We can't deny it any longer: times have changed. Gone are the days when homecoming events were all it took for alumni engagement. Gone are traditional campaigns that ramped up and wrapped up in five years. Gone are the budgets to build staff in advancement offices. So what can we do to get ahead of this transition?
Use what we already have.
The largest and most valuable resources on a university campus are the students and the faculty. We have energy and expertise in these two groups that we can and should use to build stronger relationships with our stakeholders - without hiring more staff. But university departments often work in silos, and that tradition is tough to break. The advancement team should work across campus to help tear down the walls and build relationships within the institution in order to grow relationships outside of it.
Let's start with faculty. Every school holds an enormous amount of knowledge and interesting work being produced through faculty members and researchers. If advancement professionals build relationships with these individuals and educate them on the benefits of engaging alumni and friends, faculty will become our best advocates. Encourage them to come out to events and talk about their work. Bring the media to them as subject matter experts. Bring alumni to campus to meet with them in their labs and classrooms. They will be be grateful for the interest in their work and alumni and community members will know the cool things happening on campus.
OK, now for our students. Some schools do a good job of getting students involved with advancing the institution, but often we are so focused on engaging alumni that we forget to include our students, who are also part of that distinguished group. At every alumni, donor and community event make sure to seat students at tables with alumni and professionals in order to build networks. Work closely with Career Centre offices in order to build innovative programs that benefit both students and alumni mentors. Work with student clubs to help them with events and finding guest speakers - a great engagement opportunity.
Let's face it: our stakeholders are sophisticated, busy and expect more from us if they are to become involved. Engagement needs to be the focus across all parts of campus, not just the Advancement Office. When all participants understand the impact that this will have, we'll be able to get them on board.
But...
if we want to break down silos across campus, we need to start with our own shop. Integration is key to achieving our goals.
The Alumni and Outreach group needs to step up and play the lead role in building and maintaining meaningful networks. This will mean getting alumni and volunteers involved in ways that they tell us will be meaningful to them, not the other way around. It will most likely involve working closely with career services offices and also with executive education programs. Alumni officers should be front and centre as the go-to for alumni, students and faculty who want to help advance their institution and create reciprocal relationships.
The Communications group needs to back these efforts up with consistent and disciplined messaging and help with social media technology and strategies. Marketing should create an environment of listening to stakeholder needs, and responding to them and giving them content that will add value to their lives' And marketing should also should be constantly and strategically sharing all of the good things that our faculty and students are doing. The community wants to know who we are and what impact we make on society.
All of this should pave the way for the Development group to then visit with engaged alumni and friends who are ready to give to the area within the school that they feel will help make a significant impact in the school and in the world. If Alumni Officers have done their jobs, Development Officers will need to spend less time on building a relationship and more time on listening to what an individual is passionate about and therefore include them in a project with a faculty member or student early on, so that there can be joint ownership.
Notice I say alumni and friends, not donors. I think that is one more silo that we must break down: all of our donors remain alumni and friends, whether they are giving in a particular year or not. Labeling them donors infers that we are conditionally interested in them. We are not. Alumni, through their years of giving time, talent, treasure or advocacy will always be valuable to the institution, and we must always treat them as such.
So, what are you doing to break down your silos?