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Engaging HBCU Alumni at all Levels –Alumni Associations, Young alumni and Students

Marcus Ward

Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director

ASU Foundation, Inc.

Leandra Hayes

Senior Associate Vice President for Major and Planned Gifts

Claflin University

Randal V. Childs

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Institutional Advancement

North Carolina Central University

Patricia Brown Mitchell

Assistant Vice President for Development

Jackson State University

Claflin University Because the World Needs Visionaries

� Founded 1869, Oldest HBCU in South Carolina

� Independent 4-year Liberal Arts University

� Affiliated with the United Methodist Church

� 33 Majors, 2 Masters Degree Programs, Online Degree Programs

� Enrollment 1866; 14/1 Student to Faculty Ratio

� Strong undergraduate and graduate research programs in STEM

disciplines

� Ranked as a top tier national liberal arts institution by U.S. News

and World Report

� 52.2% Alumni Giving Rate

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University Profile

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Technology-based Fundraising Programs Using Technology to Bolster Giving

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�NetCommunity�Facebook�Twitter�Calling Post�E-Mail Blasts�Intuit (Mobile Credit Card Processing)�Mobile Giving

RESULTS:�Provides access to online giving for the University’s constituents, (informational and solicitation e-blasts)

�Alumni and friends are able to update their biographical and contact information in the university’s database, register for events, and communicate freely via NetCommunity

�Provides opportunities for donors to give beyond traditional methods while allowing the University to reach a larger audience.

Claflin University Student Philanthropy Program

PURPOSE:

� To build pride in the Institution

� To cultivate students to become loyal alumni

� A more aggressive and proactive approach in

developing a culture of giving among students

� Teaching students the concept of philanthropy and giving back

STRUCTURE:

� Program is segmented in to two categories:

1) class-based

2) student organization-based

� On an annual basis each undergraduate class and all student organizations are assessed a fundraising goal

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Claflin University Student Philanthropy Program

� RESULTS: Students have given $162,438 toward their overall goal of $200,000 for the capital campaign, Students are actively involved in Capital Campaign fundraising, Each senior class for the past 10 years has realized a 100% giving rate to the institution

Q & A Break

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Claflin UniversitySome Thoughts on Alumni Associations

Claflin University

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� Historically, associations are self-initiated

� Associations are dues dependent and therefore, underfunded

� Independent chapter structure fosters leadership and management issues that are not easily resolved.

� Relationship to University Leadership (particularly, the President) is historically, confrontational

� Association membership is more often 5% or less of total alumni population

� The Association expects to represent the total alumni population

� Generally demands program design and activity autonomy

Claflin UniversitySome Thoughts on Alumni Associations

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� Can foster two categories of alumni – association members and association non-members – with representation for members only

� Provides alumni a platform to express discontentment and to make proclamations that compromise the institution’s credibility

� Calls into question the institution’s legal responsibility to declare transparency in it its contractual and fiscal transactions

� Sometimes consumes institutional resources in staff time- most often an Alumni Affairs Director – primarily, to do damage control

� Association is positioned to claim credit for alumni achievements in which it played an inconsequential role or no role at all

� Independent management approach can foster fundraising, financial management and reporting conflicts

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Claflin UniversityRepositioning Alumni Associations

Question: How Do We Move to Higher Level of Alumni Support?

Key Steps

� Conduct research focused on common issues by shared between Universities

and Alumni Associations (Visit Public and Private Schools)

� Define the critical issues and develop recommendations for review

� Appoint a Joint Repositioning Task Force chaired by an alumnus to review

the research, issues, recommendations and to propose implementation action

steps

� Host and annual joint planning retreat between Alumni Leadership and

University Leadership

� FINDING: Implement solutions that range from deactivating Associations

to using creative approaches related to programming and management

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Q & A Break

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� Founded as Natchez Seminary in 1877 by the American Baptist Home mission Society, Jackson State University (JSU)is a public historically black, 4 year university.

� JSU offers more than 90 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs ranging from Art to Urban Studies

� Enrollment stands at 9508 � Strong undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in

the Arts, Sciences, Engineering, Education, and Business� Designated as a high research activity university, Jackson

State continues to enhance the state, nation and world through comprehensive economic development, healthcare, technological and educational initiative

All AboardAlumni Engagement on the Road and at Home

� Designed to engage alumni who are local to the university community with alumni who are local to the trip destination during away football games

� Engage alumni local and out of town who are in town for the home games

� Put together a university committee to plan away trips

� Most successful was the train trip to New Orleans

� Utilized one train car

� Staff assigned various roles: entertainer, logistics, hosts

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All AboardAlumni Engagement at Home

� Coaches as well as other academic administrators were invited

� Alumni from opposing team invited

� Fellowship and fun

All AboardAlumni Engagement on the Road

� Began in the train depot

� To make the logistics less stressful, we set up game areas for the participants

� Prizes were provided for the winners

� Played games on the train and provided lunch and light refreshments

� Facilitated transportation from the train to the hotel

� Provided travel packet with train, game, and lunch tickets along with an itinerary and a list of emergency numbers for staff

