HI ED490

August 3, 2015

Higher Ed Careers:

What are the competencies needed for development officers to use technology effectively to reach young alumni?

Communications number = negative giving

Communications frequency = positive gain*

Alumni donations ranks 6th of 9 in motivation

Communication vehicles for all groups

Emotional attachment to the institution is strong predictor, as is alumni involvement AFTER graduation

Communications & Alumni Donations

“We’re so used to being able to research everything online to the nth degree.

I don’t buy anything without going online first.”

Social Media Tools

1,164 positions are open for fundraising professionals in the U.S.

Fundraising Coordinator

Fundraising Manager

445 alumni relations positions open across the U.S.

Alumni Relations Officers

Forms relationships and bondsCreates a sense of communityMakes you feel important and included

“The level of connection that recent grads have with their alma mater gives universities a unique

opportunity to still shape their perceptions of their undergraduate experience.” (Greeley)

What does social media do?

Camden Community CollegeChemistry alumniAustralian universities and their TweetsHeartland Community CollegeNetwork of California Community College Foundations

(NCCCF)

Success stories

Questions?

Thank you.

ReferencesJ. Bauer, Marketing Analyst in Development Communications, Penn State, personal communication, June 26, 2015

Billings, M.S. Examining young alumni giving behavior: every dollar matters. (2013). In Drezner, N.D. (Ed.) Expanding the donor base in higher education: engaging non-traditional donors (102-119). New York: Routledge.

Greeley, L. Creating an engagement model of advancement for young people. (2013). In Drezner, N.D. (Ed.) Expanding the donor base in higher education: engaging non-traditional donors (187-205). New York: Routledge.

Halligan, T. (Feb/Mar 2010) The social media evolution: online tools drive opportunities for alumni outreach, fundraising.

Community College Journal, 80 (4), 30-33

D. Lieb, Senior Associate Vice President for Development, Penn State, personal communication, June 29, 2015

Levin, W. (2008). Communications and alumni relations: What is the correlations between an institution’s communications vehicles and alumni annual giving? International Journal of Educational Advancement, 83 (3-4),

176-197. doi: 10.1057/ijea.2009.2

Palmer, S. (2013). Characterisation of the use of Twitter by australian universities. Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management, 35(4), 333-344. doi:10.1080/1360080X.2013.812029