Alumni Association and
Alumni Directory Tools

It is one thing to say you have a content management system, and it is another thing to say you have a tight niche product that servers the needs of a particular group.  Alumni Associations have a strong need to create lasting relationships with their alumni and this can best be accomplished by helping them build lasting relationships with the other alumni from the school or university.

Alumni Directory

Online Alumni Directory tools make this easy because it becomes a valuable resource where any alumnus can look up and call another alumnus.  Each can see the other’s profile and information if it is made public.  When the Alumni Association makes an Alumni Directory resource like this available, it makes the need to stay in the Alumni Association critical for any alumnus that is trying to network and advance themselves.

Alumni Magazine (eMagazine)

Combine the Alumni Directory tools with an Alumni eMagazine (an email and web based version of the Alumni Magazine) and then you will pull in members and non-members of the Alumni Association.  Even if the non-members do not join that day, the relationship that the alumni association strengthens with each alumnus will make it more likely that the alumnus will join the association in the future.

Other features that can help an Alumni Association achieve its goals is the Alumni Calendar of Events and an Alumni in the news section.  People like reading about themselves and people they knew.  Make these features public and an Alumni Association will draw in more alumni that will be willing to join.

Today, eCommerce is also easy to do.  Alumni Associations that set up eCommerce catalogues and offer discounts to alumni members will find a valuable source of revenue and an additional value adding service to offer to the members.

These same eCommerce tools can be utilized to increase annual giving for a university.  Annual giving is often tightly tied to the Alumni Association as they try to raise money from faculty, staff and alumni.  We recently saw a 35% increase in annual giving over the year before by using eNewsletters and other electronic techniques for enhancing relationships.

Alumni Association Solutions for All Schools

Now schools of any size can have Alumni Associations that create stronger relationships with graduating students.  These kinds of software solutions used to cost tens of thousands of dollars, but are now available for under $200 a month.  A lot of effort goes into recruiting students and significant attention goes into retention of the student for the full four years, but smart schools realize that is just the beginning.  With tools that keep in touch with alumni, schools and universities can continue to capitalize on students long after graduation and add value to the current students by introducing them to a wealth of network contacts that can help them find jobs faster and act as mentors to recent alumni,

If you are interested in finding out more about:

• Increasing Alumni Association Membership
• Alumni Association Tools
• Alumni Association Set up and management
• Annual Giving
• University Community Software