In a constantly evolving sector, the expectations on the outcomes of alumni fundraising strategies have changed. Universities are facing new challenges and need new tools to help convert alumni into active donors. 

Alumni fundraising: a new necessity for universities

With universities struggling to stay on top of their game due to increasing expenses and pressures to constantly offer the best equipment and education to their students, fundraising is of growing importance to these institutions. Universities are completely in charge of their fundraising, no other external agencies interfere, leaving them in complete autonomy to organise their fundraising and choose the best practices specific to their needs.

Over the past few years, the total amount of donors and money raised increased significantly – universities now receive more donations per year than any charitable sector. The majority of donors typically are alumni, but parents, current students, faculty members, associations, staff and other people of interest sometimes donate too.

Alongside financial donations, universities benefit from donor’s advice and gain from their networks and connections. Overall, fundraising adds value, increases academic excellence and accelerates initiatives and projects. 

University fundraising in the digital era

Previously, most best practices for alumni engagement revolved around direct mail campaigns, phone calls and student conferences. Nowadays, the possibilities are endless.  Over the years, universities have been able to increasingly engage with their alumni more consistently and the internet and its different tools have become an interactive way to increase alumni engagement.

To maintain healthy and consistent relationships with alumni, universities need to use technology to their benefit. Among other things, they can organise regular update calls, webinars, and regularly post news and engaging content on their social media platforms. Universities ultimately need to do more with less to make sure their alumni relations are maintained.

What alumni fundraising can bring to universities

• With current government cuts, money brought in through fundraising can help universities manage their current budget shortfalls, as well as allow them to maintain innovation, excellence and competitiveness.
• Alumni participation creates a broad and diverse base of support and this extended network works as an external point of view that will be able to advise the university on the changes and innovations that need to be done.
• Consistent giving by alumni, including smaller donations, in the years following their graduation, increases the likelihood that they will become major donors later in life.
• High levels of alumni participation can inspire other major donors (such as companies, associations or foundations) to start participating or increase their own support. When a university is and looks successful, other people want to be part of its success and will be more willing to invest.
• Fundraising focuses the university on a clear articulation of its strategy and gives it a precise overview of its projects and objectives for the years to come.
• Success is excellent for morale. When a fundraising campaign works and brings a lot of donations, staff and students feel that their institution is worthwhile, which tends to boost productivity and engagement towards the university. 

What are some best practices for fundraising?

• Finding international ambassadors. Use LinkedIn to find alumni in leadership positions around the world. This can enhance international philanthropy and benefit your university more broadly by inspiring young students to study abroad. I can also help with outreach and gaining international influence.
• Collect information about your alumni to better engage with them. In order to do this, monitor hashtags and keywords students or alumni are using when speaking about your university. Track the type of content alumni interact the most with, and use alumni surveys to uncover demographics data.
• Use social media for research. Many applicants are now using social media as an important tool for their job searches. Use LinkedIn to promote networking and learning, it is a very efficient way to show former students you still care about their progress. 
• Mind your communication. Focus on your donor, be clear and establish a logical fundraising strategy. Potential benefactors, even former students, are not going to invest their money in an organisation that doesn’t have a clear vision of what they want to achieve. When presenting your plan, focus on the excellence and the strengths of your institution. Alumni want to see their university preserve its excellence, with a clear idea of the projects they want to uptake to stay on top of their game.
• Offer multiple ways to donate. By making the whole process easier and stress-free, your alumni will appreciate your flexibility and will be more willing to freely participate. With multiple options, alumni can donate immediately or over time with recurring gifts or regular payroll deductions etc. Offering many different ways to donate lets everyone decide what is the right fit for them and shows great adaptability.
• Do not lose contact after the first donation. Every donor, regardless of the size of their gift, should be well taken care of. Keeping in touch leaves a good impression on the donor, making them likely to give again and give more. In order to leave a positive and lasting impression on your donors: efficiently process their donations, thank them or publicly recognise them, invite them to events, send them progress updates etc.
• Show the impact donations have on the university. To be sure they have made the right investment, donors want to know where their money goes. Donors want their donation to have a direct and beneficial impact on university research, on the academic performance and well-being of students. There is a choice of formats available to highlight this progress and the successes accomplished thanks to these donations, including conferences, videos, infographics or blogs. 

C3 can help you overcome fundraising challenges

Donors will be more willing to give money if the whole donation process is made easy,  stress-free and secure at all times. Our Secure Assist solution allows university staff to guide donors through the whole process, for a smooth and quick experience. Our platform can take payments via telephone, SMS and a white-labelled online portal. Our solution also provides universities with a PCI DSS compliant telephone payment platform that allows alumni to make donations completely safely, and even sign up securely for regular donations.

Our university customer base includes Cambridge and Oxford universities, so whatever the unique challenges you’re facing with alumni fundraising, we have a solution for you. We have extensive experience in and knowledge of the education sector, so do not hesitate to contact us.