.svg)
Blog Gallery
Build lifelong relationships
Latest stories, guides, and benchmarks from the world of alumni relations, fundraising, donor engagement, advancement services, events, and higher-education philanthropy
Blackbaud recently announced that support for Raiser’s Edge NXT’s database view and related functionality will end on September 15, 2027, affecting several Blackbaud products. These include Blackbaud Online Express and Blackbaud NetCommunity (BBNC). For advancement teams that have spent years building forms, pages, workflows, and other processes around the platform, this means choosing and migrating to a new platform. The prospect can feel like a lot to take on, especially if it wasn't something you'd anticipated.
If you're looking for an alternative, Almabase can help you replace the functionality you currently rely on across these products. We've already covered why teams might be thinking of a move off BBNC and how the main alternatives compare. In this article, we’ll be focusing on what happens once you've made that decision: what the migration process looks like, what your team can expect along the way, and how Almabase approaches the move.
In case you’re evaluating how Almabase stacks up against BBNC, check out our comparison blog here.
There’s also another question that comes up around a platform migration: How much is this going to cost?
This question extends beyond the immediate, visible technical costs. In fact, the technical side of the move might just be the simplest to figure out. It’s the broader, more abstract elements like shifting scopes, changing requirements, or even figuring out the right set of requirements in the first place that could end up costing the most amount of money and time, if not approached thoughtfully.
That's why we want to walk you through the Assisted Fast Pass Migration process upfront: what happens at each stage, what your team is responsible for, what our migration team handles, and where costs may come into the picture. We hope to give you a clear idea of what the move to Almabase will look like before you get started, so there are fewer surprises along the way.
Why transparency matters during a migration
A migration project always begins with an agreed-upon plan. But it’s also very likely that, a few weeks in, you discover a form that needs some additional customization or a request that seemed straightforward seems to fall outside the original scope, on second thought. These are perfectly reasonable hiccups during the migration, but if work is already underway, it could seem harder to understand what you're paying for, and even harder to plan around the rest of the project.
Clear expectations are at the heart of our migration approach, starting with total transparency around what extra requirements cost. With Almabase’s Assisted Fast Pass Migration, each stage gives you a chance to understand what's being proposed, what falls within the standard migration, and where something would require additional work.
Basically, you shouldn't find out about an extra requirement after the work has already been done. Your approval and sign-off comes first. The five steps in the migration process are built around this intention. Let’s get into them.
1. Kickoff: Getting the project off on the right foot
The migration process starts with a kickoff between your team, a dedicated CSM, and an implementation specialist. This is where we get the groundwork in place. This is usually access to your current site, your branding assets, and the dates your team needs to work around.
Another important step here is understanding your calendar and priorities. Your Giving Day, reunion, fiscal year-end, or another major event may determine what needs to happen first and we would be building the migration calendar around it. So, the migration sequence might look a little different for each institution, as each gets to choose which product goes first.
The kickoff is also a chance to flag anything unusual about your current NetCommunity setup.
After years on a platform, it's normal for your setup to have accumulated a few workarounds, custom configurations, or integrations that made sense when they were created. We don't need to solve all of those questions in the first meeting, but we do need to know about them.
That way, we can account for them during the next stage: the inventory. 🤗
Your team mainly needs to provide:
- Key dates and deadlines
- Relevant branding assets
- Access to your existing NetCommunity site
- Any known custom configurations, integrations, or unusual workflows
From there, you can let us take on the heavy lifting.
Your dedicated CSM and implementation specialist work with you throughout the migration, while your team focuses on the decisions and approvals. A migration shouldn't require your advancement team to take on managing a project full time on top of everything else they’re already handling.
Your data doesn't have to wait for the build
Your data migration is handled alongside the rest of the process. Almabase's bi-directional TrueSync integration connects with Raiser's Edge NXT and supports two-way syncing for configured entities and fields, including constituent, event, and gift data.
Admins can also decide which fields update automatically and which should be reviewed before they're pushed or pulled between systems.
That means your team doesn't have to wait until every page and workflow decision has been finalized before thinking about what happens to your data. The data side of the transition can move forward alongside the rest of the migration, with real time decisions being made.
2. Discovery and inventory: weeks one and two
Once kickoff is complete, your implementation specialist carefully starts building a complete inventory of what's currently running on NetCommunity: pages, forms, events, programs, memberships, and other key components of your site.
This process is useful in its own right, especially when taken on by someone external. After years on a platform, it's easy for a site to accumulate things that no one thinks about anymore, simply because they’re too involved in the process. The inventory gives you one place to see what's actually there, anything you might’ve forgotten about, and to make decisions about what needs to move vs what can be left behind.
Probably the most effective part of this is that it's a shared inventory that you can review alongside your specialist. If something looks outdated, doesn't need to move, or needs a closer look, you can flag it before it moves to the new product.
The inventory can surface things like:
- Duplicate or unused event pages
- Old forms or pages that are still live
- Site elements that don't need to be carried into Almabase
- Custom fields and configurations that don’t make sense on the new platform
This idea is to document your NetCommunity site so well that both teams end up on the same picture of what exists and what needs to happen next. The Almabase team handles the actual inventory work, and all you need to do is review the inventory and flag anything that should be changed, removed, or investigated.
3. Sign-off: deciding what moves forward
At this stage, the migration project starts taking on a more defined shape as you decide what you need to bring into Almabase. You and your implementation specialist review the inventory, decide what carries forward, and establish what the finished version should look like.
For each item being migrated, the team, along with you, defines the acceptance criteria before the building begins. If your existing alumni directory has eight fields and three filters, for example, those requirements can be documented as part of the scope. By the end of this discussion, everyone has arrived at the same definition of what needs to be delivered.
