watch your fundraising soar!
About the author
Co-Founder and current Chief Relationship Officer at Bloomerang
He has served this sector for 33 years and is considered the most well-known senior statesman whose advice is sought constantly.
Prior to Bloomerang, he was the CEO and Co-Founder of eTapestry for 11 years, which at the time was the leading SaaS technology company serving the charity sector. Jay and his team grew the company to more than 10,000 nonprofit clients, charting a decade of record growth.
He is a graduate of Butler University with a B.S. in Business Administration. Over the years, he has given more than 2,500 speeches around the world for the charity sector and is often the voice of new technology for fundraisers.
6 Ways to Take Your Donor Relationships to the Next Level
Donor relationships are necessary to maximize fundraising and support retention rates. Check out these six expert tips to take relationship-building further.
Alumni Engagement
2020 was a unique and challenging year for educational institutions as traditional alumni engagement events such as reunions, homecoming, chapter meet-ups stood either cancelled or postponed. As the pandemic made it nearly impossible to hold any in-person alumni events, advancement teams realized the need to look for creative ways beyond traditional events to stay connected to their alumni and offer support to their communities.
Schools, colleges, and universities across the globe opted for the next best option - virtual events and at times, a combination of both in-person and virtual events. This past year gave us an opportunity to witness some of the most creative virtual events focused on driving higher participation from alumni.
As we wrap up the year, let's take stock of the five most popular alumni virtual events in 2020.
1. Virtual Races
At a time when health has become a top priority, a few institutions have shifted their focus on ensuring the health and well-being of their alumni. The past year saw a number of advancement teams host virtual races - walk-a-thons and marathons, and motivate alumni to take actionable steps towards their health.
With everyone confined to their homes, forced to work from home, limitations on social interactions, it wasn't just physical fitness that took a back seat. The pandemic has also wreaked havoc on the United States’ mental-health system as the country witnesses a historic wave of mental health problems approaching. More than anything, in 2020, these virtual races helped relieve the stress and loneliness that alumni were reeling with.
Check out how The College of Idaho introduced a month-long virtual run/walkathon for their alumni during COVID-19. Alumni could participate from any location and any time during the month of April. The virtual event created an opportunity for alumni to virtually engage with one another while being socially distant and take actionable steps towards their health and well-being. The College of Idaho's Virtual Race witnessed huge success as the college captured 100+ RSVP's in 20 days.
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2. Virtual Happy Hours
Another big hit amongst advancement teams in 2020 was Virtual Happy Hours. Before the pandemic, Friday night happy hours were a common practice for advancement teams to drive alumni engagement. However, social distancing regulations put an end to this crowd favourite event.
Resultantly, a few institutions decided to transition to Happy Hours over video conferencing software such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom and many more followed suit. Virtual Happy Hours turned out to be a great avenue for boosting social interactions amongst alumni in times of social isolation and anxiety.
When Florida International University thought of hosting a happy hour event, they went the extra mile. After a two-hour Zoom session, they planned an after-party to entertain their alumni. The alumni were treated to an exclusive DJ set that they could enjoy with their family members from the comfort of their homes. Read more about Florida International University's Virtual Happy Hour here.
3. Virtual Flagship Events - Homecoming, Reunions, and Commencement
While a majority of institutions were hosting smaller-scale events virtually at the onset of the pandemic, many were apprehensive about hosting larger flagship events such as Annual Reunion, Homecoming, and Commencement in this new format.
However, the latter part of the year saw advancement teams take the plunge towards moving online for some of their biggest events. 2020 witnessed traditional events such as homecoming, annual reunions, and even commencement ceremonies being successfully hosted virtually. Institutions leveraged event management tools and experimented with virtual events that were spread across days and had multiple sub-events.
Despite not being able to get alumni together on campus to celebrate these grand occasions, alumni associations found creative ways to drive engagement.
Cornell University hosted a two-day homecoming event aptly named StayHomeComing. The digital version of the event included exclusive downloads and interactive sessions. To keep the Big Red spirit alive, the school also hosted a fun evening where the Cornell Athletics Hall of Famers and student-athletes competed in various activities. Read more about the virtual event here.
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4. Virtual Book Clubs
While binge-watching shows on Netflix was a popular pastime during the lockdown, 2020 also saw some people go back to old hobbies and creature comforts. Reading, in particular, was a great way to productively spend time at home whilst also keeping COVID-induced stress at bay. A few universities picked up on this and thought of a unique way to engage alumni - virtual book clubs.
To boost alumni participation, the University of Maryland partnered with PBC Guru and started two virtual book clubs - Fiction and Literature, and Management and Leadership. Alumni read one book every two months and then share their views on a platform specially designed by the institute. Read more about this wonderful initiative here.
