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It's Never Too Early To Engage Future Leaders

November 29, 2011 - Program Summary

Women in Development of Greater Boston was pleased to host Karaugh Brown, Patron Programs and Events Officer at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, Katie Guay, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Noble and Greenough School and Kirsten Lundeen, Associate Director of Alumni Relations for the Boston University Alumni Association, for a panel presentation and discussion on engaging young members and donors.

Karaugh, Katie, and Kirsten each shared the strategies that have been most effective for connecting with their respective young alumni/member populations. Among those strategies were the following:

1. Utilizing volunteer committees
2. Information-gathering surveys (What are you looking for? How can we serve you best?)
3. Young alumni/member events (Social/networking and educational seemed most popular, and the presence of expert staff or favorite faculty is a plus)
4. Philanthropy education and exposure to alumni while students are still in school
5. Peer solicitation
6. Compelling and fun fundraising challenges
7. Appropriate event price points and options for recurring/monthly giving
8. Targeted messaging and solicitations through print, online, and mobile phone communications

Some of the challenges that Karaugh, Katie, and Kirsten have encountered in their work include keeping young alumni contact information current, new member acquisition, keeping young alumni event costs down, starting a program from scratch, and managing real costs vs. “perceived value.”  Most all of these challenges can be addressed by creative and innovative strategic thinking. All three of the panelists agreed that no matter what, it is important to engage this population early to keep them involved for life.