Alumni Access Blog

The Ultimate Collection of Statistics for Alumni Engagement, Giving and Membership

The 2024 update to our popular stats page, featuring curated data about trends in higher education alumni relations, advancement and giving.

How To Smother Alumni Engagement In 5 Easy Steps

The VAESE study shows 5 common practices smothering alumni engagement, such as over soliciting, ignoring disaffected alumni, ignoring data, no alumni benefits.

5 Key Takeaways for Your Organization from the 2024 VAESE Alumni Relations Study

Discover actionable insights from the 2024 VAESE Alumni Relations Study, offering key takeaways for large, medium-sized, and small institutions. Learn how staffing, budget, and tech impact engagement in higher ed.

14 Numbers That Explain Alumni Relations

14 key statistics that help explain the state of alumni relations in higher education.

34 Inexpensive Alumni Engagement Ideas

Here are 34 cost-effective ways to boost alumni engagement. Some cost nothing, some require minimal investment, but all can help you attract and engage more alumni.

Alumni & Advancement: Agree on a Definition of Engagement

Without a clear definition of alumni engagement, institutions struggle. This definition will help alumni & advancement professionals work smarter together.

The Two Types of Alumni Loyalty, and How to Earn Them

Alumni loyalty can be either transactional or emotional. When alumni are loyal emotionally, they give and engage at higher rates. Here are three best practices to achieve more emotionally engaged alumni.

The 3 Highest Rated (Not Lame) Alumni Benefits

Benefits are meant to help boost alumni engagement, and must be personally relevant to be effective.

Is Alumni Relations Now Subordinate to Fundraising?

Is alumni engagement becoming subordinate to institutional advancement / development / fundraising?

12 New Data Trends That Should Matter to Alumni Professionals (2nd in a series)

New data trends for alumni/advancement professionals that may change how you do your job in the coming months.

New Data: Why Your Alumni Should be Getting More Relevant Emails

The 2020 VAESE study reveals that most alumni relations organizations could see an immediate impact on alumni engagement if they were to improve their email communication strategy.

The Disheartening State Of Alumni Relations

Poor alumni engagement is often due to an ignorance or unwillingness to follow best practices in business and marketing.

Are Your Alumni Benefits Stuck in the 80's?

Top rated alumni benefits vs.those stuck in the 1980s. Content and Career services rate highest, campus benefits and revenue programs are least engaging

Stop Using These Metrics to Measure Alumni Engagement

The 7 Lamest Alumni Benefits

Benefits are meant to help boost alumni engagement, and must be personally relevant to be effective.

Why Alumni Relations Has Grown Subordinate to Fundraising.

New data reveals evidence that alumni relations and engagement goals have become increasingly subordinated to the goals of development/fundraising.

It's Like Slapping Half Your Alumni in the Face!

Ignoring your introverted alumni population is like a slap in the face to a potentially powerful alumni segment.

What the Power 5 Conference Alumni Organizations Can Teach the Rest of Us

We can learn a thing or two from how the big alumni organization engage their alumni.

In Alumni Relations...Why "Fake It "Til You Make It" Won't Cut It Anymore.

Alumni professionals are often hired as generalists, but required to demonstrate skills of specialists. Is your staff development keeping pace?

The Buyer's Guide to Alumni Discount Programs

The buyer's guide will help alumni relations professionals identify and vet the best discount platform that will attract and engage alumni long term.

Post-Pandemic Alumni Relations: Using the 2020 VAESE Study to Prepare

What the VAESE study teaches us about alumni engagement post-COVID-19, and how best to identify the digital benefits and services your alumni want.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Alumni Relations: The VAESE Study Data

As alumni relations offices world-wide struggle for relevance, the 2020 VAESE alumni relations benchmarking study shows some interesting trends.

8 Things Your Mama Taught You About Alumni Engagement

When it comes to running an alumni engagement program, your Mama had it all figured out.

Stop Dissing Your Millennial Alumni

Are your Millennial alumni’s “sensitivities” or “preferences” fundamentally different from other alumni? Despite all you’ve read, the answer is NO!

20 Key Elements to an Effective Alumni Discount Program

Not all alumni discount programs can really attract and engage your alums like they promise. Here are 20 of the most important elements to look for in an effective (and compelling) discount program.

The Seven Deadly Sins in Alumni Engagement

Here are seven uninspired practices that are downright blasphemous when it comes to alumni engagement.

Stop Abusing Your Alumni's Altruism & Start Offering More Value

Alumni relations professionals are woefully behind other member-based organizations when it comes to offering meaningful benefits. It's a big reason why alumni are not engaged with their alma mater.

New Study Reveals Major Gap Between Institutions & Alumni

A newly released nationwide study measures the level at which member-based organizations are failing meet the needs of their members. Alumni organizations fare the worst among all groups.

The Ultimate Guide to Alumni Discounts - Download The eBook

For alumni/advancement professionals, what benefit can appeal to all your alumni? A new ebook sheds light on the topic and offers a solution. Alumni discounts.

Genius Hacks into Alumni Relations...and Other Myths

There are no hacks into alumni relations, Here's why institutions should stop trying to shortcut the natural process of nurturing alumni relationships.

Run Away (From Your Dues-Paying Alumni Program)

Dues-paying alumni programs are not successful at institutions other than large, Power 5 conferences schools. Here's why you shouldn't consider starting one.

A Cockeyed Idea: Soliciting Alumni as a form of Cultivation

70% of institutions have adopted this cockeyed idea that a solicitation is akin to cultivating their alumni. But the cost has an unexpected impact on giving.

The Digital Generation Gap in Alumni Relations

Most senior alumni executives are digital immigrants, and most alumni staff are digital natives. The gap may a negative impact on alumni engagement.

New White Paper Compares Alumni Staffing & Budgets

New white paper gives comparative benchmarks for alumni staff, budgets and ratios of dollars spent per alumni

Will More Alumni Staff Result In Better Engagement?

Hiring more alumni staff may seem like a way to solve alumni engagement issues, but the data says otherwise.

When Alumni Relations and Athletics Collide

solving conflicts between alumni organizations and intercollegiate athletics is not easy, but here's a solution.

3 Bad Habits in Alumni Relations

3 Bad Habits in Alumni Relations and Engagement

Are Dues-Paying Alumni Programs Going Away?

Are dues paying alumni organizations going away?

When Development Treats Alumni Like Their ATM

Stop treating your alumni like an ATM. Before soliciting gifts from alumni, incentivize alumni to engage with their alma mater by offering alumni benefits.

How to Stop Word-Vomit Alumni Newsletters

Alumni membership and marketing

Membership Best Practices from the For-Profit World

14 (Updated) Best Practices to Grow Your Alumni Association

Why Your Old-School Marketing Is Killing Alumni Engagement

Death of a Bad Idea: Soliciting Gifts in Lieu of Cultivating Alumni

End the practice of soliciting as a means of cultivation.

Top Ten Things To Look For in an Alumni Discount Program

Alumni membership and marketing