In 2016, CASE established a committee to develop a framework to measure meaningful alumni engagement.
CASE Alumni Engagement Definition: activities that are valued by alumni, build enduring and mutually beneficial relationships, inspire loyalty and financial support, strengthen the institution’s reputation and involve alumni in meaningful activities to advance the institution’s mission
As a result, four key alumni engagement categories were identified: volunteer, experiential, philanthropic, and communication. Following this determination, CASE launched the global Alumni Engagement Metrics survey and the first results are in.
The study found that Independent schools and Primarily Undergraduate Institutions led with the most engagement across all four categories.
They have long standing success at running fundraising campaigns that rely on all four categories of alumni engagement for success including experiential (i.e. reunions) and volunteers to support.
For this reason, when asked how much of engagement is represented by philanthropic giving, Independent schools and Primarily Undergraduate Institutions see larger philanthropic engagement than other organizations, 49.0% and 61.6% respectively.
It is therefore of little surprise that if an alum is engaged in one of the three non philanthropic categories, they are likely to also donate to the institution.
As you think through your giving campaigns and the upcoming year, consider what other engagement opportunities you have for your alumni. Read more of the results here