Alumni Relations Coffee Chat (May 2026)-Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The video is a panel discussion summarizing the Case Alumni Relations Institute, a two-and-a-half-day training event for early-career advancement professionals. Rachel Green, Helen Nicholson, and Rachel Selfridge-Gaten shared key themes from sessions on alumni relations, advancement, communications, volunteering, events, data, philanthropy, and career planning.<br /><br />Major takeaways included the importance of building trust and collaboration across the “institutional village,” aligning culture with strategy, and breaking down silos between alumni relations, marketing, fundraising, and operations. The speakers stressed that alumni communications must be audience-focused, consistent, and measurable, with alumni acting as authentic ambassadors for the institution.<br /><br />A large part of the discussion focused on volunteering: matching the right people to the right roles, setting clear expectations, doing due diligence, and recognizing contributions. They also discussed the challenge of coordinating centrally with academic units that run their own alumni activities, recommending relationship-building, roadshows, and clear explanations of the value of a central alumni relations function.<br /><br />Other themes included the role of events, the use of data and CRM systems to inform decisions, and how alumni relations supports philanthropy through stewardship, storytelling, and relationship management. The session ended with advice for getting involved in CASE as a speaker or volunteer: be brave, start small, and put your name forward.

Keywords

alumni relations

advancement professionals

institutional collaboration

alumni communications

volunteering

data and CRM

philanthropy

event planning

career development