2023 Global Alumni Engagement Forecast: It's All Business Now

This is the third iteration of my annual global alumni engagement survey, a pulse-check from chief alumni officers at academic institutions around the world. The practice of alumni engagement continues to grow significantly in all corners, and alumni practitioners regardless of time zone share many of the same operational and organizational challenges insofar as reaching and inspiring their graduates.

As usual, alumni directors are asked to weigh in on their major concerns and/or opportunities for the coming year.

The 2021 survey was administered directly on the heels of the pandemic, so the sentiment from alumni directors coalesced around the issues of reaching alumni in new and non-traditional (i.e., virtual) environments – much of which represented a wholesale departure from previous engagement practices.

The 2022 edition reflected considerable breathing room from the pandemic. Alumni directors were unified in their view that a freshly innovative perspective on engagement – a hybrid of virtual and in-person connections – reflected the new norm. As Zeba Salman from The Australian National University so aptly put it, “We’ll no longer be adding ‘Excel skills’ to our CV’s.”

In both editions of the survey, the emphasis was squarely on?programmatic changes?– and for good reason considering the uncharted engagement environment being navigated. In sharp contrast, scarcely any of the commentary that I received for the 2023 survey touched on the need for more effective programming; we’ve spent the past two years riding that horse.

Rather, what’s most top of mind with alumni directors now is an altogether different vibe: a focus on core business processes such as long-ranging strategy development; effective data management; performance metrics; target audience segmentation; a value proposition for engagement; and tightly managed organizational dynamics, among other important factors.

This all represents a critical next step in our necessary progression toward treating alumni engagement as a?business by focusing on solid, disciplined business practices. It didn’t use to be this way – and it mostly didn’t have to. Not long ago, there tended to be a low bar regarding expectations of alumni offices: so long as we put out a reasonable level of communications, ensured a successful Homecoming/Reunion, were available to volunteers and?continued to raise friends (I apologize for my use of that "f" word!), everyone was perfectly okay.

But who wants to be just okay? Since when did mediocrity become a desired value?

Today, the stakes are much higher based on changing demographics (and attitudes toward engagement), budget tightness and the continual need to raise funds, either directly or indirectly. Alumni offices are charged with a much greater sense of accountability than ever, and this mirrors the collective narrative from the survey respondents. And therein lies the importance of approaching what we do in business-like terms.

So, let’s talk about this.

The issue of?data management,?long a fundamental component of corporate strategy, is at the top of the list. Why? Because effective data management (and this includes easy internal access to data) undergirds business decision-making at every turn. It’s also essential to validating the efficacy of alumni engagement as vital to the success of the institution.?

Mo Kelly at UCONN is focused on the critical measurability impact of data management. “Metrics, metrics, metrics,” she says. “I think a challenge will be to remain nimble enough to navigate the constant refrain of justifying alumni engagement’s return on investment. We have done a pretty good job on that end, but the pressure is real.

Oklahoma’s Dave Hail provides a contemporary take on this issue.??“My focus will be on data systems and specifically how we connect one on one with our alums and simultaneously scale the kind of engagement that makes a positive impact on our graduates and our institutions.??The era of commercial personalization (i.e., Amazon) has forced us to get much better at data.”?

Dene Sheheane from Georgia Tech agrees, adding “the collection and use of the right data and technology will help us make volunteer engagement easier, especially at scale.”

The data systems piece is viewed as both an opportunity and a concern. Melissa Byrne from University College Dublin speaks about “the disconnectedness between platforms (CRM, e-mail marketing, reporting dashboards, websites, payments, etc.)” as her biggest concern, adding “the discontinuation of the 'email for life' benefit which will see the number of our contactable alumni decline by quite a bit.”

Numerous alumni directors expressed concerns about the importance of articulating?the value proposition for alumni?engagement. Every successful corporate or not-for-profit organization clearly understands its mission and core business in terms of being able to appeal to its constituent base; alumni organizations should be no different. To paraphrase a common refrain from alumni, “I’m busy. What do I get out of staying involved with my university? What’s in it for me?”

“The biggest opportunity for alumni engagement in 2023 is also the biggest concern and it is around awareness about the value of staying connected with your alma mater,” said Colleen Bangs from the University of Calgary. “Alumni engagement efforts will need to double down in ensuring that we can cut through the noise of the resurgence of opportunities to re-engage in all facets of life and provide compelling opportunities to stay connected as alumni.”

Cassie Llewellyn-Smith from the University of Adelaide looks at the value proposition issue through the lens of recent graduates that have gone through the pandemic gauntlet. “The big challenge is dealing with the new alumni cohort who have had their entire degree significantly impacted by COVID (i.e., online/remote learning),” she said. “What level of connection will they feel with their alma mater?”

Cassie’s comment touches on the issue of?generational marketing?– an acknowledgement that an alumni base can no longer be dealt with in somewhat monolithic terms. “Serving five generations of alumni with very different views of the world and needs” will continue to be a concern, said Lisa Lewis from the University of Minnesota.?

Stanford’s Howard Wolf is equally blunt in his assessment of the importance of generational engagement. “I continue to be deeply concerned with our long-term ability to engage with our Gen-Z alumni if we intend simply to utilize programs and services that have worked well with past generations,” Howard said. “If we are to succeed with this vital generation, we need both to understand them fully and then develop a custom playbook that meets their needs."

If I’m writing a business plan for alumni engagement, then the concerns expressed thus far fit right into my consideration set. Data management and processes, an understanding of generational nuances and the importance of creating a value proposition for engagement are all essential aspects of operationalizing the planning process.?

That said, other respondents took a somewhat wider view of the coming year.

For Duane Wiles at the University of Tennessee, the biggest concern is about?the workforce. “How do we continue to keep our staff engaged and excited about their employment? Are we providing a career path, incentive compensation and remote work opportunities for staff?” Good on you, Duane. These are valid concerns today regardless of the business sector.

Christine Fairchild of the University of Oxford offers a cautionary note about?institutional support?that must always be in the backs of our minds. “My big concern is also an opportunity: to ensure that the leadership of our universities truly embrace the potential impact our alumni might have on our institutions.” Christine emphasized that, “Alumni should be seen to be as core to our institutional mission as are students and academics.”

Several alumni directors mentioned the ongoing pressures of?having to do more with less?– the notion that we’re not all back to pre-pandemic budgets and yet performance expectations have only intensified. But I can appreciate Amanda Briggs’ refreshing position on this. At the University of Queensland, Amanda mentioned, “(budgetary issues) present a great opportunity to retire programs that no longer serve our needs. We have taken the opportunity to critically evaluate everything we do and only retain programming that helps us achieve our strategic priorities and engagement metric targets.”

For sure, alumni offices have felt a keen sense of disruption the past several years. But as we all get back our footing, the theme for 2023 seems to be one of?focus?in managing our operations – and with a clear vision. As the alumni engagement field becomes more strategic and accountable, we stand to be recognized more so as a “go to” resource for alumni and for our institutions alike. And that’s a good thing.

?As Northwestern’s Laura Wayland puts it, “I think my response is about?opportunity?for the coming year.?I believe we have an opportunity to bring our alumni together this year around the spirit of community.?It is the unique bond to alma mater while wanting to connect through our own passions and interests.”

I am grateful to the chief alumni officers from Australia, Canada, the U.K and the U.S. that contributed to this article. As always, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.

January 2023

Christopher J. Vlahos is an alumni engagement evangelist and strategist, and a?CASE Laureate. He is Principal and Owner of?Chris Vlahos Alumni Engagement Consulting, a global alumni consulting organization based in Tucson, AZ.