Webinar covering many events and activities to help you achieve your young alumni programming or fundraising goals!

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#AItraining
Timothy Ponisciak | University of Notre Dame
SUCCESSFUL YOUNG ALUMNI PROGRAMMING
Stephanie Felicetti | University of Notre Dame

2. LEARNING OUTCOME
After participating…
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…you will be able to develop programming that increases
young alumni loyalty and giving.

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• Notre Dame Background
• Successful Programming
• Overcoming Challenges Specific to Young Alumni
• Portability
AGENDA

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

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#AItraining
SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMMING

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BASIC
PROGRAMMING
• First year orientation
• Thanksgiving in February
• Home away from home game
• Partnerships

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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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REGIONAL EVENTS

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COLLABORATION
- Shamrock Series
- 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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LARGER
PROGRAMMING
• Mobile campaign
• Student video project
• Young alumni giving
recognition society
• Regional giving society
events

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MOBILE MARKETING
IZigg
Are you making your 2015 football
travel plans? Visit
footballtickets.nd.edu for info on
qualifying donations for the 2015
alumni football ticket lottery
Check out the most recent Young
Alumni Newsletter
GO IRISH!

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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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NEW YOUNG ALUMNI RECOGNITION SOCIETY
● $500 annual gift
FOCUS GROUPS
● Virtual Meetings
● Targeting participants
● Findings
CORBY SOCIETY

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NEW YOUNG ALUMNI RECOGNITION SOCIETY
● Young alumni volunteer launch
committee
○ Committee presented new
networking opportunity for young
alumni
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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• New York City
• Washington D.C.
• Chicago
YOUNG ALUMNI GIVING
RECOGNITION SOCIETY
COLLABORATION

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Summer in the City
INTENSE
PROGRAMMING

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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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• Why do this event...
• Reunion attendance
• # of times YA’s come back
to campus already...
• Why Chicago...
SUMMER IN
THE CITY

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• Idea generation
– Young Alumni Committee
Call (Brainstorm)
• Researching similar
programs
– Georgetown John Carroll
Weekend
SUMMER IN
THE CITY

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• Focus groups
• Planning /brainstorming
• Prospect Research
SITC PARTNERSHIP

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SITC FUNDRAISING

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#AItraining
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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SUSTAINING MOTIVATION
– Say thank you…a LOT!
– Provide insider information
• Ex. New construction
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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#AItraining
PORTABILITY

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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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• 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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• Programming Brainstorm Sessions
• Event Planning
• Marketing Review
• Event/Programming Support
ENGAGE YOUNG ALUMNI
VOLUNTEERS

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#AItraining
IN SUMMARY

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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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• 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

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

53. LEARNING OUTCOMEEVALUATION
Please remember to complete the event evaluation.
Your comments will help us continually improve the
quality of our programs.
Thank you!
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