As each year passes, a new graduating class joins the alumni community while the rest of the alumni population grows another year distant from their days as students. This community will develop factions of alumni who are connected and influenced by key individuals, but often without a link to the educational institution. We call these groups alumni networks. Institutional Advancement and Development must map these social networks to find and engage the alumni who hold the most influence, to strengthen the alumni community and achieve fundraising goals.
Community Analytics works with educational institutions to identify new donors and build programs to engage with alumni for years to come. Using a sophisticated program of direct communication, technology and mathematics, we uncover influence networks and identify Alumni Leaders. Key indicators of these critical individuals are impact on the alumni population, strength of connectivity, and others as determined by the needs and focus of the institution.
With these lines of communication opened, the educational institution can devise strategies to:
- Increase the percentage of alumni engaged
- Reach new alumni with nontraditional connections
- Increase attendance at reunions and events
- Create more compelling reasons to give back to the institution
Areas where we’ve applied this work include but are not limited to:
- Alumni Relations
- Annual Fund
- Reunion Giving
- Major Gifts
- Planned Giving
- Corporate Relations
- Foundation Relations
- Research