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Onboarding usually takes a couple of weeks, but you can set a timeline that fits your team and launch plans. Your Client Success Manager (CSM) will guide you through each step, from alumni database management and profile setup to stakeholder training and launch.
Our onboarding approach combines your organization’s goals and internal team with guidance from the 360Alumni Client Success team. Together, we’ll prioritize what needs to be ready for launch and build a practical plan for expanding engagement over time.
Complete payment and banking forms
After your contract and payment are received, 360Alumni will set up your community and hand it over by the date agreed during implementation planning.
If you are based in the United States, complete these steps so your organization can receive proceeds from Events, Campaigns, and Memberships.
- Download 360Alumni’s IRS Form W-9 and provide it to your accounting department.
- Complete the IRS Form W-9 for your organization and send a copy to 360Alumni. This allows us to send proceeds from your community.
- Download, complete, and return the ACH Transfer Authorization Form. ACH details allow us to promptly send proceeds from event registrations, fundraising, and membership sales.
Meet your Client Success Manager
Your CSM will schedule a kickoff meeting once your community is ready. Share any fixed deadlines—such as an alumni event, campaign, membership launch, or reunion date—at the start of onboarding so your plan can be built around them. Before kickoff, review your community goals and identify the stakeholders who should participate in planning, training, or launch activities.
Plan your data and profile setup
Your first onboarding meeting focuses on your alumni CRM data and profile configuration. Before the meeting, decide how you want alumni information stored and used in your alumni directory.
- Identify the custom profile fields and custom objects you need. Prepare the values or options needed for dropdowns and other predefined fields.
- Decide which information is visible to community members and which is limited to Full Access users.
- Choose which fields or objects should be searchable.
- Set default privacy choices for profile information.
- Share sample rows from your current CRM or spreadsheet if you would like guidance on your profile structure.
As you prepare to import data, 360Alumni can also help with services such as data normalization, mobile phone validation, and email deliverability checks.
Configure your community
Before training and launch, review the settings that shape how your community looks and works.
- Provide your logo files, brand colors, and preferred HEX color codes.
- Draft the welcome messages members will see when they join.
- Choose which homepage sections and platform features you want available at launch.
- Review the default notification and privacy settings for your community.
- Assign any additional administrators who will help manage the platform.
You can adjust these settings later, so focus first on what your community needs at launch.
Train your team and stakeholders
Your second onboarding meeting is training for the people who will manage or support your community. Invite the stakeholders who will work with features such as Email Marketing, Events, Groups, Memberships, Campaigns, Opportunities, Showcases, and Asks & Offers.
- Collect questions from attendees before the session.
- Send them to your CSM in advance.
- Ask your CSM to focus the training on the workflows your team will use first.
Review content and plan your launch
Your third onboarding meeting focuses on launch planning. You and your CSM will review the first content created in your community and identify any final updates before you invite members.
- Review your home page, welcome messages, and initial content.
- Confirm the features you plan to make available at launch.
- Review recommendations and community-management best practices from your CSM.
- Use the sample community content and email template to prepare your launch announcement.
- Confirm your launch date and the team members responsible for monitoring questions and activity.
After launch
Once you launch, your CSM will check in periodically and may share recommendations based on activity in your community. You can also contact your CSM directly, email questions to support@360Alumni.com, or contact our CEO & Founder with ideas for additional features.