Thanks to this event, the institution successfully rekindled alumni's love for reading and facilitated social interactions.
5. Virtual Dance Parties
It's been a while since any of us have grooved to our favourite tunes and spent our nights dancing away at our favourite club. But that didn't stop advancement teams in 2020 from bringing the experience home to their beloved alumni. To combat the accompanying stress and anxiety around the pandemic and provide avenues for alumni to socialize with their peers, some institutions hosted virtual dance parties with the help of virtual event management solutions.
The Washington State University Alumni Association (WSUAA) hosted a 2-hour long virtual dance party over Zoom and also brought in a special DJ to play alumni's favourite songs on request. Read more about the event here.
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Wrapping Up...
While 2020 was full of hurdles that alumni professionals could not have anticipated, it also brought along new opportunities. Institutions across the country went above and beyond to devise creative ways to keep their alumni engaged virtually and overcome challenges amid this new normal.
Year In Review: 5 Best Virtual Alumni Events of 2020
As we wrap up the year, here's a list of 2020's top 5 virtual alumni events that schools, colleges, and universities leveraged to drive higher alumni engagement.
Events
Alumni are the backbone of any institution and maintaining consistent alumni engagement is crucial to building a great institution and ensuring continuity.
While alumni engagement has come a long way from traditional direct mail campaigns and annual student reunions, we've witnessed a tremendous shift in the way alumni relations has evolved. While advancement teams will still continue to engage alumni via traditional channels in 2024, the previous year has shown us enough evidence to suggest that institutions can no longer be restricted to them.
2024 is undoubtedly going to be a challenging year, given the evolutionary phase that alumni relations is currently in. However, where there are new challenges, there are also new opportunities. Alumni engagement this year will offer tremendous possibilities for universities to engage with their alumni on a deeper and more meaningful basis – even in these times of uncertainty and chaos.
Here are five alumni engagement trends for 2024 that you should watch out for to achieve your alumni engagement goals.
1. Event strategies will evolve
As the pandemic made it impossible to host in-person events in 2020, we witnessed a host of creative virtual alumni events by institutions, big and small. While the COVID-19 crisis doesn't seem likely to die down any time soon, recent reports indicate that social distancing guidelines are going to be further relaxed in 2025.
Alumni event strategies this year are set to evolve depending on COVID-19 state regulations. Some schools may continue to host all alumni events virtually, while some may open up their campuses to in-person events. Either way, advancement teams in 2025 will need to take a hybrid approach to keep their alumni engaged.
2. Alumni will be at the heart of all alumni engagement
For a majority of institutions, alumni engagement has been restricted to monthly newsletters, traditional events, and yearly fundraising appeals. But, the pandemic has prompted advancement teams to look for creative solutions to penetrate a wider segment of their alumni population and maintain consistent engagement year-on-year.
The past few years and its unprecedented challenges have allowed institutions an opportunity to review and rebuild their alumni programming with alumni at the core of it. This year, advancement teams will find a way to provide more value and on-demand programming to build meaningful relationships with their alumni. Schools, colleges, and universities will work towards creating easily accessible programs to maximize outreach, facilitate greater flexibility, and enhance alumni relations.
From focused workshops to career networking and mentoring programs, institutions will ensure the easy availability of all these programs to all alumni.
During the pandemic, William Peace University launched a Virtual Book Club focused on professional development and career advancement for the university students and alumni. The group helped set and realize career goals for all participants. Via this initiative, the institution made valuable resources and knowledge easily accessible to alumni and students from the comfort of their homes during a crisis. Read more →
Thus, focusing on alumni needs is the key to forging strong, meaningful relationships in 2025.
3. Measurement of engagement data will be more streamlined
Traditionally, alumni engagement data has mostly been limited to measuring event attendance and fundraising revenue. However, these metrics failed to provide any insights during the COVID-19 pandemic, when institutions had to cancel all in-person events and dial down on fundraising asks.
The past few years have provided advancement teams with an opportunity to identify massive gaps in alumni engagement data and work towards creating a better structure for alumni engagement reporting.
As a result, engagement data today can do so much more – from social media interactions, email engagement, mentor-mentee engagement, to volunteer participation and a lot more. Digitization of all this data will offer advancement teams the essential knowledge they need to make the right decisions and develop stronger relationships with alumni.
4. We will see an increased focus on mid-level donors
2020 set a landmark record for one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States. This alarming trend directly affects institutions as a lot of their major gift donors have taken a huge hit on their fortune. Studies indicate that 88% of all funds donated to schools come from 12% of donors, and these donors constitute major gift donors.
