Road Map to Advancement-Alumni Relations 101

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, Beth and Zeba, directors of Alumni Relations at Singapore American School and Australia National University respectively, discuss the importance and key trends of alumni relations. They highlight the need for alumni relations to be seen as a strategic asset to educational institutions by focusing on networking, advocacy, volunteerism, and supporting students. They emphasize the value that alumni bring to the institution through recruitment, authentic voice, giving back, and raising the overall profile of the university. They also discuss the challenges faced by alumni relations teams, such as limited resources, managing data effectively, and the need for more virtual programming. They provide tips on maintaining good data, seeking feedback from alumni, being creative in increasing alumni institutional value, targeting communications and initiatives, collaborating with other departments, setting annual goals and strategies, and demonstrating impact. Beth and Zeba also mention key trends in alumni relations, such as developing internship and mentoring programs, integrating alumni relations with fundraising, and focusing on graduating seniors. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of the pandemic and the importance of meaningful engagement and community focus. Overall, they emphasize the importance of creating opportunities to connect, enhancing alumni affinity and pride, personalizing the experience, leveraging support, and having a strategic focus for alumni relations.

Keywords

alumni relations

networking

advocacy

virtual programming

institutional value

meaningful engagement

strategic focus