National Alumni Survey-National Alumni Survey

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Howard Huebner presented an overview of the third National Alumni Survey, based on 82,000 responses from 31 institutions and 155,000 total responses across three years. The survey shows that alumni generally feel positively about their educational “product” — such as their student experience and institutional reputation — but feel less positively about their relationship with the alma mater.  <br /><br />Key findings: alumni are generous, but many give to other causes instead of their alma mater; connection and being informed are strong predictors of giving; younger alumni are less driven by loyalty and more by specific, values-based opportunities; and generic “area of greatest need” appeals are less effective than targeted options like scholarships, mental health, first-gen support, emergency funds, and internships.  <br /><br />The survey also found that trust and transparency are weak points: many alumni, especially younger and less connected ones, are uncertain whether gifts will be used effectively. Student debt matters, but it does not fully explain non-giving. Volunteering strongly correlates with engagement and future giving, and many alumni do not feel known by their alma mater.  <br /><br />Huebner urged institutions to listen more intentionally, treat volunteering as a core strategy, use data to personalize outreach, and shift from transactional fundraising toward relationship-building and impact-focused engagement.

Keywords

National Alumni Survey

alumni engagement

alumni giving

institutional reputation

student experience

donor trust

volunteering

personalized outreach

relationship-building