Fundraising in 2025 is going to be largely different from what we have saw back in 2020 and 2021. Institutions will shift their focus towards mid-level donors, working towards converting them into long-time donors. Additionally, advancement teams will also be on the lookout for creative ideas to expand their current donor base and drive up engagement with more diverse alumni segments.
5. Career networks will continue to be integral to alumni programs
The importance of alumni networks for professional networking and career growth has only increased in recent years. With unemployment steadily increasing in the US, institutions have stepped up to provide an additional resource for finding and pursuing career opportunities.
Additionally, these career services also foster alumni engagement by allowing them to provide opportunities while simultaneously tapping into their alma mater's fresh talent to nurture an ever-growing community.
Why alumni engagement is essential
Alumni engagement is a crucial part of advancement and alumni relations efforts for a reason. An effective alumni engagement strategy:
- Inspires loyalty by providing a sense of belonging from your alumni to your institution. An alumni that doesn't feel engaged will obviously be less interested in events, fundraising opportunities, or helping current students or programs. It also means that your efforts need to convey a genuine attempt to kindle and maintain a human connection.
- Attracts giving as engaged alumni not only feel more compelled to give but feel confident that their generosity is going to a worthwhile cause. A heartfelt and personalized email sent to the right segment might just be the final nudge that a dormant alumni needs to provide their first gift.
- Promotes lifelong learning by making your alumni feel more likely to get involved in providing mentorships and career opportunities.
- Increases your reach exponentially as alumni who feel appreciated and want to give back eventually become prominent voices to champion your cause and amplify your outreach efforts.
Winding up...
2025 is likely to witness advancement teams rebuilding their alumni engagement programs to cater to the evolving needs of their alumni. This evolving alumni relations landscape calls for the adoption of more modern, technology-driven strategies for effective alumni engagement.
With the amount of changes that alumni relations has gone through in the past few months, we've already witnessed some amazing new trends emerge in the last few months.
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5 Alumni Engagement Trends You Need To Watch Out For in 2026
Discover 5 alumni engagement best practices to boost participation and meet your engagement goals in 2026.
Alumni Engagement
The holiday season is just around the corner. As the festive season brings your alumni home to visit their loved ones, it also presents one of the best opportunities for your institution to connect with your alumni on a deeper level and lay the lego blocks for lifetime relationships.
The festive spirit is high in the air but the 2020 holiday season is one-of-a-kind in its truest essence. The pandemic might have affected several segments of your alumni differently - confining some to work tirelessly from their homes while balancing their social lives, exposing frontline healthcare workers to massive risks, robbing some of their jobs and even near and dear ones due to the virus. At a time like this, it's particularly important for your institution to support your alumni and deliver the highest value.
So, how do you best leverage this holiday season to drive more alumni engagement? After observing hundreds of schools driving success with their alumni network over the years, we've found these top 5 strategies that can help your school, college, or university boost alumni engagement rates this holiday season:
1. Conduct Professional Networking Events
2020 has already set a landmark record for one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States. The alarming numbers projected by the US. Bureau of Labour Logistics is a clear indicator of why your alumni need your support now more than ever.
With the pandemic resulting in the worst job market since the Great Depression, your younger alumni are at an even larger risk as they lose their on-campus jobs, internships, and are already witnessing dwindling job opportunities.
Amidst all this chaos, professional networking events are one of the surest ways to provide value to your alumni and help them in these dire times of need. Corporate jobs respect recommendations, and applicants actively seek social connections and support. Leverage your existing network and motivate influential alumni to help their peers out in these dire times of need.
Your alumni network has a wealth of knowledge that your current students and graduates, both can benefit greatly from. Get your community together for webinars, discussion panels, podcasts, workshops, and much more to lead the way towards professional growth for your alumni.
Here's how Fordham University's Alumni: Help A Ram Today campaign supports Class of 2020 graduates by encouraging alumni to hire these young grads for a full-/part-time job or an internship.
2. Host a Virtual Holiday Party
What are holidays without holiday parties? The landscape this year might look somewhat different due to the pandemic but that shouldn't rob your alumni of the opportunity of connecting with long-lost peers, toast to each other's good health, and ring in the holidays from the comfort of their homes.
A great alternative to continuing with the tradition of hosting holiday parties this year is to do it virtually. Holidays are the perfect time to get your alumni together over a couple of drinks and celebrate over an e-party. A surefire way to grab more alumni attention and drive attendance is to create themes like 80′s retro or a Christmas Character Party. To make it easy for you to manage and even easier for your alumni to participate, host your virtual party over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or another common video conferencing tool.
