This presentation was originally delivered in May of 2014 through Academic Impressions by Tim Ponisciak and Stephanie Felicetti. The presentation focuses on how Notre Dame has been able to more effectively engage with young alumni through collaborative communications and events created by the Annual Fund and Alumni Association partnering together.

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#AItraining
Timothy Ponisciak | University of Notre Dame
ALUMNI RELATIONS AND ANNUAL GIVING:
PARTNERING FOR YOUNG ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
Stephanie Felicetti | University of Notre Dame

2. LEARNING OUTCOME
After participating…
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…you will be able to build an active partnership between
alumni relations and annual giving that increases young alumni
loyalty and giving.

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• Institutional background
• Partnering to overcome challenges specific
to young alumni
• Successful partnership events
• In Summary
AGENDA

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#AItraining
INSTITUTIONAL BACKGROUND

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• Notre Dame’s structure
• Responsibilities and goals
• Solution-focused team approach
THE UNIVERSITY OF
NOTRE DAME

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NOTRE DAME’S
STRUCTURE
University
Relations
Alumni
Association
Programs Team
Young Alumni
Programs
(Stephanie)
Development
Annual Giving
Team
Young Alumni
Fundraising
(Tim)
Public Affairs

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HISTORY
Lack of collaboration
• Duplicating efforts
• Discouraged/disgruntled alumni
• Too many mailings, same information
twice, etc.
We have overcome many of these
challenges by partnering!
WHY PARTNER?

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• Team Approach
• University Relations Summit
– Meeting of all three departments to
share ideas and collaborate
WHY PARTNER?

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• Initial meeting
• Established bi-weekly meetings
• Shared calendars
• Open dialogue
– Goals
– Partnership Scope
– Budget
WHAT DID
WE DO?

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• Determine appropriate parties
• Open and honest conversation
– It won’t benefit anyone if you hold
back information concerning your goals
and initiatives
• Establish plan/opportunities to partner
• Maintain periodic meetings
HOW CAN
YOU DO
THIS?

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Both departments can benefit by
partnerships between Development and
Alumni Association.
Consequently, Notre Dame benefits.
WHY PARTNER?

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• Physical location
• Alumni relations & annual giving – combined
department
– Reporting structure
– Budget considerations
• Alumni relations and/or annual giving split by
college
SCALING TO OTHER ALUMNI
RELATIONS & ANNUAL GIVING
STRUCTURES

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PARTNERING TO OVERCOME
CHALLENGES SPECIFIC TO YOUNG
ALUMNI

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VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
#1 issue volunteer management
– Recruiting volunteers is challenging for
everyone
SOLUTION: Sharing contacts in order to
generate champion volunteers
OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES

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COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES WITH
YOUNG ALUMNI
• Work hours tend to be longer and
evening work commitment interfere
• Working with alumni from 4
different time zones
• Social/service/other commitments
make evening calls difficult
SOLUTION: Creative scheduling/approach
OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES

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SOLVING COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
– Plan ahead!
• Young Alumni Committee Calls (young
alumni collaborative peer network)
• 4x/year
• Dates provided November of PREVIOUS
year
– Team Voting
• Let the volunteers decide what times work
best by popular vote
OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES

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STEWARD VOLUNTEERS WITH GIFTS
– Small giveaways for everyone attending the call
– On call, raffle off
• Football tickets
• Gift basket
– Reunion welcome basket
OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES

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SUSTAINING MOTIVATION
– Say thank you…a LOT!
– Provide insider information
• Ex. New construction
OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES

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NEW YOUNG ALUMNI RECOGNITION SOCIETY
– $500 annual gift
– Young alumni volunteer launch
committee
• Committee presented new
networking opportunity for young
alumni
– Story ideas for monthly newsletter
– Membership
CORBY SOCIETY

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• Initial Collaboration
– Brainstorming committees
• Volunteer on Corby Society Steering
Committee
• Supply Corby Society information at young
alumni (alumni association) events
YOUNG ALUMNI GIVING
RECOGNITION SOCIETY
COLLABORATION

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SOCIAL MEDIA

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• Quarterly Newsletter
– Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall Editions
• Preparation
– Production scheduled for the year
– Work with Senior Editor
– Hit variety of topics (service/spiritual,
personal highlight, event, information,
etc.)
YOUNG ALUMNI
E-NEWS SCHEDULE

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MOBILE MARKETING
IZigg
Are you making your 2014 football travel
plans? Visit footballtickets.nd.edu for
info on qualifying donations for the
2014 alumni football ticket lottery
Check out the most recent Young
Alumni Newsletter
http://youngalumni.nd.edu/YANews
GO IRISH!