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All AboardAlumni Engagement on the Road

� Local event planned at jazz restaurant near the hotel

� Local alumni invited� Live entertainment

� Fellowship and fun� Repeat of the games on the train on the return home

� Great feedback from the travel participants

All AboardAlumni Engagement at Home

� Contracted with a local hotel close to campus to reserve a block of rooms for the Friday night before each home game

� Mixer planned with heavy hors d’oeuvres

� Collected alumni information and made available gift forms

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All AboardAlumni Engagement on the Road and at Home

� Connected /reconnected with alumni out of state

� Strengthened connections with local alumni

� Provided a forum for alumni to fellowship with each other

� Collected updated address/professional informational for the database

� Identified new ambassadors for JSU

Alumni Panels

The Alumni Panels Program was established to bring key alumni back to campus and put them in front of the current students

� Begin in the Fall of 2013

� Identified 5 or more alumni from each academic area

� The sessions were held on the Thursday before Homecoming

� All sessions were held at the same time across campus

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Alumni Panels

� Alumni who agreed to participate provided photos and bios which were used to create a program book.

� Instructors brought classes to the sessions and other students were also invited

� Each participant discussed their career paths including challenges and successes

� Students were able to ask questions

� Panelist were invited to a reception at the President’s home following the sessions to fellowship with one another and administrators

Q & A Break

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Database Integrity and It’s Impact on

EngagementInstitutional Profile

� Set on the original campus of Oakland College established in 1831

� Founded 1871 as oldest HBCU land-grant university in the State of Mississippi and the United States of America

� More than 45 undergraduate degree majors & 5 colleges & schools

� 3,900+ enrollment with 19:1 student/faculty ratio

� 20,000+ living alumni (63% in Mississippi)

� 2014 SWAC Football & 2014 HBCU Football National Champions

alcorn.edu/foundation

IT ALL STARTS WITH DATA

• Database Integrity is Cultural & Crucial

• Strategic Business Issue vs. IT Problem

• Common Terms:• Accurate• Complete• Correct• Reliable• Up-to-Date

• G.O.O.D. Guaranteed Optimal Organizational Data

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Why Data Is Important to Engagement

� Affects Ability to � Make Decisions

� Communicate & Contact

� Raise Funds

� Grow & Strengthen

� Work Smarter, Faster and Efficiently

� Prevents� Embarrassment

� Returned Mail & Missed Phone Calls

� Productivity Loss

� Constituent Trust Erosion

� Bad Reports

3 First Steps to “Clean Up” Database

� Review how you do business

� Imputing practices

� Addressing practices

� Abbreviations (Do you?, How?, When?...)

� Titles, Spellings, etc.

� Establish Principles, Policies, Practices & Procedures

� Run Periodic System Tests or Reports (i.e. Scripts in BANNER, etc.)

� Check Campaign Type for correct coding

� Check Restrictions for correct coding

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It All Starts & Ends With Data

� Must be

�Ongoing & Continual Process

� Embedded in Business Practices

� Culture

� .

CROWDFUNDING & HBCUS: A NEW FRONTIER IN ENGAGEMENT

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WHAT is Crowdfunding?

� Started with “business startups” for financing

� Allows group of people to easily pool money for great impact on things that matter to them

� Appeals to younger constituents� Social networks

� Emotional

� Morphed into Advancement ca. 2012

� Micro-Campaigns (Day, Month, etc.)

� Giving Tuesday, Kickstarter, Gofundme, etc.

WHO does Crowdfunding?

� What type Organization Are You?

� Crawler (study & strategy)

�Walker (program=results & incremental)

� Runner (content & measurement)

� Flyer (reflective & continual improve)

� Best Organizations

� Agile

� Transparent

� Data & Network Experts

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WHY Should HBCUs Embrace Crowdfunding Now?

� New Model of Engagement & Giving for Young Alumni

� Online Fundraiser for a ASU vs. #WeLuvASU

� Raise $5,000 vs. Social Reach of Millions People

� Reaches Donors Where they are for Instant Response & Public Acknowledgment

� From Donor Pyramid to Donor Vortex (linear vs. asymmetric)

HOW do you Crowdfund?

� Know Your Social Crowd (constituents)� Who are Champions?

� Where do they go for info

� Who & What influences them

� What Are Your Objectives� Goal & Outcomes

� Measures

� Define Your Content� Stories

� Images & Proof

� Creative Acknowledgement

� Identify Tools� Platforms (GiveCampus, Ruffalo Cody, etc.)

� Proprietary

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10 Essential Elements of Effective Crowdfunding

1. Great Stories

2. Dedicated People

3. Connection to Constituents

4. University Lead

5. Establish Appropriate Goals

6. Only Quick Campaigns (30 days max)

7. Constant Coaching and Encouraging

8. Assigned Roles & Responsibilities

9. Timing

10. Active Social Media

At the End of the day, Every Little Bit ADDS UP!

Q & A Break

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