This is also where you’ll be able to clearly separate standard migration work from anything that requires additional effort.
If something falls outside the standard scope, you'll know before the work begins:
- What the additional work involves
- What's included and what's excluded
- The estimated effort
- The associated cost
You won’t have to decipher this from the invoice later on, because the work only moves forward once you’ve signed off on the scope.
This is exactly why your input here matters most. The Almabase team handles the building, but it’s you and your team deciding what is important enough to carry forward and what “done” needs to look like, within the standard process or with additional effort layered on.
4. Build and launch: 30 days for each product
Our team takes up building only once you’ve greenlit the scope. Each product gets its own dedicated 30-day track, with the order of products taken up built around your events and fiscal calendar.
This is to accommodate your calendar: giving days, reunions, Homecoming, we’ll build that product first so you’re ready in time for go-live day. If your immediate priority is your broader alumni site, we might begin with building that instead. The point is, even at this pace, you’re not forced to adopt a one-size-fits-all solution. Your implementation team works with you to determine what needs to come first.
The build itself happens on your Almabase pages, so you can review as it gets built while also familiarizing yourself with the new platform.
The timeline typically looks like this:
- 30-day build track: Each product moves through its own focused build.
- Weekly working session: Your team meets with the implementation team to review progress, provide input, and make decisions.
- Training as you go: Your team gets hands-on experience with the platform during the build, rather than waiting until everything is finished to start learning it.
- First launch: The fastest migrations can have their first product live around 45 days from kickoff, depending on the scope and sequencing of your project.
Having the scope agreed upon shows up in smoothness at this point: you can expect fewer decisions to make from scratch during this stage. Your team knows what's being built, your implementation specialist knows what they're working toward, and everything can move as planned, on track.
5. Cutover: moving from NetCommunity to Almabase
As you get closer to launch, the focus shifts from building to making the transition itself as smooth as possible.
The most important part of that is making sure people can still find the things they've been using. Your team receives a redirect map that pairs each carried-forward NetCommunity URL with its new Almabase destination. You'll also want to review where those old links appear outside NetCommunity: your main institutional website, email templates, QR codes, printed materials, and any other places where an old URL may still be in circulation.
The redirect map gives you a clear list of what needs to change and no one has to discover old links one by one after launch.
Before each product goes live, your team gets to review it thoroughly and explicitly approve the launch.
The aim, with these five steps, is to get your Almabase programs ready before your NetCommunity access ends, so the transition remains smooth and doesn't become a last-minute scramble.
What happens when something doesn't fit the standard scope?
Not everything that comes up during a migration falls neatly into the original plan. But there's also an important conversation to be had: what counts as additional scope and what is a limitation in the platform itself?
If something requires work beyond the standard migration scope, that's identified and quoted before the work begins. You can then decide whether you want to take it on.
But if there’s a requirement you have that Almabase cannot support yet, we’ll be fully transparent with you. Essentially, you haven’t asked for too much, we’re just not there yet. Depending on what you need, the team can look at a workaround or determine how the functionality could be addressed after launch.
This conversation is also one of the reasons the earlier stages matter. The shared inventory, defined acceptance criteria, and upfront scoping give everyone a common reference point throughout the project.
That's really the principle behind the entire migration process. You're not expected to know every detail of what needs to happen before the project starts. The process itself is designed to show you those details early, give your team a chance to make the calls that matter, and keep the build moving while minimizing unexpected, last-minute surprises.
Ready to make the move?
A BBNC migration may not have been on your roadmap, but that also doesn't mean it has to become a project that takes over your team's calendar.
With a clear process, an agreed scope, and the right support, you can move the parts of NetCommunity that matter to your team and work for your institution without having to figure everything out as you go. The Almabase team handles the build and migration work, while your team stays in complete control of the decisions, priorities, and final approvals.
And because the scope and any additional costs are addressed before the work happens, you can go into the migration knowing what to expect.
If you're planning your move away from BBNC, let's talk about what it could look like for your institution.
Talk to the Almabase team about your BBNC migration →
Moving from BBNC to Almabase: The Assisted Fast Pass Migration
Blackbaud is sunsetting support for Raiser’s Edge NXT’s database view and related functionality in September 2027. Learn how Almabase replaces your current functionality and how our Assisted Fast Pass Migration makes for a smooth switch without disrupting your campaigns or operations.
Anwesha Kiran
September 10, 2026
12 minutes
A paddle raise (also called a fund-a-need) is a great and simple fundraising format for nonprofits. It is easy to host, fun, and similar enough to auctions that if you have experience in one, you can easily incorporate the other.
All this is to say that, with proper planning, it is one of the most effective ways to get donations for your nonprofit or a particular project.
In this blog, we’ll look at what makes a typical paddle raise work, its benefits, and the essential steps to start hosting one on your own.
What is a Paddle Raise?
A paddle raise, also often called fund-a-need, is a live, direct appeal during a fundraising event such as a gala where donors pledge a financial contribution to a nonprofit, charity, or a particular cause. This is usually done by raising paddles containing varying numbers or ‘levels’, or through bidding devices and software.
Unlike charity auctions though, there aren’t any items or art involved, and attendees will not be bidding on a piece. An ask is made, and donors willing to contribute that amount raise their paddles. Due to the simpler setup and direct contributions, paddle raises have high ROI and are generally considered to be very effective.
How does a Paddle Raise work?
Usually taking place at the peak of the fundraiser, a paddle raise takes around 10-20 minutes (it happens quite quickly). This is typically how it unfolds:
- A designated speaker or emcee gets the event rolling by showing a video or narrating a quick story that introduces and emphasizes the impact of your mission.
- The emcee announces the fundraising target for the night, or if there are multiple causes, the goals for each.
