Summary: The recent VAESE survey reveals 14 key statistics to help explain the current state of alumni relations in higher education. About a 3 minute read.
Now that the survey phase of the VAESE study has concluded, we have a wealth of intriguing data to delve into. Although this analysis is just a preliminary overview of the most recent survey findings, I have compiled a list of 14 crucial statistics that shed light on the current state of alumni relations.
Alumni Communication
10.3 Average institutional opt-out or “churn” rate. It measures the percent of alumni who ask to be listed as “Do Not Call” “Do Not Contact”, “Do Not Solicit,” etc. This new higher rate reflects a 26.3% increase over last year.
245 The estimated number of higher education institutions in the U.S. that report an alumni opt-out rate of 20% or more. The data suggests an increasing number of alumni are exercising more control over who communicates with them.
19.8 Percent of alumni organizations that do not track their opt-out rates. If your organization is one of those that ignore or neglect your opt-out trends, you’re wasting a lot of time, effort and resources. See this article about churn rates for alumni organizations.
Alumni Benefits
90 Percent of alumni organizations who choose not to offer alumni benefits, or who report they see little or no engagement from the benefits they do offer. In fact, two out of three institutions (67%) believe that appealing to alumni loyalty and philanthropy is all that’s needed to motivate their alumni to engage/join/give. While the majority of alumni organizations don’t focus on trying to incentivize alumni to engage, the data shows that opt-out rates and poor engagement rates (especially among young alumni) are likely lagging indicators that show institutions aren’t making a strong enough case for support among their alumni.
85 Percent of alumni professionals who believe their organization does a poor job or needs to do more to attract and engage young alumni. Attracting and engaging young alumni has become increasingly challenging, and the data indicates that young alumni want to communicate via their mobile device, on social media, or via web chat, yet few institutions are equipped to do so... and that correlates to the next number:
75 Percent of alumni professionals who believe their organization needs to update the technology solutions/benefits they offer their alumni/ae. These two stats indicate a correlation between engaging young alumni and offering technology tools that are popular among younger audiences.
6 Percent of alumni organizations that report the benefits they offer have a strong influence on alumni engagement. While only a small percentage of alumni organizations offer engaging benefits, surprisingly most are NOT dues-paying organizations. Many of these alumni organizations use benefits as a tool to attract, incentivize and engage alumni. See our article here about the 3 Highest Rated (not lame) Alumni Benefits.
Alumni/Advancement
67 Percent of alumni organizations that are integrated with institutional fundraising, or are working toward integration. 4% report they are not integrated and have no plans to integrate. The assimilation of alumni relations and institutional fundraising is an ongoing trend that we’ve written about previously. The most recent survey indicates that trend continues.
4 Average number of solicitations higher education institutions send to new graduates within the first twelve months after graduation. This raises ongoing questions about the assimilation of alumni relations with institutional fundraising, and how cultivation and engagement efforts can take a back seat to the demands of fundraising. See my article: When Development Treats Alumni Like Their ATM.
Alumni Professional’s Anxiety Index
70 Percent of alumni professionals who report that being understaffed is either “very” or “somewhat” concerning. We’ve written extensively about the correlation between staffing and engagement. See our whitepaper: Staffing and Budget Benchmarks for higher education alumni organizations.
68 Percent of alumni professionals report that a “general lack of alumni engagement” is a significant concern.
44 Percent of alumni professionals are either “very” or “somewhat” concerned about the lack of strategic leadership in their alumni organization. With the previous stat regarding lack of engagement, and this stat regarding concerns about strategic leadership, the digital generation gap may be at the root of the problem. See this article for more details.
3 Percent of alumni professionals are very concerned about losing their job. 90% of alumni professionals report “little” or “no concern” about losing their job. Despite some of these discouraging trends and challenges we face, alumni professionals enjoy job security and are pretty darn fortunate to work in such a positive and rewarding industry.
