Alumni donations often account for around 10% of a university’s annual funding.
But Princeton University blew this number out of the water during the 2022-2023 academic year, achieving an impressive 46% alumni donor rate—the highest among national institutions, as reported by US News. A key factor in their success? Using FormAssembly’s platform for managing alumni engagement and donations effectively.
To truly engage alumni and enhance your fundraising efforts, generic newsletters, and mass reunion invites are not enough. Check out these strategies to start building lasting connections:
Building authentic connections through smart workflows
Effective alumni engagement starts with understanding and addressing each graduate’s unique needs. Automating and streamlining workflows ensures every interaction feels personal and relevant.
Utilize web forms to collect detailed information about alumni’s current interests and preferences. This data allows for precise segmentation. For instance, recent graduates who are keen on career development can receive invitations to mentorship programs and networking mixers, while long-time alumni interested in giving back might receive tailored appeals for donations or exclusive events celebrating their contributions.
Email triggers: making every interaction count
Personalization extends to timely and relevant communications through email triggers. These automated responses ensure that interactions are both immediate and meaningful.
When an alumnus registers for an event, they receive an instant confirmation email with event details. A few days before the event, an automated reminder includes what to bring to make the most of their visit. If an alumnus joins a waitlist for a sold-out event, they receive real-time updates on their status and notifications if a spot becomes available.
Connect to Salesforce for user insights
Integrating web forms with Salesforce enhances alumni engagement by providing a comprehensive view of each alumnus’s interactions with the institution.
Salesforce tracks donation history and event participation, allowing for personalized campaigns. Consistent contributors to annual fundraisers can receive tailored campaigns that recognize their loyalty and invite them to special recognition events, further strengthening their emotional connection with the institution.
Simplifying donations with in-form payments
Fundraising is crucial for alumni engagement, and integrated payment connectors streamline the donation process, making it secure and efficient. Gone are the days of costly postage for pledge cards that often go unanswered.
By integrating payment connectors like Stripe or Paypal directly into your web forms for capital campaigns, you provide alumni with a seamless and user-friendly way to contribute. Whether it’s a one-time gift, a recurring donation, or a matching gift, these secure forms simplify the process. Additionally, they support targeted fundraising efforts, such as campaigns for new scholarship funds, enhancing your ability to raise crucial funds efficiently.
Improve alumni engagement with personal touches
While technology is essential, personal touches make alumni feel truly valued:
- Create personalized communications: Use collected data to send tailored messages that reflect each alumnus’s journey. Personalized emails that acknowledge specific contributions to recent fundraisers can go a long way.
- Solicit and act on feedback: Regularly gather feedback through surveys and use it to improve future events. After major events, send surveys to capture experiences and refine your approach based on the insights received.
- Celebrate milestones: Recognize significant achievements and anniversaries with personalized notes or events celebrating milestones such as 10-year graduation anniversaries or notable career accomplishments.
The right technology can transform your alumni engagement, drive event attendance, boost donations, and build lasting loyalty. FormAssembly is trusted by hundreds of higher education institutions to drive results in their data strategies.
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