- Tiers of contributions are planned beforehand ($10k, $7.5k and so on), and the emcee starts with the highest tier and works their way down to the lower tiers. When they ask for contributions, attendees express their willingness by raising numbered paddles.
- Volunteers and staff keep track of all the pledges and note it down.
- After going through all the tiers, the pledges are processed, and the total amount raised is announced. Attendees are thanked for their contributions and the event draws to a close.
Now that we’ve gone through what a paddle raise is and how it usually plays out, let’s get to how you can run one of your own.
How to Run a Successful Paddle Raise (Step-by-Step)
While paddle raises are simple enough in concept, they do require proper planning and coordination to capture pledges accurately and create good energy overall.
Here’s how you do it:
1. Pick the right cause/project for your targets and set your targets
Paddle raises are a lot more effective if you can tie them to a specific initiative that makes donors feel like they’re making a meaningful impact. It could be an annual raise for cancer, providing education to underprivileged children, etc.
Set a tangible goal and be clear on where the money goes. Sharing this with your donors builds trust. The goal shouldn’t be so high that hitting it feels impossible. All in all, you want to set a realistic but fairly ambitious figure.
2. Decide the contribution levels or tiers
You should aim for 5-10 levels and make sure it’s inclusive of everyone’s giving capabilities. You can discuss with your pre-committed donors (more on that later) to decide amounts for the higher giving tiers (or conversely for lower giving tiers depending on the situation).
This is where having a regularly updated donor database helps greatly, as you can base your levels off of giving history and data.
A basic example would be to have $15k as the highest tier, followed by $10k, $5k, $2k and so on all the way to $50. Remember that you have to be inclusive, so don’t skimp out on small or micro-level contributions.
3. Pick your emcee or host
The emcee is critical in setting the stage and the energy before the raise begins. An enthusiastic crowd can make a massive difference in contributions. If possible, hire a professional emcee who has been on the mic for other charity events before. You know your donors best; use that knowledge to pick out a host that can connect with them and elevate the room accordingly..
Alternatively, if your organization has deep ties with the attendees, you could consider a leadership figure (directors, chair, etc.) for familiarity. Of course, they need to be a good orator as well.
4. Decide the schedule and script
Since a paddle raise is relatively short, decide when the paddle raise should take place during your fundraising event or gala. You should aim to host the raise during the peak of the fundraiser, when everyone is energetic and receptive to instructions from you or your host.
Come up with a script, including your opening statement, tier announcements, anecdotes, and expressing gratitude at the end. Have alternative scripts ready for different scenarios since you can’t always predict if you’ll hit your target, overshoot it, or come close.
5. Pick the right tools for your event
You can choose to host your paddle raise with either physical paddles or through bidding software, though incorporating the former is heavily recommended.
You’ll need to assign numbers to each attendee and give them a paddle with the corresponding number. When a certain giving tier is called out, they can choose to pledge that amount by raising the paddle while volunteers keep track of it.
If you’re opting for a digital process, look for mobile-friendly bidding platforms. There are some other options as well like scanning QR codes to pledge. However, keep your attendees’ preferences in mind and try to find a balance between their experience and your team’s feature set. This is important, since the bidding and giving data will need to be synced to your CRM.
6. Running the paddle raise itself
When opening your event, it helps to set the energy high. Start with the mission statement and targets you set earlier. Here’s where the emcee does the heavy lifting. Videos and stories with emotional angles work really well at establishing a connection with your donors and creating empathy for your cause. If you have first time donors in the mix, a quick explanation of how the paddle raise works would also be helpful.
Make sure your volunteers are in place to clearly record everything. The emcee announces the levels in succession, starting with the highest one and working their way down.
Seeing major contributions right at the start might encourage the others to go beyond what they had originally planned. Make sure that the emcee acknowledges and celebrates pledges briefly for each tier before moving on to the next one.
How your staff records the pledges is up to you. You can use an app, spreadsheets, or simply pen and paper. Choose whichever would be the most convenient and accurate for your team.
7. Gratitude and stewardship
After going through all the levels, tally the total amount raised and announce it as the event draws to a close. Celebrate the impact everyone has created on the day. Tying the money raised to a tangible outcome (for example, 50 scholarships granted for struggling children, or feeding 100 people) creates even more positivity and really drives home a sense of accomplishment and giving.
After your fundraising event, follow up with your attendees to collect the pledged amounts, preferably within a day. Include key details like their paddle number, amount they pledged, and multiple payment options. Thank all the participants, regardless of whether they donated or not.
A Few Tips to Enhance Your Paddle Raise
Here are a few extra things to ensure you get the most out of your paddle raise(s):
- Pre-committing a handful of donors: Reach out to some of your long time supporters, and ask for an early commitment to a particular level, especially the higher ones. Hesitation in the opening rounds of the raise can affect the overall contributions negatively. When attendees see paddles being raised immediately even at higher tiers, it gives them confidence to donate more.
- Host it at the right time: If your paddle raise is part of a larger fundraising event (as is most common), avoid doing it right after a meal break when attendees are a bit languid, or at the very end of the event when a lot of them have left already.
- Celebrate milestones during the raise: Every time you get significantly closer to hitting the day’s target, celebrate it. For example, if your goal is to raise $30000, then announce and celebrate when the contributions reach $5000, $15000, maybe hit a gong at $25000, and so on. Also, make sure to recognize all contributions, big or small, with equal excitement.
Almabase - A Powerful Tool for Hosting Your Paddle Raise
At its core, a paddle raise is fairly simple. But behind that simplicity is a lot of manual tracking like volunteers noting down pledges, someone tallying totals, and follow-up calls or emails to actually collect what was pledged. This is usually where a platform like Almabase can take some of that load off your team.
