Monday, August 20, 2018

How To Boost Alumni Relations For Your School

By Michael Johnson


Old boys and girls take a lot of pride in their former schools. This is why alumni relations officers work to maintain a vibrant relationship between the former students and their former school. This relationship is mutually beneficial since students benefit the school while the school enhances career and personal progress of students involved. However, it takes a lot of work to keep such relationships working. Here are tips that will keep the association active.

All students must be regarded as valuable. There is a tendency to view some as more valuable than others because of their social and financial status. However, fortunes change with time. This means that you could ignore a member who ends up being crucial in your plans in future. Work with all of them because each contributes depending on his or her capability. Even the socially and economically endowed could lose their influence, be overtaken or unavailable for future engagements.

Organize activities that will bring the students together. These activities should be in the form of a routine that involves alumni-specific events and occasions in the school. The activities should be modest considering that they have other commitments at work, community and personal level to attend to. A single activity or two of them are enough to maintain their interest in being together and supporting the school.

Work with individual years instead of gathering them together. There is greater warmth and interaction when people of the same year are involved compared to bringing all former students together. The memories they shared bring them closer together and are happy to interact. When they come from different years, their interaction is trained because they feel like strangers.

Handle their concerns as well. Most organizations focus on pulling resources in aid of the school. However, former students have social and career lives that need the involvement of the school. It could involve issuing of a recommendation letter, release of certificates, recommendation for positions and addressing of social welfare. When such issues are addressed, the relationship feels mutually beneficial.

Embrace modern media to mobilize and keep in touch with the former students. Traditional phone numbers could have belonged to parents and elder siblings. New media platforms make it easier to get these old boys and girls whenever you organize an event. In fact, they keep in touch and will spread the word to those who you cannot reach. Modern media, like social media, is also fast to communicate. You end up talking to them in a manner that they understand. Further, you will spend less to keep in touch.

Involve the former students in planning your activities. They come with ideas and resources that make the events enjoyable. They no longer want to feel like students who have to be told everything. They are excellent in mobilizing their peers to join your activity because they want to meet again. Their mobilization skills and network will make it easy for you to achieve your desired goals.

Cast your net wider when looking for former students. It is normal for students to disperse far and wide upon graduating. It helps to involve those who have spread to other parts of the country and world. This could be in an activity once in several years. It makes your alumni association inclusive and animated.




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