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ALUMNI IN TRAINING

Annual Philanthropy Roundtable

June 1, 2023

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GOOD MORNING

Matthew Brinton, Ph.D.�DIRECTOR FOR ADVANCEMENT FOR STUDENT LIFE

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Role Identity and Engagement Behaviors of Student-Athlete Alumnae (2021)

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UP FRONT INFO

Who are our alumni?
Opportunities for engagement
Engagement indicators
Identity & Role Saliency
Where is the gap?
How can we fix it?

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UP FRONT INFO

Who are our alumni?
Opportunities for engagement
Engagement indicators
Identity & Role Saliency
Where is the gap?
How can we fix it?

MATTHEW: Students are students for a fraction of the time that they will be alumni yet so little work is done with current students to teach them what it means to be engaged and involved as an alum. Most students-alumni-donor pipeline best practices currently in use were designed for a now-outdated constituency. The world has changed. The demographics of students have shifted, including more first-generation and students from underrepresented backgrounds. We now live in a digital world where online and hybrid opportunities for engagement are no longer outliers, they are practically required. A consumerist approach to education points to a more transactional experience rather than an immersive, developmental one. We must find ways to demonstrate the value of engaged alumni and donors and acknowledge that the student-alumni-donor paradigm has shifted. One-size-fits-all approaches are no longer acceptable.

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UP FRONT INFO

Who are our alumni?
Opportunities for engagement
Engagement indicators
Identity & Role Saliency
Where is the gap?
How can we fix it?

MATTHEW: Beyond these only two factors how do we also look at traditional v. progressive; class years v. affinity group reunions; big “all-call” events vs. boutique events;

COVID has given us the opportunity to rethink what we do and how we do it; more focus on engagement and ROI

�CLICK = WHY stamp

�CORYNN: Pivot ... we’ve changed how we do things but has given us the opportunity to also re-evaluate why we do things. As we consider the ROI, we have typically looked only at giving numbers, but we all know first-hand (and there is lots of data to back it up) that our overall alumni giving numbers continue to decline…both the percentage of alumni and the raw number of alumni who give. The pandemic forced us to really think about which events and programs matter the most…rather than rinse and repeat. It made us stop and consider WHAT DO WE DO GOING FORWARD and WHY DO WE DO IT.

�The question I want us to consider today is…What if alumni engagement is as much about teaching students about what it means to be an alumnus as it is about donor cultivation? What are we doing NOW to prepare our students for a lifelong relationship with their alma mater?

�

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UP FRONT INFO

Who are our alumni?
Opportunities for engagement
Engagement indicators
Identity & Role Saliency
Where is the gap?
How can we fix it?

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UP FRONT INFO

Who are our alumni?
Opportunities for engagement
Engagement indicators
Identity & Role Saliency
Where is the gap?
How can we fix it?

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UP FRONT INFO

Who are our alumni?
Opportunities for engagement
Engagement indicators
Identity & Role Saliency
Where is the gap?
How can we fix it?

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UP FRONT INFO

Who are our alumni?
Opportunities for engagement
Engagement indicators
Identity & Role Saliency
Where is the gap?
How can we fix it?

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ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT TIMELINE

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ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT TIMELINE

This is a visual representation of the different phases an individual goes through in connection with a college or university from beginning to end and the ways in which alumni relations offices can get involved and be a part of the student experience before and after a student graduates (Brinton, 2013).

The timeline has into six phases: potential new student, first & second year student, junior & senior student, young alumni (those who have graduated within the last 10 years), professional career, and post-retirement (Brinton, 2013).

The timeline also consists of three milestones: convocation, commencement, and retirement (Brinton, 2013); the fourth milestone is death, but is not included in the graphic.