Instead of clipboards and spreadsheets, Almabase gives you a real-time dashboard of the event as it unfolds, so pledges don't need to be re-entered after the fact. Since collecting payment is often the trickiest part, you can also capture a guest's card at registration and charge pledges automatically once the raise wraps, rather than chasing donors down individually.
A couple of other things worth mentioning: contributions can be routed straight to the fund or project they were raised for, and everything syncs directly with your CRM so your donor records stay accurate without extra data entry.
None of this replaces a great emcee or an emotionally engaged room, but it does mean less time spent staring at numbers, and more time celebrating what you raised.
Request a personalized demo to see how this would look for you!
How to run a successful paddle raise (fund-a-need) at your event
Learn what a paddle raise is, how you can run one successfully, as well as a few tips to make your paddle raise stand out.
Hari Govind
September 4, 2026
12 minutes
Modern donors expect deeply relevant, personalized communications, especially when it’s alumni hearing from their alma mater. Generic messages won’t cut it, but it can also be difficult to make your appeals stand out when you’re making the same ask every year. To develop annual fund appeal letters that drive revenue and deepen relationships, you need a strategic approach.
Annual fund appeals succeed when they have refined messaging, emotional resonance, and enough variation to win donors’ support outside of flashier, major campaigns. In this post, we’ll explore a few key ways to elevate your university’s next ask.
1. Center Authentic Student Storytelling
Donors give to people, not institutions, making personal narratives one of the most effective fundraising and marketing strategies you can use. By shifting the focus from university-wide achievements to the tangible success of individual students, you foster a direct emotional connection with your audience and demonstrate the real, lasting impact of their donations.
Instead of relying on generic asks for annual fund appeal letters, incorporate the stories of individual students and the scholarships and programs that empower them to thrive. For instance, you might share how a first-generation nursing student used a grant to complete their clinical rotations, or include a quote from a scholarship recipient about how attending your university made their dreams a reality.
No matter how you incorporate storytelling into your appeals, Meyer Partners recommends using the three R's of storytelling to make them as impactful and ethical as possible:
- Resonance: Every story should include real, humanizing details that resonate with donors. Let students tell their stories in their own words, and pair testimonials with photos whenever possible.
- Relevance: Make sure the donor can clearly understand their role in the story. Use donor-centric language that appeals directly to supporters’ values, inspiring them to become the changemakers who support the next generation of students.
- Respect: Respect both your readers and your storytellers by maintaining authenticity. Be direct and honest about what donations can achieve, and always focus on positive emotions like empowerment rather than guilt or scare tactics.
Incorporate these stories into multiple elements of your annual fund campaign to ensure maximum visibility and consistency. For example, you might include quotes from a student in your direct mail appeals, then post a selfie video of the same student telling their story on social media.
2. Highlight Impactful Giving Opportunities
To maximize revenue and increase average gift sizes, ask for more than standard, one-time cash gifts in your annual appeal letters. Offer additional giving options that provide greater flexibility and can increase donors’ long-term impact. These opportunities are often more compelling, especially for young alumni looking for accessible options and for high-capacity donors looking to make the most of their donations.
Specifically, use your annual appeals to highlight opportunities like:
Matching Gifts
The easiest way to make supporters’ donations go further is to double them. Typically, donors can double the impact of their gifts at no extra cost in one of two ways:
- Your university offers a matching donation challenge. Organizations often partner with a major donor who commits to matching every dollar donated within a set timeframe, up to a certain amount. These challenges motivate individual donors to give urgently so they don’t miss out on the match.
- Donors request corporate matching gifts from their employers. At any time, donors who work for participating companies can independently request matching donations from their workplaces. If the request meets the employer’s guidelines (e.g., a donation between $10 and $100 to a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit), they’ll match their employee’s gift.
Either way, donation matching is a powerful motivator, especially during year-end giving season. Feature matching gifts prominently in your annual fund appeals, explaining how to participate and why these donations are so impactful.
Recurring Giving
Imagine you’re a recent graduate just starting your career and trying to pay off student loans. You wouldn’t want to donate $1,000 to the university you left last year, but it might be feasible to give $20 a month. In this case, you’re much more likely to respond to an appeal that highlights recurring giving.
Recurring gifts offer a more manageable opportunity to support your university while deepening donor relationships. In your annual fund appeal letters, include the option to give monthly and provide several accessible donation tiers.
Legacy Giving
Plant the seed for long-term support by introducing planned giving and bequest options in your annual appeals, too. These avenues empower alumni to leave a lasting mark on your institution without requiring an immediate, large-scale donation.
Even if most donors aren’t ready to commit to a legacy gift right now, just including information about planned giving in your appeal can get them thinking about it. Include links in emails and QR codes in direct mail letters so supporters can easily learn more on your university’s website or request a meeting with your major gifts officer. Note each donor who shows interest in the program so you can cultivate the relationship over time.
3. Leverage Donor Data for Highly Personalized Appeals
The best fundraising strategies reflect the unique relationship each supporter has with your university. Highly personalized appeals show each donor that you value them as an individual and respect their unique contributions.
Use your donor and alumni data to tailor your asks as much as possible. Go beyond addressing recipients by their preferred names—reference their specific past involvement, giving history, and personal connections to the university. Acknowledging that an alumnus was on the debate team or that a donor consistently supports the engineering department validates their identity and gives them clear, specific reasons to give again.
Segment your donor lists in several ways to maximize relevancy, and regularly audit your donor database to ensure all contact information and engagement records are accurate before sending appeals.
If you aren’t sure how to best segment your audience, hone in on the highest-value potential donors, or match supporters with the right requests, consider professional donor analytics services. Experienced fundraising consultants who specialize in data analysis can help you optimize your strategy for this year’s annual fund appeal and well into the future.