3. Raise Funds to Support Your Community
With the pandemic leading to forced furloughs, students having to drop out of schools, and many small businesses shutting down, your constituents need your support now more than ever. Make the most of the holiday spirit and find ways to fundraise for your community.
Riding high on the giving spirit this holiday season, also urge your community to come in support of your institution’s cause by helping with emergency needs and in bracing the impact of the pandemic.
Planning your annual holiday drive to raise funds for academic continuity or to support your community are perfect examples of fundraising asks for this year.
4. Send Seasons Greetings E-Cards
A simple gesture such as sending creative e-cards is a great way to express festive greetings, gratitude, and acknowledgment for your alumni network's contribution to your institution. Include this as part of your yearly holiday activity to drive engagement and foster lasting alumni relationships.
The example from the University of Westminister works as the perfect inspiration here. The school rolled out 30-second animated e-cards to wish happy holidays and thank their alumni for their ongoing support.
5. Leverage Social Media Platforms to the Fullest
Social media is a dominant tool today and has a lot of potential for alumni engagement. Young alumni especially spend considerable time scrolling their feeds daily.
If your institution has an online presence on these platforms, use them to encourage higher participation. If you’re unsure about where to start, you can consider looping in student volunteers to ramp up your social media presence and start driving engagement with your alumni online.
Drive more engagement online by conducting live chats, contest giveaways, and posting yearbook pictures to evoke nostalgia and create a buzz amongst your alumni community. You can even encourage alumni to post their 'throwbacks' with the right hashtags and repost them on your channels.
Ugly sweater contests have also become a yearly trend, with universities and other schools creating innovative rules and giveaways to attract greater participation. Take cues from Boston University's Annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest to create one for your community this holiday season.
Make the Most of This Holiday Season
With the holidays arriving soon, there are many opportunities to express unconditional support and boost alumni relations and engagement.
Your alumni are your family and the holidays are the perfect time of the year to showcase solidarity.
Want To Drive Higher Alumni Engagement This Holiday Season? Tap Into These 5 Go-To Strategies
The holiday season is just around the corner and it presents one of the best opportunities for your institution to connect with your alumni on a deeper level. Take a deep dive into the top 5 strategies that can help your school, college, or university boost alumni engagement rates this holiday season.
Alumni Engagement
As an alumni association professional, one of your most crucial responsibilities is to secure fundraising revenue. Giving days, such as Giving Tuesday, are a prime opportunity to raise a large amount of funds quickly.
While giving days last just 24 hours, you should begin preparing for Giving Tuesday far in advance. For universities today, attracting attention on Giving Tuesday requires a strong online presence and digital fundraising strategy. Using popular hashtags like #GivingTuesday is a step in the right direction. However, attracting alumni who will continue to give long-term requires developing engaging content, presenting it strategically, and maintaining communication to build a long-term relationship.
Based on years of experience assisting nonprofits and educational institutions in developing their Giving Tuesday fundraising strategies, here are four key best practices alumni associations can use next Giving Tuesday.
1. Use data to optimize your outreach.
Set your alumni fundraiser up for success by conducting prospect research beforehand. Prospect research is the practice of evaluating your organization’s prospective donors by their capacity and affinity to give.
Essentially, prospect research allows your organization to identify alumni who are in the best financial position to donate, and that have the strongest affinity toward your organization. Ask yourself the following when evaluating prospects:
- Does this alumnus participate in alumni association activities, such as events and mentorship programs?
- Has this alumnus given to our university in the past?
- Is this alumnus employed, and do they have secure financial footing?
Use this information to focus your fundraising efforts. However, keep in mind that it can still be worthwhile to contact lower-earning recent graduates and alumni to begin building relationships for future engagements.
2. Select your marketing channels based on alumni data.
The more potential supporters you can get in touch with, the more your Giving Day fundraiser will raise. To reach more alumni, your university should take a multi-channel approach by marketing the campaign on a variety of platforms.
NXUnite’s guide to starting a fundraiser suggests several different outreach channels to market on:
- Email is the most direct way to reach alumni online. Create segmented email lists based on each alumni’s past interactions with your university and the prospect research you conducted in the previous step. Track your email appeals by monitoring open and clickthrough rates, which can provide information about the effectiveness of your subject lines and the body content of your messages, respectively.
- Your website should host essential information about your Giving Day fundraiser, such as your fundraising goal, what the donations will help your university accomplish, and if there are any matching gift opportunities. Monitor your overall traffic, as well as bounce rate and time-on-page to determine if your website is attracting alumni and interesting them enough to engage them.