Potential/Prospective students

Depending on the connection the student’s family has with your institution, this can often be the shortest portion of the timeline

Students

Regardless of individual student situations, this is often where advancement offices have the most time to reach the largest cross section of students while they are students

Alumni/ae

By far, for most instances, the longest of the periods of this lifeline. But how do we teach/tell/demonstrate what the expectations of an engaged alumni status is

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TOUCH POINTS

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TOUCH POINTS

Phase 1 – Potential New Students

Admissions Partners

Materials
Campus Tour Scripts
Recruitment
Accepted Students Events/Letters
College Colors Days

Those in the potential new student phase are just learning about a college. This happens at different times for different people. If their parents attended the university, it is more likely they will have heard about it prior to the time when they are beginning to explore college choices (Farrell, 2007). During this phase of the timeline, alumni relations offices should be looking at ways in which they can insert themselves in the process. While there are many ways this can be achieved and every campus will have its own unique opportunities, there are three specific things that all alumni offices can do. First, alumni professional should connect with admissions staff and work on having alumni highlighted in all admissions materials. This can take the form of alumni quotes or simply featuring the stories of prominent alumni. Alumni officers should also be involved with writing campus tour scripts that include highlights and information from the student experiences of alumni. The third opportunity in this phase is having alumni volunteers be involved with recruiting events. They can work with admissions staff at school recruiting events, host accepted student receptions in the summer prior to enrollment, and be champions for the school.

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TOUCH POINTS

Milestone 1 – Convocation

Series of Events
New Student Orientation
Move-in Day
Convocation

Phase 2 – First/Second Year Students

Maintain Balance
Setting Expected Behaviors
Mentoring
Club Advisors
Student Giving Programs
Social Activities & Events

Alumni in Training

What does it mean to be an engaged alum?
We have a captive audience, how are we connecting with them?
What do we currently have in place?

As students make the transition from potential new student, to accepted student, to enrolled student, the timeline’s first milestone takes place. This milestone is not marked by a singular event, rather it is shaped by a series of events leading up to the start of the student’s first semester on campus including new student orientation, campus move-in, and convocation (Brinton, 2013). As with phases, there are also opportunities for alumni relations offices to be involved with the series of events in this milestone category. Alumni volunteers and alumni stories should be included in new-student orientation programming. This is a way for incoming students and their families to connect with past generations of alumni from various backgrounds. Alumni staff and volunteers should also be present on move-in day. Depending on the campus this can take the form of various activities from staffing information tables to physically helping new students move into their residence halls. And finally in this milestone, alumni should have a strong presence during the convocation ceremony. This typically includes either having an alumni volunteer provide a welcome in person or a group of alumni providing a welcome via video (University of Northern Colorado, 2017).

The second phase of the timeline takes place during the student’s first & second year on campus (Brinton, 2013). During this phase alumni relations programming should be present, but not over powering. There is a balance that should be struck between keeping students connected with alumni and what it means to be an alumnus(a) while at the same time not crowding out the other parts of the student experience. In this phase alumni relations office can facilitate student connections with alumni from their desired fields for mentoring opportunities, provide social programming and events to connect students and alumni, and work with development offices on student giving programs. Again, each campus will have opportunities that are specific to their campus experience, but generally these three things can be accomplished on all campuses (Brinton, 2013).

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TOUCH POINTS

Phase 3 – Junior/Senior Students

Intentional Programming
Role Expectations
Career Offices
Alumni Employers
Senior Sendoffs
Student Giving

Milestone 2 – Commencement

Alumnus/a Welcome
Brand/Presence
Alumni Giving

Phase three of the timeline focuses on students that are in their junior & senior years and beginning to make the transition from student to alumni (Brinton, 2013). This is a point in the process where alumni relations offices should begin to ramp up their programming and connections with students so there is a national transition from student to alumni and no lag in their engagement and involvement with the office. It is in this phase when a heavier programmatic focus should be put on career programming in connection with campus career offices. Alumni panels focused on fields and not specific majors are good ways for students to find connection between what they want to do in their careers and alumni who have gotten there. This type of programming can also take the shape of networking events and other events focused on connecting students and alumni. Additionally, alumni staffs should also encourage alumni employers to recruit at on-campus job fairs and through campus job boards. This is another way to show the reach of the alumni network. A continuation of student giving programs is a way to keep students connected to the idea that philanthropy is a core value held by the institution and its alumni. The final series of events in this phase all lead up to the next milestone and can include senior sendoff events, participation in cap and gown distribution leading up to commencement, and other related events.