An effective annual fund approach relies on deep personalization, authentic narratives, and a variety of flexible giving options tailored to your audience. Upgrading the underlying strategy of your communications with these tips will help you build stronger relationships with alumni and secure the financial future of your core programs.
3 Ways to Build a Better Annual Fund Appeal for Higher Ed
Asking for donations to your annual fund can feel repetitive, but your appeal letters shouldn’t be. Learn how to develop better annual fund appeals here.
.jpg)
Alyssa Jefferies
September 3, 2026
12 minutes
LinkedIn continues to stay relevant for alumni outreach in 2026 as it is one of the most comprehensive self-updating directories from an advancement standpoint. Over 50% of LinkedIn’s user base holds a higher-education degree, and ~53% of US college graduates are active on the platform.
That means your alumni not only present but also likely engaging with a variety of content. But as far as reaching out to them goes, being present on LinkedIn and being reachable are two different things, and the wrong outreach strategy can disinterest or even alienate alumni.
In this blog, we’ll go through whether LinkedIn is worth your time for alumni outreach and how you can get your alumni’s attention effectively.
Is LinkedIn outreach worth the investment?
Let’s start with understanding why LinkedIn is different from the other channels
LinkedIn InMail gets a 10–25% response rate while cold email, by comparison, sits at 1–5%. The platform’s natural context is also a big factor here because when an alum receives an InMail from their alma mater, it’s in a different environment to when they’re sorting through personal emails and family messages. They log on to LinkedIn with a certain mindset, which makes them more open to professional conversations.
LinkedIn also gives outreach teams more context about who they’re reaching before they begin the process such as:
- Where an alum works currently
- What they’ve recently posted
- What groups and communities they’re in
- Who the common connections are
That’s a lot of helpful material to tailor the first message that will hopefully be the start of a donor’s journey. Combine all of this with the social media nature of the platform and you get a channel that has a lot of potential if you approach it right.
LinkedIn Alumni Outreach Strategies
Now that we’ve established that LinkedIn is at least worth a look, let’s set your team up for success so that your messages don’t go ignored.
1. Build an Active Presence Before You Send a Message
Advancement teams (and most teams in any field, to be fair) tend to treat LinkedIn outreach the same way they’d treat a cold email campaign. They find the person, write the message, hit send, and hope for the best.
But LinkedIn is, at it’s core, a social network. Your alumni notice who’s following you, who’s commenting on your posts, and whether your institution has a solid presence on the platform. If your university’s LinkedIn page hasn’t posted in months and the last post was a stock photo of a campus building, it hurts your cause already.
Before you start an outreach campaign, make sure you tick all these boxes::
- First, make sure your institution’s LinkedIn page is active. Posting once per weekday helps you reach 60% of your followers in a month. You should be aiming for consistent presence over viral content.
- Secondly, look for mutual connections, a shared connection increases reply rates by 27%. If a colleague or another alum is already connected,
- Thirdly, follow the alum you plan to message and leave a genuine comment on something they’ve posted. If possible, build and nurture your online relationship with them. You should be looking to gain a follow-back. This can be crucial since alumni who already follow your institution are 81% more likely to respond to your InMail.
2. Build a Segmented List
Use your CRM along with LinkedIn's alumni search tool to understand who you will be sending your messages to. Many alumni engagement tools also allow you to better find, segment, and automate outreach to the right people.
The segmentation itself will be crucial as personalization is a big part of making your message stand out (as we will explain later), so take your time and make sure all your segments and alumni information is updated, synced, and ready to go.
3. Get the Subject Line Right
LinkedIn InMail by default gives you a 200-character subject line limit. When an alum receives your InMail as a notification, they see roughly 25 to 40 characters before the preview cuts off.
For this reason, short, specific, and personalized subject lines can work really well. For example: “A quick question from [University]” or “Connecting with [Name] re: mentorship”.
What won’t work on the other hand, is anything that sounds like a mass email campaign. Something like “Exciting news from the alumni office!” might feel generic or may confuse recipients.
4. Keep the Message Short and Simple
LinkedIn’s own data shows that InMails under 400 characters get higher response rates. Many institutions sometimes write messages much longer than this and have their messages scrolled past.
For your first message, your alums only need enough to understand what you’re asking and if it's worth their time. If you have more context to give and more reasons to say why this outreach matters, that can follow later.
Write a ~300-character message that asks one clear question. The message can address the basics such as who you are, why you’re reaching out, and your one specific question.
5. Personalize Beyond the Name
Alumni can tell if a message was written for them or if someone just replaced a mail merge field, so you’ll want to go further than just swapping people’s first names. Here’s a few things that might help with personalization:
- Spend a couple of minutes on the alum’s profile; personalized InMails increase acceptance rates by about 40%, according to LinkedIn data. Mention a recent post they made, a project they were publicly credited for, a career transition they just went through, or a shared connection.
- Find a good natural connection between what you discover about them and what you’re reaching out about. If you’re inviting them to a career mentorship panel and they’ve been posting about early-career development, mention that. If you’re reaching out around their 10-year graduation anniversary, you definitely want to acknowledge it.
- Avoid mentioning generic and obvious things like “I see you graduated from [University].” Good personalization shows you’ve paid attention to their life after graduation and you have a brief window that you want to make the most out of, especially for less-engaged alumni.
6. Templates for Common Outreach Scenarios
Here are some templates that you could borrow and build on to personalize your next outreach message on LinkedIn:
General reconnect:
"Hi [Name], congrats on the move to [Company]. I'm on the alumni relations team at [University]. We're putting together a small group of alumni at your career stage to get some honest input on our programs. Would a 15-minute call work?"
Mentorship opportunity:
"Hi [Name], I work in alumni relations at [University]. Saw your recent post on [topic] and thought you'd be a great fit for our mentorship program. We're matching alumni with students in [field]. Would you have 30 minutes to hear more?"
