Ignoring affinity is jumping without a parachute

One of my favorite reoccurring cartoon bits is the fake parachute where the character pulls the rip cord and instead of a chute popping out it releases a set of cutlery. For unfortunate villains like the coyote, they’re the victim of the gag. For higher education, the establishment of fundraising goals without recognition and prioritization of alumni affinity, is a self-inflicted mistake to jump from the plane with nothing more than a fork and knife in your pack.

If you were to poll higher education advancement shops, most would say they consider themselves to be a “donor centric organization.” However, actions always speak louder than words and many institutions still fall into the trap of setting the terms of engagement instead of relinquishing control and creating opportunities for alumni (and students) to opt-in to the areas they feel most connected to their school. Think about reunion, one of the most time-honored traditions in the history of alumni relations. We learned that you can’t just put up one tent for all alumni coming back for reunion, instead we design a unique experience for each class. While it still makes sense to organize by class in the case of reunions, it would be a mistake to assume it is, or will always be, the strongest affinity.