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#AItraining
SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP EVENTS

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STUDENT VIDEO PROJECTS

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• SAME GOAL! Split the cost
• Utilize videos for annual giving and alumni
association communications
• Students produce specific videos
• Develop new ideas
STUDENT VIDEO PROGRAM
COLLABORATION

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STUDENT VIDEO
PROGRAM

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FIRST YEAR
ORIENTATION

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• Weekend of events: welcoming first year
students
• First touch point with students
• SAME GOAL!
– Opportunity to collaborate
FIRST YEAR
ORIENTATION

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• Invite students to pick up welcome
gift
• Split cost of welcome gift
• Welcome letter (touch point)
FIRST YEAR
ORIENTATION -
COLLABORATION

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WELCOME LETTER

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THANKSGIVING
IN FEBRUARY

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• Annual event to acknowledge annual fund
donors
• Underclass-fundraising student led
initiative
• Partnership
– Recruiting student volunteers
– Assistance with communications
THANKSGIVING
IN FEBRUARY

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• Development fundraiser
• 220 seniors attended
• Volunteers and engagement
SENIOR TRIVIA NIGHT

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EVENT RESULTS
• Gifts from all attendees – 220
students
• Increase senior class giving
percentage
• Over 10% of graduating class
participated and made a gift
SENIOR TRIVIA NIGHT

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REGIONAL EVENTS

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COLLABORATION
– Assists with staffing needs at Alumni
Association or Development events
– Provides more opportunities for each to
interact with constituent base
– Partnerships on events in New York,
D.C. and Chicago
REGIONAL EVENTS

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COLLABORATION
– Staffing events: Important to be
known/seen among young alumni
– Partnerships on events
• Splitting cost
• More touch points
• More attendees
REGIONAL
EVENTS IMPACT

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• Co-sponsored by Alumni
Association & Development
• Large regional young alumni
event designed to engage
alums with Notre Dame
SUMMER IN
THE CITY

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• Focus groups
• Planning /brainstorming
SITC PARTNERSHIP

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SITC FUNDRAISING

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IN SUMMARY

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• Disagree on certain approaches
• Not always appropriate to partner
• Problems solved:
• Yankee Stadium event
• Corby Society – members only
• Young Alumni Event – open to
alumni, parents, friends
CHALLENGES OF
PARTNERING

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• Alumni association presence at
development events and vice-versa
• More opportunity to mingle/meet
• Shared contacts
• Additional event staff
• Lower cost for events
POSITIVE
IMPACT

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• More events
• More opportunity to mingle/meet
alumni
• Reaction
• We have yet to receive a negative
reaction regarding sharing
resources/events
CONSTITUENT’S
PERSPECTIVE

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• Freshman Orientation
– Year 1 Impact: 500 freshmen (prior to
partnership)
– Year 2 Impact: 1,200 freshmen
– Year 3 Impact: 1,500 freshmen
• Thanksgiving in February
– Year 1 Results: 2,000 thank you cards
– Year 2 Results: 3,000 thank you cards
MEASURABLE SUCCESS:
STUDENT PROGRAMS

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SENIOR CLASS FUNDRAISING
– Year 0 Results: 22%*
*Prior to Partnership
– Year 1 Results: 41%
– Year 2 Results: 48%
– Year 3 Results: 49%
MEASURABLE SUCCESS:
STUDENT PROGRAMS

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• Reunion
– Dorm Challenge Fundraising
• 5 Year Reunion Class: Participation
Increase 1.4%
• 10 Year Reunion Class: Participation
Increase 6.1%
• Summer in the City
– Engagement of over 800 alumni
– Opportunity to increase young alumni gifts
MEASURABLE SUCCESS:
YOUNG ALUMNI
REUNIONS

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• Increase in total young alumni giving
– Participation rate
– Total dollars raised
• Corby Society
– Impact young alumni giving and
engagement
– 500+ member over $250,000 raised
MEASURABLE SUCCESS:
YOUNG ALUMNI

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YOUNG ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
– Impact 3,000+ young alumni at regional
events (Yankee Stadium, Chicago,
Washington D.C.)
– Impact 6,000 young alumni through texting
program
MEASURABLE SUCCESS:
YOUNG ALUMNI

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TWO AVENUES OF ENGAGEMENT, DON’T
HAVE TO ALWAYS BE COMPLETELY
SEPARATE
• Sharing contacts
• Marketing mix
• Brainstorming
• Incentives
• Budget
PROBABILITY

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• Student Programs (AR) & Parents
Programs (AF)
• Reunion monthly meetings (AR + AF)
• Monthly meeting w/NDAA Resources
• Library database resources
ADDITIONAL
COLLABORATION

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• UR Summit
• Promotions
• Awards
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNIES
TO HIGHLIGHT PARTNERSHIP

57. LEARNING OUTCOMEQUESTIONS
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Stephanie Felicetti, smola1@nd.edu
Tim Ponisciak, tponisci@nd.edu

58. LEARNING OUTCOMEEVALUATION
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quality of our programs.
Thank you!
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