Reframing Engagement Strategies: Alumni as a Unique Stakeholder Group
Effective alumni engagement requires institutions to move beyond broad outreach and consider alumni as a distinct and nuanced stakeholder group. By understanding how alumni differ from other key university stakeholders, and by factoring in their unique forms of institutional affinity, higher education leaders can drive greater impact with programming, communications, and philanthropic strategy. Understanding the […]
Computing the Net Loyalty Score: A Data-Driven Guide for Higher Education
Part 3 of “The Ultimate Question: Is it the Right Question for Alumni Engagement?” Series (Click to read Part 1 or Part 2) As higher education institutions evolve their approach to alumni engagement, measuring what truly predicts lifetime support becomes increasingly crucial. The Net Promoter Score (NPS), long a staple of the business world, asks alumni about […]
The Net Loyalty Score: The Essential Metric for Alumni Engagement
Part 2 of “The Ultimate Question: Is it the Right Question for Alumni Engagement?” Series (Click to read Part 1) Decades of alumni research have sought to answer a crucial question: what truly predicts whether an alumnus/a will remain engaged and support their alma mater over time? The Alumni Attitude Study, leveraging over 1,000,000 alumni […]
Rethinking the Net Promoter Score: Why Promotion Isn’t Enough
Part 1 of “The Ultimate Question: Is it the Right Question for Alumni Engagement?” Series The Net Promoter Score (NPS) has become a widely recognized metric in the corporate world, celebrated for distilling customer loyalty into a single question: “How likely are you to recommend our products or services to others?” In recent years, advancement […]
From Yesterday to Tomorrow: The New Motto for Alumni Success
A Note from Rob Shoss, President & Managing Consultant: As I talk with advancement professionals around the country, I often hear them ask, “How do I get alumni to focus on how they can support their alma mater? Alumni need to understand that the university cannot succeed without their support.” When I hear this, I […]
Strategic Approaches to Boost Alumni Engagement Using Preparedness for Life Data
Trivia Answer: True! Alumni who report that their collegiate experience strongly prepared them for their life are more than twice as likely to donate and three times as likely to participate in mentoring or professional networking events than those who report feeling unprepared. The connection between alumni’s level of preparedness for life and engagement opens […]
Preparedness for Life: The Leading Indicator for Lifelong Alumni Engagement
In the world of alumni relations, engagement is the lifeblood of sustaining connections, financial support, and community vitality. Yet, what factors drive alumni to remain active and committed over decades? New research by the Alumni Attitude Study identifies a fundamental element that shapes enduring alumni engagement: alumni perception of their preparedness for life. This blog […]
Smart Engagement for Institutions with Limited Resources
Conducting an alumni survey is far more than a data-gathering exercise. It’s a strategic act of relationship-building that can transform alumni engagement, especially at institutions with modest budgets and lean teams. By inviting alumni to share their opinions via alumni surveys, institutions plant the seeds of trust and demonstrate genuine care, laying the foundation for […]
Checkups for Success: Maintaining a Healthy Advancement Organization
At the Alumni Attitude Study, we often discuss how our clients might analogize a partnership with us to a routine wellness exam with a primary care physician. The reality is that it’s essential for all advancement teams to regularly check in with their alumni to assess their current state of mind and perceptions of the […]
An Alumni Survey Isn’t Just About Data: The Three Pillars of an Effective Alumni Survey
Regular alumni surveys serve as far more than routine data reports: they are multipurpose tools for building narrative, prioritizing resources, engaging alumni authentically, and fostering campus-wide unity. Rob Shoss, President and Managing Consultant, explains in the featured video below that regular alumni surveys offer three pillars of transformative value for institutions, especially those striving for […]