Milestone number two on the timeline is commencement (Brinton, 2013). Alumni offices each have different traditions when it comes to commencement (Vanderbout, 2010), but these three actions can be taken by most programs. The first action should be a welcome to the alumni association from a current alumnus(a). This again can take on different looks depending on the institution, but generally consists of either an alumni speaker or video. At commencement alumni offices should ensure that there is a strong alumni brand presence. This can include welcome banners from the alumni association, alumni pins or other merchandise that are distributed to graduating students, and the utilization of something that can identify current alumni again to show some of the scope of the alumni network. The conversation about philanthropy continues through a solicitation for the support of specific funds or a class gift (Brinton, 2013).

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TOUCH POINTS

Phase 4 – Young Alumni

Defining “Young Alumni”
Engagement Opportunities

Professional Development
Career Transition
Regional Groups
Awards Programs/Recognition

Care Calls

The first post departure component of the timeline is the young alumni phase (Brinton, 2013). While the definition of ‘young alumni’ varies by institution, it is generally held in the field that this constituency is made up of alumni who have graduated within the last 10-15 years and are on average between 25-35 years old (McDearmon & Shirley, 2009); this definition does not take into account non-traditional students, those who do not go directly to college after graduating high school (Chung, Turnbull, & Chur-Hansen, 2017). For the purposes of the alumni timeline, ‘young alumni’ are defined as those who graduated within the last ten years (Brinton, 2013). In this phase, the work of the alumni relations office should be focused on keeping these new alumni connected with the institution because generally, alumni who stay connected with their alma maters are more likely to be engaged and make financial contributions to the college (McDearmon & Shirley, 2009). Opportunities for these alumni to volunteer and programming related to professional development and career transition are key in this phase. This is also a change to capitalize on their excitement from graduation and connect them with other alumni in their areas through the use of regional alumni groups. There is also opportunity here to recognize outstanding young alumni who have made contributions to their fields and their community through awards programs such as the University of Northern Colorado’s 10 Under 10 program (University of Northern Colorado Alumni Association, 2018). In this phase the focus on philanthropy should proceed cautiously. Many alumni graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in loan debt, making their likelihood of feeling philanthropic lesser due to their monthly loan bills (McDearmon & Shirley, 2009). The first call that a young alumnus(a) receives from the institution should not be a solicitation.

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TOUCH POINTS

Phase 5 – Professional Career

Longest Phase

Stay Relevant
Avoid Unnecessary Repetition

Prospect Development

Identify, Qualify, Cultivate

Engagement Opportunities

Board Service
Mentoring
Professional/Career Panels
Award Programs/Recognition

As alumni move beyond the ten year post departure mark, they enter the professional career phase (Brinton, 2013). In this phase alumni offices start looking to connect these professionals with students for mentoring and other volunteer opportunities such as speaking to classes and sitting on alumni career panels. These alumni are more likely to be in financial positions where they can make gifts to the institution, and enter into the qualification stages of the development pipeline (Lee, Piliavin, & Call, 1999). Social activities during this phase are related to networking and oftentimes university athletics (Ko, Rhee, Walker, & Lee, 2013). This is the longest stage in the timeline and the one that requires constant attention. With the multitude of opportunities alumni have for philanthropic giving, attending events, and staying connected (Newman & Petrosko, 2011), relevancy is key. Alumni offices that get locked into doing the same types of programming year over year will lose out on the engagement of many of their constituents (Radcliffe, 2011).