- Peer-to-peer outreach can be useful for attracting supporters outside of your university’s core community. Recruit students and alumni to become peer-to-peer fundraisers and direct them to request donations from their friends and family on your university’s behalf. Encourage each of your fundraising volunteers to set a goal for themselves, whether it’s the total raised or the number of potential donors they reached out to. These goals will help motivate your volunteers and allow your organization to monitor their progress.
- Your blog helps you keep your most dedicated supporters engaged. Create posts promoting your upcoming Giving Day fundraisers and follow-up articles reporting on its success afterward. Ensure you also have a variety of other engaging content to keep alumni interested in participating in your organization long-term.
- Social media is one of the core marketing tools for GivingTuesday campaigns. Research which sites your alumni use and those platforms’ conversion rates. For example, reports show Facebook has a 9% conversion rate, Instagram 18%, and TikTok 2.3%. However, if the majority of your alumni primarily use Facebook that platform may be the most useful for your fundraising efforts even if it has a lower average conversion rate than Instagram.
Managing multiple communication channels can be a strain on your resources, and not all platforms will produce the same return on investment. When selecting your outreach channels, consider your data from past marketing campaigns to determine which platforms yielded the highest engagement rates.
3. Provide creative outlets for alumni to give back.
Straightforward outreach through phone calls, direct mail, and email are all core parts of fundraising. However, you can leverage your technology to further engage your alumni and provide them with creative, memorable ways to give.
For example, many Giving Day campaigns include an event. Hosting an event provides a tangible reason why alumni should give on that specific day while also inviting them to participate in fun activities and engage with your university.
To make these events accessible to your entire alumni community, consider how you can take your Giving Day event online. Let’s walk through an example of a popular but often complex fundraiser, the silent auction. To encourage more bidding on your giving day, use gamification strategies like:
- Leaderboards. Invoke friendly competition by using your auction site to display which guests have bid the most, are currently the top bidder for big-ticket prizes, or have given the most in donations overall. Ensure your leaderboard is updated in real-time so participants who want to climb it can see their name rise with each bid.
- Push notifications. For silent and online auctions, it’s easy for participants to walk away from an item and subsequently forget to keep bidding on it. Use auction software that sends guests automatic alerts when they’re outbid or when your auction is about to close. You can gamify these notifications by adding sound effects and creating a special negative display screen for when they’re outbid and a uniquely positive one for when they are winning again.
- Strategic bidding features. Allow participants to craft a bidding strategy with auction features like the ability to automatically outbid up to a certain amount or offer a “buy it now” option for a few prizes. This encourages participants to think more critically about which items they want and how they’ll respond to potential bidding wars, increasing their engagement.
If you have never hosted an event like an auction virtually before, consider meeting with a technology consultant who can help you set up your event platform and step in quickly to resolve any technical issues that may occur during the event.
4. Focus on offering value through strong content.
Recently alumni donations have been decreasing. This is due to a variety of factors, including economic instability, new legislation, and the fact that 93% of alumni organizations provide no benefits or only content that alumni do not find worthwhile.
Avoid this for your association by offering valuable content in exchange for alumni gifts. While alumni may no longer attend classes at your university, you can still demonstrate your value in their lives by publishing informative content, hosting networking events, and sharing stories about current students.
Effective data management can help you identify pertinent topics. Look into your database and find survey answers, demographic information, and more to base your content on. Then, host events and create content on subjects that are relevant to your alumni, such as current events or topics related to specific professions.
In your donation appeals, consider what content you can offer your alumni. For example, you could provide webinars or panels on current challenges your alumni might face in the workplace—such as how to succeed in a hybrid workplace—or virtual happy hours where they can connect with one each other. Consider getting faculty involved to provide their subject matter expertise and give former students the chance to talk with their former professors.
Giving days are an opportunity to rally your university’s community together and raise funds to continue providing current and former students with the resources they need to succeed professionally. Focus on your approach and engage alumni by using your data to guide outreach and event hosting.
About the author:
Carl Diesing, Managing Director – Carl co-founded DNL OmniMedia in 2006 and has grown the team to accommodate clients with ongoing web development projects. Together DNL OmniMedia has worked with over 100 organizations to assist them with accomplishing their online goals. As Managing Director of DNL OmniMedia, Carl works with nonprofits and their technology to foster fundraising, create awareness, cure disease, and solve social issues. Carl lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife Sarah and their two children Charlie and Evelyn.
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Alumni Fundraising For Giving Days: 4 Technology-Driven Tips
Technology can transform your university’s fundraisers to help you connect with alumni and raise more. Learn how to leverage your technology for giving days.
Fundraising
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