So what’s your story? Understanding the journey from student to alumna/us

In my past life, which is almost hard to remember after three children and a pandemic, I was an aspiring Hollywood storyteller. By day I was working for a TV studio, by night I was yucking it up at comedy clubs and writing scripts that few would ever read. Despite switching coasts and transitioning to the world of nonprofit advancement, I not only maintained my love for storytelling, but found it was an essential part of alumni relations and development. Philanthropy requires a story and in the case of higher education, your donor is the lead character and it’s crucial to understand their journey if you hope to inspire their ultimate gift.

First, stats. The 2020 VAESE Alumni Relations Benchmarking Study found that it’s getting harder to keep alumni engaged with their alma mater. The study reveals, on average, only 50% of the email addresses in the alumni database are deliverable. Also, in 2015, 45% of alumni organizations reported having a private, online community. In 2020, that number is down to 20%. That’s a 55% drop and with it, fewer opportunities for alumni to stay engaged with alma mater through a digital affinity group. This is bad news, but…