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TOUCH POINTS

Phase 6/Milestone 5 - Retirement

Engagement Opportunities

Giving v. Attending
Have We Done it?
Recognition
Service
Estate Giving

Nostalgia

The retirement milestone and post-retirement phase work in conjunction with each other (Brinton, 2013). At the end of their careers, alumni in these areas are more inclined to give but not interest in getting and staying engaged with programming and events varies dramatically (Hoyt, 2004). If the institution has done well in keeping these alumni engaged throughout the previous phases, they are more likely to attend events and volunteer at this stage (Radcliffe, 2011). Programming connecting alumni back to campus through reunions, athletics, and other similar areas are most effective. This is also a wonderful opportunity to recognize, through university awards programs, the great contributions that a specific alumnus(a) has made to their field, to the community, and to the institution. Philanthropic discussions here turn to major gifts (Matheny, 1993), defined in this timeline as gifts over $25,000, and estate gift planning. Work in this phase should focus on nostalgia and showing these alumni how their engagement can make a difference for the institution.

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ALUMNI & STUDENTS

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TYPES OF STUDENTS & ALUMNI

Highly Engaged

Legacy Students/Alumni
Campus Leaders
Regular Event Attendance
Loyalists
Easy to Overlook

Highly engaged individuals are connected with the institution from the outset stay engaged with the institution throughout the entirety of their lives. Many in this category are legacy students (Farrell, 2007), and have been exposed to different facets of the university well before they began searching for college options. Other characteristics of students in this category include regular attendance to campus events and involvement in student clubs and organizations. These are the students who participate in student government, work as resident assistants, and find ways to get and stay connected with the institution beyond academics. This group of alumni regularly attend events, volunteer their time, and make financial contributions to the institution. They become fixtures on campus and in the community are known for their connection with the university. However, it can become easy for these alumni to get overlooked because alumni and development offices become complacent knowing that these alumni are likely to attend and make gifts. It is important for advancement professionals to not lose sight of this group and to plan programs and activities that recognize their contributions to campus. Utilize these alumni in different ways and provide different opportunities for them to get involved.

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TYPES OF STUDENTS & ALUMNI

Moderately Engaged

Attend the Biggies
In and Out of Touch
Events Maybe … Likely Not other opportunities
One on One Engagement

The second category of alumni and student engagement is those that are moderately engaged (Brinton, 2013). The dashed line in Figure 2 represents this group of students and alumni. Students in this category attend convocation and commencement exercises, but during their time as students are not involved with campus outside of their studies. They are not involved with clubs and organizations on campus and rarely attend campus events. This behavior can be due to several factors beyond just an unwillingness to be involved such as students who work to pay for school or support their family (Koening-Lewis, Asaad, Palmer, & Petersone, 2016). Moderately engaged alumni tend to slide in and out of touch with their alma mater. They will occasionally attend events, but are unlikely to make financial contributions or volunteer. Work for advancement officers here should focus on finding ways to connect the individual passions of these alumni with programs and funds on campus. This is tedious one-on-one work that requires constant attention.

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TYPES OF STUDENTS & ALUMNI

Disengaged

Classes and That’s It
Graduate and They’re Gone
Most Difficult Group to Engage

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ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT TIMELINE

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ALUMNI IN TRAINING TOOLKIT

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THE TOOLKIT

Alumni Engagement Timeline
Engagement Resource Library
Campus Partner Matrix
LinkedIn Group

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THE TOOLKIT

Alumni Engagement Timeline
Engagement Resource Library
Campus Partner Matrix
LinkedIn Group

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THE TOOLKIT

Alumni Engagement Timeline
Engagement Resource Library
Campus Partner Matrix
LinkedIn Group

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THE TOOLKIT

Alumni Engagement Timeline
Engagement Resource Library
Campus Partner Matrix
LinkedIn Group

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THANK YOU!