Capabilities

How capable is your team of fulfilling the institution’s mission? An independent organizational assessment provides a reality check on structure, operations and stakeholder expectations. Strategic gaps and opportunities will be identified pertaining to staff culture, campus collaboration and alumni engagement, and the structures and resources necessary to elevate the organization will be reviewed as it moves forward as a vital member of the advancement team.

Alumni desire a lifelong connection to alma mater and look to their alumni offices as their global
“gateway” to career opportunities, social and intellectual connection, or ways to give back. Your marketing communications, campus and regional programs, and relationships with institutional stakeholders will be assessed to deliver maximum impact to your alumni.

Many alumni organizations lack concise, actionable plans that inspire purpose. Often, they develop a document that ends up stuck in a drawer soon after it’s produced. A strategic analyses that looks at organizational barriers and opportunities will be conducted to provide a framework for delivering the mission of the alumni office and its institution.

Accountability in alumni relations shouldn’t be a foreign concept. But if your alumni organization conducts “y’all come” events with no goals or measures, you may be missing the boat. Clear metrics that link alumni engagement to giving will be identified that add value to the role of the alumni office.

Membership programs can provide an important revenue source to the alumni office’s bottom line and server as a means to solidify an alum’s connection. Unfortunately, many membership programs lack organization and appeal. Are you offering tangible benefits that don’t resonate with your alumni? Do you understand generational differences that drive alumni activity? If not, it’s time for an assessment of your member acquisition and renewal program.

What do alumni want? There is nothing like a conversational setting that helps to dig deep and identify alumni needs. Focus group facilitation will uncover attitudes central to elevating your level of alumni engagement, establishing a solid foundation for your messaging and calls-­‐to-­‐action.

Alumni organizations rely heavily on volunteer support. Unfortunately, volunteer management can be unwieldy if alumni operate on their own agenda and timeline. Analysis will lead to structure that will ensure that your volunteer base rows in the same direction, leading to more engagement overall.

It seems that academic institutions are always in campaign and/or annual fund mode. It is valuable to identify ways in which the alumni office can maximize its resources in support of the institution’s development efforts and inspire alumni to increase their level of financial support.