Upcoming event:
"Hi [Name], I'm with alumni relations at [University]. We're hosting a small dinner for [City] alumni on [date] and wanted to make sure you were on the list. Can I send you the details?"
Giving day:
"Hi [Name], [University]'s giving day is [date]. This year all gifts are going toward [initiative]. Wanted to reach out personally before things kick off. Can I send you a bit more context on what it supports?"
What each of these has in common is one clear ask and customization that shows the sender did their homework before reaching out.
7. Time Your Outreach Well
LinkedIn data shows that Friday and Saturday see 4% and 8% fewer than average responses, respectively. Your alumni may want to relax and disconnect from the professional world on the weekends, so Monday through Thursday is a good window. However, depending on your event calendar, and past alumni engagement data, this can vary a bit so do double check!
Going back to the mentioned window, Sprout Social's analysis of nearly 2 billion engagements across major social platforms points to Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., as LinkedIn's peak activity window. That's when professionals are most actively checking and responding on the platform, so it's your best shot at being seen before your message gets buried.
8. What to Do When Alumni Reply
Your next message after an alum replies sets the tone for the entire conversation that follows and the subsequent relationship. So here’s a few things to keep in mind:
- Reply quickly, ideally within a few hours of seeing their response.
- Thank them by name and reference something specific from their reply.
- Remember that this is a conversation on a social platform.
The goal should be to establish that your team and, by extension, your institution has a real interest in keeping in touch with them after graduation. For this reason, you’ll want to:
- Find out what they’re working on.
- Ask follow-up questions.
- Make it clear that there is no immediate ask attached.
💡This doubles as an opportunity to get updated information in case their profile information hasn’t been updated in a while.
Alumni who are connected to their institution are 23 times more likely to donate than those who aren’t. That connection, however, has to be built through consistent, genuine interaction over time. So, when it’s time to make an ask, it’s coming from the context of the conversation.
Build a LinkedIn Alumni Community (and not just another contact list)
At the end of the day, one-on-one outreach can only take you so far. Advancement and alumni relations teams that are able to keep alumni engaged are also building environments where alumni feel like they want to stay engaged.
If we are sticking to the platform at hand, LinkedIn Groups are a great way to do this. You can organize alumni groups around:
- Your institution
- Graduation cohorts
- Academic departments
- Regional chapters
- Donor groups
- Matching gift opportunities
…and much much more
AdvancementForm looked at what the institutions running active alumni groups have in common. Here are the main takeaways:
- Stay active every day: Keith Hannon of Cornell University shared that two-thirds of alumni relations professionals running thriving LinkedIn communities log in daily. That includes posting, answering questions, responding to comments, and engaging with what other members are sharing.
- Give alumni the spotlight: Spotlighting a graduate's career achievement or resharing something they wrote brings their audience into your content. Even the simple act of tagging alumni where needed will ensure that their network is notified as well.
- Share career resources such as job postings, industry reads/insights, career advice for alumni at different stages and make sure they are updated frequently. This is the content that consistently performs well as it provides a clear reason to engage.
- Mix up your content formats: Posts with images get a 98% higher comment rate than those without, and posts with YouTube videos (that play directly in the feed) get a 75% higher share rate. Varying your formats will keep the feed from feeling like a broadcast channel.
- Ask alumni to help current students: Academic Impressions flags this as an especially meaningful way to engage alumni because it gives them an opportunity to give back give back, even without a financial element. Posting something like "What do you wish someone told you in your first year in [industry]?" gets replies from alumni who would otherwise never comment on, say, an event announcement.
- Run polls: Lebanon Valley College asked their alumni "What career field are you currently in or looking to enter?" and it sparked a lively, ongoing discussion among their alumni. Polls can be a great icebreaker and contextualizing them to recent events, career stages, or other segmented needs is even better!
- Add in the nostalgia angle: Questions and posts about campus memories or institutional history give alumni interactive content that serves as a break on their feed from the usual LinkedIn content while also reminding them of why they feel connected to their school.
Finally, if you're thinking about content ratios, keep it weighted toward value-first content, career resources, alumni recognition, and conversation, with campaigns and event promotion playing a supporting role, not leading the feed.
Measure Your Progress and Know Your Blind Spots
You need to know whether your efforts are paying off. So, if you’re running structured outreach campaign on LinkedIn, here are the metrics which will help you track what's working:
- Connection acceptance rate: You generally want to aim for ~20% or above. If you're below that, check whether you're warming up contacts before sending requests and whether your institution's page looks active and credible.
- InMail response rate: With personalized, well-targeted outreach, this should sit between 10–25%. Single-digit numbers are an indication to look at your message length, your subject line preview, and how specific your personalization is.
- Conversation-to-action rate: This tracks what percentage of replies converts into whatever your goal is, whether that’s an event registration, a scheduled call, or a gift.
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) tracks alumni engagement across four modes: philanthropic, volunteer, experiential, and communications.
LinkedIn activity can feed into your experiential and communications metrics. If you’re not tracking LinkedIn engagement as part of your overall alumni engagement scorecard, you should consider starting now.
A few common blind spots that can be avoided include:
- Reaching out only when there's an ask: If alumni only hear from you around giving day or annual fund season, the outreach feels transactional. Only 27% of alumni who donate give to their alma mater. The most common reason others don't give is because they don't feel connected enough to make it a priority.
- Writing LinkedIn messages like emails: Avoid long messages, formal language, attached PDFs when LinkedIn is conversational. Keep messages short, and the tone conversational.Save the documents for follow-up conversations.
- Ignoring alumni who engage with your posts: When an alum comments on something your institution shared, respond to them, thank them by name, and if appropriate, send a connection request with a brief personal note referencing what they said.
