Alumni Engagement Services
To respond appropriately to the challenges and opportunities for growth facing our Catholic colleges & universities, some have begun responding to the call to identify, invite, and mobilize an empowered force of positive change agents through their gifts of time, talent, and treasure, shared generously while remaining focused on their mission.
Volunteer time is precious. Volunteers today are different than just a decade ago…they seek active participation in mission-fulfilling activities of the organizations they serve – clerical and administrative tasks no longer keep them engaged and giving. Volunteers are more concerned with the kind of impact the time they contribute is making and want to find opportunities that resonate with their interests.
Volunteer talent is abundant. Yet, we cannot count on alumni appearing on the scene just because we need them. Colleges must become intentional in recruiting and developing the right volunteer leaders – ambassadors who share the university’s vision and priorities. The reality of limited staff and budget of the alumni/development offices have been obvious impediments to growth and change for Catholic colleges in our country, but so have the reliance on the traditional approaches of alumni engagement.
Volunteer treasure will follow. Extensive studies reflect that significant gifts are more likely to be made by alumni who participate in alumni activities over many years. Engaging the hearts and minds of alumni in volunteer activities inspires greater giving. While the alumni office is not responsible for fundraising, it is, in the broader sense, a strategic partner in development.
With support from the alumni and development staff, alumni volunteer leaders are becoming innovators who are on a mission to move alumni life beyond its inherited structure:
