engaging your alumni to build their own online chapter/club communities

Engaging Your Alumni to Build Their Own Online Chapter/Club Communities

2010 CASE District VI ConferenceJanuary 11, 2010

Mark Davis, Director Technical [email protected]

Zach Wheat, Director of Interactive MediaUniversity of [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Page #2 © 2010 Blackbaud

Session Summary and Key Take-Aways

Understand How Web 2.0 Technologies are Forming Your Alumni’s Online Expectations

Learn How to Empower Chapter/Club Alumni Volunteers to Use Online Tools to Build Social Networks and Meet these Expectations

Understand How Institutions like University of Virginia and University of Chicago are Benefiting from a More Engaged Alumni through Chapter/Club Online Communities


Session Agenda

History of Alumni Online Engagement

Building Successful Online Chapter/Club Communities

Case Study #1: University of Chicago

Case Study #2: University of Virginia


HISTORY OF ALUMNI ONLINE ENGAGEMENT


Alumni Online Engagement Evolution

Online Directories

Alumni Centers

Online Social

Networks


Early Technologies: Online Directories

•Basic – No Interactivity

•Web 1.0 Technology

•One-Way Communications

Level of Engagement

•Extension of Offline Directory

•No Fundraising Objectives or Measured ROI

Fundraising Goals and

ROI

•Institution-Only Content

•Limited Data Collection

Content Sources and

Data


More Engagement: Alumni Centers

•Some Interactivity, i.e., Class Notes

•Two-Way Communications

Level of Engagement

•Measured ROI, i.e., % of Email Address

•Online Donations


ROI

•Alumni-Generated Content

•Profile and Interest Management

Content Sources and

Data


Latest Advancement: Online Social Networks

•High-level Engagement

•Alum-to-Alum Communications

Level of Engagement

•Specific Online Fundraising Programs

•Peer-to-Peer Fundraising


ROI

•Personalized and Subscribed Content

•Social Network Collected Data

Content Sources and

Data


BUILDING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE CHAPTER/CLUB COMMUNITIES


Launching a Successful Chapter/Club Online Network

Define The Right

Project

Design The Right

Online Solution

Execute and

Provide Support

Measure Results and Re-Evaluate


Set Clear Project Goals• Provide

Chapter/Club Volunteers with New Interactive Online Tools

Define Measurable Objectives• Match Objectives to

Project Goals• All Objectives Must

be Measured and Tracked

Survey Your Alumni’s Needs• How They Interact

with Other Alum• What Services They

Want from the University

Define The Right

Project


Sample Project Objectives

• Target Workable Email Addresses for Over 50% of All Alumni

Increase Alumni Email Addresses

• Target to Increase Overall Alumni Web Traffic by 100%

Increase Alumni Online Activity

• Cover Ongoing Costs through Event Registration Transaction Revenue

Minimize Budget Impact

• Deliver Monthly Chapter/Club-Specific Communications to 100% of All Alumni Center Members

Deliver More Relevant Information


Understand Your Marketplace• Comparable

Institution Websites• Other “Dot Com”

Sites

Select the Right Technology• Select a Proven

Vendor or Developer• Future-Proof Your

Institution

Design for the Right Features• Match Alumni

Expectations and Survey Results

• Align Features to Meeting Objectives

Design The Right Online

Solution


Key Online Technology Features

• Allows University Staff to Control Access to Key Features and Data for Chapter/Club Users

Constituent Relationship Management (CRM)

• Provides Easy Tools for Alum Volunteers to Maintain Up-to-Date Information about Chapter/Club online

Chapter / Club Website Management (CMS)

• Gives Simple Tools and Email Design Templates to Chapter/Club Volunteers to Communicate to Registered Members

Email Design and Delivery

• Allows Alumni to Submit New Event, Search Existing Events and Register and Pay for Attending Selected Events

Events Registrations and Calendaring


Staff Project Appropriately• Use Combination of

Vendor and Staff Resources

• Hire as Necessary to Support Project

Invest in Staff and Alumni Training• Invest in Expert

Training with Core Team

• Train New Chapter/Club Users

Provide Ongoing Support to Alumni• Train Alumni-facing

Staff on Technology• Offer On-call

Support for Chapter/Club Users

Execute and

Provide Support


Periodically Measure• Create Set of

Recurring Report• Measure Key Stats

against Original Project Objectives

Report Results• Share Results with

Entire Team and across Institution

• Use Results to Prove ROI Case to Executives

Re-evaluate Needs and Technologies• Understand that

Technology Always Changes

• Re-evaluate Every 3-5 Years

Measure Results and Re-Evaluate


CASE STUDY:UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO


University of Chicago Alumni Center Project

• The University of Chicago wanted to design a more engaging and modern online Alumni Center.

Challenge

• The University of Chicago launched the Alumni and Friends website including the alumni association pages and alumni directory. The sleek, roomy design is paired with robust Blackbaud functionality to create a break-through Alumni application.

Solution

http://alumniandfriends.uchicago.eduLaunched May 29, 2009

http://alumniandfriends.uchicago.edu/


Alumni Engagement Options

• Alumni Can Search for Upcoming Events and Submit New Events

Events

• Alumni Can Post Jobs and Exchange Career Advice

Career Resources

• Alumni Can Support the University and See How Their Donations are Being Used

Online Giving

• Alumni Can Give Back Their Time and Skills to the Alumni Community

Volunteer


Different Club and Group Networks

• University Pre-Populated the Network with Each Graduating Class and Division/School

College Classes & Schools

• Staff Created Chapter Network Sites across Each Region in the US and Internationally

Regional and International

• Staff also Created a Catch-all Network Type for Special Interests for Specialty Clubs

Special Interest Groups


Connecting Alumni to Networks

• Search Feature Allows Alumni to Look Up Networks by a Variety of Descriptors

Search Networks

• Enterprising Alumni can Create New Networks, such as New Region or Special Interest for Staff Approval

Create New Networks

• Individual Networks are Defined by a Variety of Characteristics which are Stored in the Database

Network Attributes


Alumni Network Engagement

• Links Alum to Specific Networks within the Database

Network Membership

• Tools Allow Chapter/Club Volunteers to Present Events and Capture, if Requested, Online Registrations

Local Event Calendar

• Tools Allow for the Creation of Local News Articles and Feedback on Message Boards

Other Localized Content


Data Maintenance and Integrity

• Authenticate Online Users between Alumni Websites and The University of Chicago’s CNET ID system

Single Sign On

• Migrated of Over 145,000 Profile Records from Alumni Database

Data Migration

• Future Project to Integrate Information Collected Online to University Databases

Data Integration


CASE STUDY:UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA


University of Virginia Project Timeline

2005Define The Right Project• Determine

Requirements through Extensive Research

2005Design the Right Online Solution • Procure New

System - Blackbaud Sphere

• Hired Staff

2006Execute and Provide Support• Launch First Phase

of Sites• Train Staff and

Volunteers

2007+Measure Results and Re-Evaluate• Track and Report

Progress of Solution


Defining the Right Project

• The University suffered from a mish-mash of websites and technologies and needed to uniformly create a vibrant engagement operation with more event participation and alumni interactions.

Challenge

• The University of Virginia uses Blackbaud’s Sphere platform as a single solution to create a modern, attractive alumni website that enables a single online experience for all types of online interactions by alumni.

Solution

http://uvaclubs.virginia.eduhttp://hoosonline.virginia.edu

http://uvaclubs.virginia.edu/

http://hoosonline.virginia.edu/


Designing the Right Online Solution

• Website with online forms, engaging content and community-building tools

• Tools to manage event registrations and calendars

Websites to Connect Alumni

• Centralized login for all alumni to link to Career and Research Service, Affinity Circles, and Vmail

• This is a primary way for an alumni to update their contact information; data integration was key

Data Maintenance

• A strong email system with accurate addresses gives them the ability to reach alumni very quickly

• Provides the capabilities to ensure targeted and relevant messaging

Email Communications


Execute and Provide Support

Primary Staff Users• Six Full-time Staff• Manager, Data Specialist, Email Marketer, Website Designer, Form

Manager, Advanced Programmer, and Trainer

Chapter and Club Alumni Users• Must Make it Easy for Volunteers to be Successful• Unsuccessful with Formal Training Program; Transitioned to

Consultative One-on-One Approach

Other Staff Users• Provided Training to Other Staff who Interact with Alumni• An Additional 190 Staff have Access to System• Two Additional Email Communication Specialists within Alumni Staff• Regional Engagement Officers


Chapter/Club Online Tools

• Template Allows for the Creation of Forms, Photos, RSS News Feed and Event Calendars

Chapter/Club Website

• Sites can be Managed Either by Alumni Volunteers or Supported by Trained Staff with Controlled Access

Access Controls

• Staff Work with Alumni Volunteers to Send Periodic and Targeted eNewsletter Communications, while Updating Member Data Directly Online

Email Communications

http://uvaclubs.virginia.edu




Measuring and Reporting Results

• 50% Workable Email Addresses: 200,000 Alumni, Started with 35K Email Addresses, Now Have 110K Email Addresses

• Increase Online Interactions: Launched Over 150 Club/Chapter Websites

• Increase Online Fundraising: 220 Active Donation Forms Raising $3.5M Annually

• More Targeted Communications: Sending 10M Targeted Emails Annually Using 130+ Campaigns

Summary of Results

2007 Statistics• 5,600 event

registrations• 6.3 million emails• 2,100 online donations

2008 Statistics• 14,000 event

registrations• 5.9 million emails• 4,500 online donations• 144% increase in funds

received

2009 Statistics • 18,500 event

registrations• 10.4 million emails• 11,200 online donations• 136% increase in funds

received


Technology Re-Evaluation and Investment

HoosOnline, Campaign for the University, HoosNetwork,

Facebook/Linked In, and iPhone Applications

University Resources Now Concentrate on Creating New and More Modern

Online Services

Club Sites are Nearly 100% Volunteer Driven, Creating Deeply Engaging

Interactions with Alumni

Key Infrastructure is in Place and Now Very Usable

New Fundraising Campaign Site:http://campaign.virginia.edu

http://campaign.virginia.edu/


Lessons Learned

•Include All Stakeholders from the Start

Do Not Design or Work in a Vacuum

•Create an Easy-to-Use System to Produce Forms, Websites and Email Yields Greater Adoption

Invest in Intelligent Design Up Front

•Ensure Volunteers and Staff have Access to Only What They Need

Control Access to Key Systems and

Data

•Build Strong Relationships between Trainers and Chapter/Club Alumni Volunteers

Invest in Training

•Breed an Environment of Success to Build Momentum and Ongoing Investment

Measure and Report on Success


Next Steps… Answering the Question:“Is an Engaged Alum More Likely to Give Money?”

•Integrating Alumni Activities and Donor Information

•Online Activities with Profile Information Exchanged between University Databases

Data Integration is Important

•28 Foundations and 100’s of Online Giving Forms

•CRM Tracking and Segmentation is the Key

Data Collection Difficult in

Decentralized Environment

•Over $3.5 Online in CY09

•Beginning to Analyze Surveys in 2009 Correlating Event Registration to Online Activities

Early Results: Available Data


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS?

Mark DavisDirector, Technical [email protected]

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