- Not knowing what comes next when someone replies: Replying to a message without a clear next step might waste the opening you had spent time and effort on. Know what you’re trying to accomplish before you send the first message so that when someone replies, you’re ready to take the conversation forward.
Final Thoughts
We hope we’ve been able to give you and your team plenty of things to keep in mind. While LinkedIn outreach may seem like a simple game of numbers at first glance, any outreach campaigns involving social media rarely tend to be so predictable and you definitely want to keep that in mind.
To wrap things up, keep personalization (and segmentation by extension) at the heart of your strategy, have a consistent presence on LinkedIn just as you probably do with Facebook or Instagram, and make sure you are thinking about how to take the conversation forward many weeks ahead of time so that alumni feel appreciated after reacting to your outreach.
If you are looking for an alumni engagement platform to help you plan, execute, and measure your alumni outreach and engagement strategy, Almabase is built just for that so feel free to book a personalized demo with us!
How to Reach Out to Alumni on LinkedIn and Get Responses
Our article takes you through LinkedIn alumni outreach and how your team or institution can ensure that your alumni don't ignore your messages.
Prajnya Yelamali
September 2, 2026
12 minutes
For universities and other higher education institutions across the country, alumni engagement is essential to maintain a steady stream of support for driving programs. Historically, alumni engagement relied heavily on in-person events, but your alumni programs in 2021 probably don’t feature the same in-person happy hours, mixers, and fundraising events that they once did.
COVID-19 has curtailed in-person gatherings, but it’s still possible to engage with your school’s alumni in an effective and meaningful way. Zoom has emerged as the most popular virtual conferencing software option and has played a significant role in continued alumni engagement during the pandemic.
.jpeg)
While it’s not quite the same as meeting in person, Zoom can still provide a venue for your alumni to build relationships, network, and learn. Using the knowledge and experience we’ve picked up from these industries, we’ve compiled a list of tips for using Zoom to engage with your alumni virtually.
1. Host virtual events
When planning virtual events for your alumni on Zoom, there are two broad categories to choose from: meetings and webinars.
Zoom meetings allow for more significant interaction among attendees. Attendees can see each other on screen, write messages to one another in a group chat, share their screens, and ask questions. Alternatively, webinars are well-suited to facilitating virtual presentations where audience interaction isn’t necessary. In a Zoom webinar, attendees don’t see each other on the platform—they’ll only see the presentation that the host is sharing on their screen. This is a perfect space for conducting webinars with multiple panelists, addressing relevant topics such as managing time while working from home, career coaching, etc. - here's a recent webinar on combatting Zoom Fatigue.
There are all sorts of engaging ideas schools have used in the past year when it comes to Zoom meetings. Perhaps the most popular has been the virtual happy hour, where alumni gather in a Zoom room to have a drink after work, network and listen to a speaker. A few other ideas are conducting virtual yoga classes, game nights, or organizing virtual book clubs for your alumni.
The overall purpose for all virtual Zoom events is to engage your alumni and maintain a sense of community despite the distance we have to keep due to the pandemic. A mix of fun, social meetings, and educational webinars can accomplish those goals and provide additional value to your alumni.
2. Prepare detailed plans
Before you have your Zoom meeting or webinar, make sure you prepare ahead of time. First, set a goal for your virtual Zoom event: What is the purpose? What do you hope the meeting will accomplish? Next, make a plan for how the event will go. How long will it last? What will happen during the event? Who will be invited?
Let’s say you’re planning a happy hour. You’ll want to make a schedule ahead of time to help the event run smoothly. The schedule might include:
- Alumni introductions: 15min
- Group screenshot: 5min
- Speaker: 10min
- Q&A: 20min
Once you have a schedule in place, gather the necessary staff members involved in the event and do a run-through of the event activities beforehand. Test your internet connection and familiarize yourself with all of Zoom’s features to avoid technical issues during the actual event. Using a Zoom ai note taker can also help automatically capture meeting notes and ensure nothing important is missed during discussions. Some additional tips to prepare well for your event are:
Promote the event
An essential aspect of Zoom event preparation is promoting the event to your school’s alumni network. Using your alumni CRM, segment your potential supporters and send emails informing alumni about the event. Use your segments to reach your alumni with personalized messages that will most intrigue your audience. For instance, you may provide additional information about your speaker’s newest book in invitations to your supporters who studied English.
Include the agenda for the event in these promotional emails so that the attendees know what to expect from the opportunity.
Ensure security
You may have heard of “Zoom bombers”—people who join Zoom meetings to which they were not invited in order to disrupt the event. To avoid having your event bombarded with Zoom bombers, there are a few security measures you can take, like:
- Require a password to enter the event.
- Use the waiting room function.
- Lock the event room after ten minutes.
- Do not allow attendees to screen share.
Taking these steps will help to keep Zoom bombers out of your event so the focus can remain on your alumni.
3. Tailor events to specific audiences
While general alumni events like happy hours are fun and engaging, consider hosting events specific to certain topics or audiences to provide real value to your alumni. One example is hosting life skills workshops for fresh graduates on topics like financial literacy and home buying. According to DonorSearch’s guide to alumni giving, building relationships with recent graduates is an effective strategy to increase the likelihood of future giving.
Other events might be geared toward different segments within your alumni network.
For example, The College of William & Mary has a virtual alumni event titled “Women’s Health Series: Improving Maternal Health” and a webinar about diversity in the workplace. Providing high-value content to specific segments of your alumni in addition to the camaraderie naturally involved in these events will strengthen alumnae’s ties to their alma mater. Plus, they’ll be appreciative of the genuinely helpful programming and services your events provide—and odds are, they’ll remember that when you reach out to them for your next fundraising campaign.
