The Impact of Alumni Relations
As an alumni relations professional, you know how much impact your work can have. Your job goes far beyond just keeping in touch with graduates; you build lasting relationships that benefit the alumni and your institution.
In 2023 alone, donations to U.S. colleges and universities reached an impressive $58 billion. That's a vast number, showing how crucial alumni relations are.
Effective engagement with alumni engagement makes this kind of support possible —and as an alumni relations professional, you have the power to influence it.
Balancing Genuine Connection with Strategic Goals for Long-term Success
An alumni magazine allows us to build genuine connections through stories. Stories help alumni stay connected to their alma mater, nurturing a strong sense of community.
But let's be honest—there's a business side, too. We must consider the financial and strategic aspects to keep the magazine thriving and those connections strong.
Great alumni magazines offer the right mix of heartfelt storytelling and clear outcomes—whether that's more engagement, volunteerism, or donations.
Get that balance right, and your magazine will stay relevant and contribute to the university goals as part of your broader alumni relations strategy.
Key Contribution Objectives of Alumni Magazines
Activation
Keeping recent graduates connected is the first step. You have a unique chance to help them transition from students to lifelong ambassadors of your institution. Your guidance can help them strengthen that sense of community as they move forward.
Engagement
Alumni engagement looks different for everyone. It could be as simple as reading a newsletter or as involved as volunteering or mentoring.
Think about the impact of sharing a story in your magazine about a recent grad who found a career mentor through an alumni event. Stories like these are powerful—they inspire other alumni to reconnect and get involved, regardless of their life or career.
Contributions
Financial support is essential and the most common way of contributing, but it's just one way alumni can give back. Your role is to show alumni how they can contribute—by donating, volunteering their time, or sharing their expertise.
The Potential for Growth
There's so much potential here. Top-performing colleges have alumni giving rates of over 22%, with Princeton University reaching an impressive 46% in 2022-2023.
These numbers show plenty of room to grow, and with the right strategies, your institution can reach new heights. What percentage are you at currently?
Strategic Communication
Sure, there are things you can't control—like an alum's financial situation or their feelings right after graduation—but you can influence their long-term connection with your institution. A strong content strategy and regular, meaningful communication make that happen.
Alumni of all ages tend to prefer communication through email, newsletters, magazines, and social media—these are your go-to tools. Most alumni also like to hear from you at least once a quarter, so regular touchpoints matter.
Maximizing the Impact of Alumni Magazines
Alumni magazines can be a powerful part of your engagement strategy. They give you a platform to share compelling stories, celebrate your institution's achievements, and let alumni know how they can get involved. When you highlight a success story or share a notable alum's journey, you're doing more than just passing on information—you're reigniting the pride and connection they felt as students.
You reinforce their bond with your institution whenever you reach out to alumni. When a story resonates, it doesn't just inform—it rekindles that sense of pride and connection.
Next steps
Take a moment to think about your alumni magazine. Are the stories connecting with your readers? Are they driving the kind of engagement and support your institution needs?
There's always room to tweak and improve; even small changes can make a big difference. The relationships you're building now will pay off in the future, creating a loyal, supportive alumni community that's with you for the long haul.
