Category: Communication

What Teaching First-Year College Writing Taught Me About Major Donor Communications

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Writing is a social act. Sometimes, we get so bogged down in the solitary process of writing that we forget that we are, essentially, communicating. Even if I’m just journaling, I’m communicating with myself and trying to make sense or meaning of an issue. Many of the lessons that I’ve learned about what makes writing… Continue Reading What Teaching First-Year College Writing Taught Me About Major Donor Communications

Forget Those Cliché Resolutions: 4 Goals for High-Impact Fundraisers in 2019

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It’s the second week of February. According to U.S. News and World Report, if you’re like most people, you’ve probably already failed at 80% of your New Year’s resolutions. I love this time of year for this reason. When we start to struggle with our cliché or unrealistic resolutions, we get the chance to have… Continue Reading Forget Those Cliché Resolutions: 4 Goals for High-Impact Fundraisers in 2019

Stop Wasting Your Gift Officers’ Time: Interview with Joseph Volin on Engagement Metrics

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What if you could figure out exactly how undergraduate involvement influences future giving and use it to find alumni donors and leaders waiting for your call? Fundraising in higher education is hard. Not only is it challenging to identify donors with the capacity to give, you have to find those who also want to give.… Continue Reading Stop Wasting Your Gift Officers’ Time: Interview with Joseph Volin on Engagement Metrics

Do You Really Need Tech for Alumni Philanthropy? How Indecision Could Hurt You

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In the age of digital disruption, how do you cut through the noise to identify which major technological trends have substance?   Recently, my colleagues and I had a discussion about PowerPoint. In the beginning, PowerPoint was lauded as a breakthrough solution in business communication. In fact, it became downright pervasive. Then PowerPoint faced a… Continue Reading Do You Really Need Tech for Alumni Philanthropy? How Indecision Could Hurt You

How to Reach Alumni through Nostalgia & History: Spotlight on K-State Memorial Stadium

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We’ve generated a lot of ideas and discussion about how to engage alumni through story lately, including our first digital Idea Lab session, but what about engaging alumni through history? One of the most effective ways to forge (or reforge!) the connection between alumni and their alma mater is through nostalgia—by reminding them of how their experiences at the… Continue Reading How to Reach Alumni through Nostalgia & History: Spotlight on K-State Memorial Stadium

Top Takeaways from Our First Idea Lab Session: Engaging Alumni with Story

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On Thursday, September 28, 2017, ALUMinate held its first digital Idea Lab session, “Engaging Alumni with Story.” This hour long member-only session was a featured opportunity for all ALUMinate Research Consortium members. All participants received a complimentary copy of Esther Choy’s Let the Story Do the Work. Five institutions (Notre Dame University, Kansas State University, Reed… Continue Reading Top Takeaways from Our First Idea Lab Session: Engaging Alumni with Story

How to Engage Alumni with Story

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Engaging alumni can be a real challenge. We know there are a plethora of solutions out there, but have you considered storytelling as a way of reaching alumni? What does storytelling have to do with raising alumni engagement and philanthropy levels? A lot, actually! How alumni identify with their alma mater in the institution’s broader story after they graduate… Continue Reading How to Engage Alumni with Story

4 Ways You’re Neglecting Young Alumni

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In our recent welcome questionnaire, we asked all Research Consortium members, “What is your most pressing question or concern about alumni engagement and philanthropy?” Second to the topic of career services and alumni, the most popular response was research and content related to engaging young alumni. You aren’t alone. According to the results of the… Continue Reading 4 Ways You’re Neglecting Young Alumni

Five Secrets to Effective Alumni Club Websites

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If we think of regional alumni outreach as a recipe, what are the key ingredients? ✓ Strong volunteers and leadership ✓ Dedicated staff ✓ Relevant programming and events ✓ Open communication ✓ Effective use of alumni data Another ingredient that is often overlooked is web presence. When your alumni visit their local club or chapter’s website,… Continue Reading Five Secrets to Effective Alumni Club Websites

How Notre Dame Creates a Culture of Alumni Engagement

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*Image info: Eck Vistors Center, Home of Notre Dame Alumni Association. Photo Credit: Copyright © 2017 University of Notre Dame Campus Tour. We’ve already discussed the challenges of engaging alumni in our first post, but what if we consider this from the other end? What can we learn by taking an in-depth look at an alumni association that… Continue Reading How Notre Dame Creates a Culture of Alumni Engagement