If you’re unsure which events or webinars would be desirable to your alumni, consider asking some of your alumni leaders for ideas and/or sending out a questionnaire to your alumni as a whole to gauge interest in specific topics. A fitting event for the current era might be geared toward the class of 2020 and helping them navigate the COVID-affected job market.
4. Empower alumni to lead their own Zoom events
It’s challenging to engage a nation of alumni with Zoom meetings—they can easily become large and overwhelming, not conducive to networking and connecting with other alumni. Smaller, location or interest-based virtual events may be just the thing your alumni need to connect with one another. Empower engaged alumni with the ability to run their own Zoom events. These leaders may be presidents of their local alumni associations or just particularly involved former students. Consider reaching out to alumni who previously ran in-person events and gauge their interest in launching Zoom events during the COVID era.
Once you have a list of interested and qualified alumni leaders, ask them to pitch event ideas, design agendas, and receive approval before moving forward with the events. Develop detailed training materials to distribute to these alumni about running successful Zoom events in order to ensure all alumni engagement opportunities run smoothly.
Zoom is an easy-to-use platform that can do wonders for your engagement strategy if used the right way. Organizing webinars, group calls, and virtual events are great ways to with your alumni - no matter where they are. Incorporate these four tips to create a meaningful presence within your alumni community during the Zoom era.
4 Tips for Using Zoom to Virtually Engage Alumni
As educational institutions leverage Zoom to virtually engage their alumni, here are 4 tips that have brought success to them.
Alumni Engagement
Social media is a pivotal tool for alumni engagement, especially for young alumni who spend a lot more time on social media platforms than older generations. Engaging young alumni after graduation is crucial to building lifelong relationships. In order to stay connected with these young alumni after graduation, the two must-haves are: an effective alumni social media strategy and high-quality content.
Let’s take a look at some of the best practices for engaging alumni using social media from world-famous educational institutions, and how they use social media posts and content for engagement:
1. Talk about your professors
Alumni respect the professors who helped them master new skills and gain valuable knowledge during their formative years. A social media post featuring one of your beloved professors can tap into your alumni’s sense of gratitude and nostalgia, strengthening the sense of belongingness to the institution.
Keeping alumni regularly informed about deceased professors also offers a good opportunity for the former to pay their respects.
2. Let alumni share their experiences
One of the ways to engage and motivate your followers is to share inspiring alumni stories. It can be stories related to internships, scientific research, entrepreneurship projects, or other topics that resonate with your audience on social media.
3. Celebrate your alumni’s accomplishments
Celebrating the small and big wins of your alumni paves the way for stronger bonds.
If one of your alumni gets recognized for an academic or business front, don’t forget to give a shout-out to this achievement. Show your followers that you are truly proud of people who glorify their alma mater. Genuine appreciation for your alumni's success will make them feel valued and more connected to your institution.
4. Inspire creativity
One way to truly create an alumni community is to help them display their skills. Encourage them to create and share the artworks that represent your educational institution. Creative works of your alumni would perfectly complement your social media content strategy and help your alumni feel welcomed.
Remember that you can’t share your alumni’s work without getting their permission and you should always tag the original content creators in your posts.
5. Start a hashtag
Hashtags play an essential role in content promotion. If you want to improve the visibility of your social media content and increase reach and alumni engagement, you should add relevant hashtags to each post.
Here are a few basic rules to follow:
- Add three to seven hashtags to each caption or tweet
- Create your own branded hashtags (e.g., #berkeleyforlife, #berkeleyPOV)
- Make sure that all hashtags you are using are relevant to the image and message of your post
If you have already mastered the art of using hashtags, you can start a hashtag to collect a specific type of alumni content.
6. Share throwbacks
“Throwback-to-the-good-old-days” posts resonate with graduate students on a deep emotional level. Sharing black-and-white photographs of campus buildings and other old pictures that evoke nostalgia is bound to grab attention and further boost alumni engagement on social media.
7. Cross-promote your content
Whenever you post a new article in your blog or add a thought-provoking research paper to your publication database, you should share updates on social media with the alumni. Try writing a short caption to intrigue your readers and use a call-to-action to invite them to your website. Here are a few examples of call-to-actions you can use: check the link in the bio, browse this site, or hit the link below.
8. Provide useful information
If you want to engage your alumni, you should provide them with useful information. For instance, you can give tips on how to apply for an internship or how to stay productive while working from home. Also, you can share checklists, guides, templates, or any other helpful alumni-centric content.
Stanford University published a holiday gift guide for book lovers and invited its alumni to check it out. It’s a great example of helpful and relevant content to use on Instagram.
9. Offer discounts
Do you use social media to sell college merchandise? Offer your alumni a special discount, and you will hit two birds with one stone – boost your alumni engagement on social media and increase sales. Numerous institutions have used this approach and seen great results.
10. Share inspirational quotes
People like to share inspirational quotes with their friends, family, and coworkers. Inspirational quotes are a big hit amongst alumni of all ages. Posting daily or weekly inspirational quotes to motivate your audience is a great way to drive alumni engagement on social media. Remember to choose quotes that resonate the most with your alumni.
Wrapping it up
Today, social media has become the prime platform for alumni engagement and if you’re not leveraging it already, you’re missing out on engagement opportunities. A vast majority of your alumni community is more active on social media than anywhere else, so a strong social media presence should be a part of your alumni engagement strategy. Incorporate these 10 tried and tested strategies to drive higher alumni engagement than ever via social media.
.avif)
10 Best Practices for Engaging Your Alumni on Social Media
Your social media channels are your most accessible way to connect with your alumni. Here are 10 ideas to improve your engagement strategy
Alumni Engagement
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.
.png)
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.
***
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.
.jpeg)
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.
.avif)
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.
.png)
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.
.png)
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.
.png)
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.
.avif)
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
See how leading institutions put these ideas into action
