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360Alumni
September 20, 2024
Alumni engagement is a crucial metric for colleges and universities as it reflects the strength of relationships with their graduates. Engaged alumni are more likely to contribute their time, talent, and financial resources to their alma mater. However, measuring alumni engagement and improving it is not as simple as counting donations or attendance at reunions. Instead, it requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account various types of engagement, tailored strategies, and an understanding of key factors that drive alumni involvement.
In this article, we'll explore best practices for measuring alumni engagement and outline strategies colleges and universities can implement to enhance it. By using a multi-dimensional approach, institutions can build more meaningful relationships with their alumni and, in turn, increase support for their missions.
To properly measure and improve alumni engagement, colleges and universities need to focus on several key factors. Alumni engagement isn't just about financial contributions - it's about alumni being involved in a range of activities that support the alumni and institution's goals. The following are some critical factors to consider:
Alumni engagement often begins with participation in events. These could be reunions, sporting events, fundraising galas, or career networking opportunities. The frequency and depth of alumni involvement in these events is a strong indicator of their overall engagement. Schools can track event attendance, repeat participation, and event-specific feedback to measure this aspect.
Many alumni give back by volunteering their time. This can range from mentoring current students to serving on boards or helping organize events. Tracking the number of alumni who volunteer, as well as the time and effort they invest, provides a clear picture of their commitment to the institution.
While donations are not the sole measure of alumni engagement, they are certainly an important one. However, it’s important to track not only the amount of money given but also the percentage of alumni who contribute and how often they do so. Smaller, recurring donations from a large base of alumni are often more indicative of broad engagement than sporadic large gifts.
How often alumni open, click on, or respond to email communications, participate in surveys, or interact with the school on social media are valuable data points. High levels of engagement with content (such as newsletters or social media posts) can indicate ongoing interest and connection with the institution.
Alumni who engage with their alma mater for career-related reasons—whether it's through attending job fairs, using the university’s career services, or helping current students with internships—are building a symbiotic relationship with the institution. This factor is especially important for institutions that wish to nurture lifelong relationships with their alumni.
Measuring alumni engagement requires schools to adopt a holistic and multi-faceted approach. Rather than focusing on one metric alone, it’s important to integrate data from several areas to create a comprehensive view of alumni engagement. Here are some of the best practices that colleges and universities should adopt:
Many schools are now using engagement scoring models to quantify alumni engagement. These models assign values to different types of involvement, such as attending events, donating, and volunteering. By aggregating these scores, schools can classify their alumni into different engagement levels and target outreach more effectively. Higher scores typically reflect stronger engagement, while lower scores may indicate alumni who require re-engagement strategies.
Surveys provide direct insight into how alumni feel about their alma mater and what motivates - or discourages - their involvement. Institutions should regularly ask for alumni feedback on events, communications, and other initiatives. These surveys can also capture important data about alumni preferences for future engagement opportunities, helping schools tailor their offerings to meet alumni needs.
Tracking digital engagement is essential in today’s tech-driven world. Schools should monitor email open rates, click-through rates, social media interactions, and website visits. By analyzing these digital touchpoints, institutions can understand what content resonates with alumni and adjust their digital engagement strategies accordingly.
Colleges and universities should consistently track attendance at both in-person and virtual events. It’s important not only to measure who attends but also to identify trends, such as which types of events attract the most alumni, whether certain demographics are more likely to attend, and if alumni return for multiple events.
Alumni who volunteer tend to be highly engaged, so institutions should have systems in place to track who is volunteering and in what capacity. It’s also helpful to measure how long alumni continue to volunteer and whether their volunteerism leads to other forms of engagement, such as increased donations or event attendance.
Understanding how your school compares to peer institutions can provide context for your alumni engagement efforts. Many colleges and universities participate in benchmarking studies that compare alumni engagement metrics across similar schools. This helps institutions set realistic goals and identify best practices from other schools that can be adopted or adapted.
Once schools have a solid framework for measuring alumni engagement, they need strategies to improve it. Simply collecting data isn’t enough - institutions must actively use the data to build stronger relationships and encourage more meaningful alumni participation. Here are several strategies to consider:
Alumni are more likely to engage with their alma mater if communications are relevant and tailored to their interests. Schools should segment alumni based on factors such as graduation year, major, geographic location, and past engagement levels. Personalization can also be achieved through dynamic email campaigns and targeted social media content.
Alumni value continuing education and professional development. Colleges and universities can offer lifelong learning opportunities, such as webinars, online courses, and workshops, that keep alumni connected to the institution and help them grow professionally. These educational offerings can also be used to foster networking among alumni and current students.
While not entirely effective by itself, social media provides a powerful platform for alumni engagement. Schools should create active alumni groups on platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, where alumni can connect, share updates, and support one another. Institutions can also use social media to spotlight alumni success stories and engage alumni in interactive content like polls and live Q&A sessions.
Engagement shouldn’t start after alumni graduate - it should begin while they’re still students. Colleges and universities should encourage seniors to get involved with alumni activities, such as mentoring or attending alumni-student events. Building connections early can increase the likelihood of sustained alumni involvement after graduation.
Alumni should have a variety of options for giving back, beyond just financial contributions. Whether through volunteer opportunities, mentorship programs, or serving as guest speakers, offering multiple pathways for involvement ensures that more alumni can find a way to engage that resonates with them.
Alumni networks are a powerful tool for fostering engagement. Schools can encourage alumni to form local chapters, professional interest groups, and online communities. These networks provide a sense of belonging and make it easier for alumni to stay connected, even if they live far from the main campus.
Publicly recognizing alumni contributions can be a motivating factor for many graduates. Whether through awards, newsletters, or social media shout-outs, acknowledging alumni for their time, talent, and treasure can strengthen their connection to the institution. Offering incentives, such as exclusive alumni events or discounts on school merchandise, can also boost engagement.
Measuring and improving alumni engagement is an ongoing process that requires a thoughtful, data-driven approach. Colleges and universities must take into account a range of factors - such as event participation, volunteerism, and philanthropy - to gain a true understanding of alumni engagement. By developing comprehensive engagement scores, leveraging digital data, and benchmarking against peer institutions, schools can better measure their success in engaging alumni.
Ultimately, improving alumni engagement comes down to building meaningful, long-lasting relationships with graduates. Through personalized communication, lifelong learning opportunities, and a variety of ways to give back, colleges and universities can create an environment where alumni feel valued and inspired to remain actively involved with their alma mater.
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