Executive Summary Strategic Plan:

Transcription

1 Executive Summary Strategic Plan:

2 Executive Summary Since its inception more than 165 years ago, the University of Tennessee Alumni Association has been known for outstanding service to what is now more than 300,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1836, making it one of the oldest alumni associations in the nation, the UTAA began advocating on behalf of UT in 1903, when Association members worked closely with the Board of Trustees to lobby the General Assembly and eventually acquire the first state appropriation for the University. Today UT alumni live in every county in the state, and they reside across the Southeast, the nation, and the world. Wherever they live, alumni can engage in the life of the University and with each other through networking in their communities and careers, connecting with friends and professors, accessing career guidance and services, participating in continuing education and educational travel, assisting the University in student recruitment or legislative advocacy, attending pre-game events and receptions, benefitting from affinity programs and alumni discounts, and joining reunions and homecomings. Yet in the past 15 years alone, the size of UT s alumni body has grown by one-third. This huge influx of young alumni and significant changes in public funding, technology, communications, and alumni interests motivated the UTAA to undertake its first Strategic Plan. The process comes at a time when alumni associations, built on a foundation of loyalty and shared experiences, are strengthening their role in connecting universities and alumni through programs that benefit alumni and support institutional growth and success. The Strategic Plan Process The planning process, launched formally in October 2009, has been developed during leadership, organizational, and economic changes affecting the University of Tennessee. In this context, the project was intentionally leadership-driven, collaborative, and inclusive, involving the Association, University staff, UT campuses, and volunteer alumni leaders. It was informed by data, trends, best practices, peer reviews, and, most importantly, by alumni attitudes and perspectives. Finally, it was developed with realistic consideration of organizational, environmental, and operational realities within the University. The planning process included multiple participants and resources: A Strategic Planning Steering Committee representative of administrative and volunteer alumni leadership across the University Input from the interim president, campus chancellors, campus alumni relations officers, and volunteers Task forces involving even more alumni and staff on the topics of market segmentation, alumni programming, data management, legislative relations, governance, and a two-phase study of financial modeling. Best practice and trend analysis, a communications audit, and an alumni survey drawing responses from nearly 11,000 UT graduates about valued programs and services Draft plan development followed by a broader constituent engagement phase for response to the proposed initiatives Final approval by the UTAA s Board of Governors The project was facilitated by The Napa Group, a strategic planning firm in Novato, California, which specializes in mission-focused, nonprofit organizations, including universities, foundations, and alumni associations. The Napa Group assisted the Association in developing a customized strategic planning process informed by changes nationally in alumni relations and the Association s and University s culture and aimed at innovation and impact. 2

3 Best Practice Organizations The best practice alumni organizations define their value proposition in several key areas: (1) broad alumni engagement through lifetime programming, (2) active alumni relationships through social and electronic networks, (3) sophisticated information and data management, (4) impactful alumni legislative advocacy, and (5) partnerships with development organizations for increased levels of institutional support. Market Research More than 11,000 UTAA alumni participated in the Alumni Attitude Study (AAS ), a survey which has been completed by more than 160,000 alumni in 135 colleges and universities since Among the key findings among UTAA alumni: The three leading barriers to participation in alumni activities were time, geographical distance and family or job commitments. The top five areas of interest for alumni were identifying job opportunities for graduates, serving as ambassadors for the University, providing feedback to UT regarding community perceptions, recruiting students, and mentoring students. Unique Climate of Change As the Association develops and implements this plan, a climate of change surrounds the process. An interim president leads the University while the search for and selection of a new president unfolds; this process is occurring parallel to the strategic planning work being completed by the Association. Additionally, the University is considering moving the Association and the Development and Alumni Affairs offices into a Foundation, with possible implementation in January It is understood that the strategies and initiatives laid out in this document will drive the Association s activities within either organizational structure. Strategic Plan Summary UTAA Mission: To engage alumni from all UT campuses in lifelong relationships with their University and with each other, to provide valuable programming and services, and to support the University s core missions of teaching, research, and public service Strategic Goals: I. Build and sustain lifetime relationships with alumni through programs targeted to each segment of the alumni lifecycle in response to alumni market research, best practices, and ongoing analysis and measurements. 1. Develop a lifecycle approach to alumni engagement with the campus alumni affairs offices agreeing on the consistent terms young, family, and matures and offer activities to each age group according to alumni needs and interests during key phases of their lives. 2. Create a tiered model of high-value programs that incorporate a balance of high-touch and high-tech activities based on impact, market segmentation, and financial and people resources. 3

4 3. Invest and broaden the use of technology to deliver alumni programs more effectively and assist campus efforts to engage alumni in segmented markets and affinity groups. II. Develop institutional advocacy and new investment to optimize centralized information management systems. 1. Invest in UTAA s centralized database and information systems through a multi-year information technology and information management business plan to improve data quality and integrity and increase alumni data available to better serve alumni. 2. Invest in customer relationship management (CRM) software for long-term value, including incorporation of a planned electronic constituent relations management (ecrm) system. While this will be a multi-year project dependent on budget resources, the goal is to begin implementing this software during year one of the Strategic Plan. 3. Create incentives that reduce and eventually eliminate shadow databases. 4. Capture student addresses and contact information to ensure continuity of relationships and their engagement as alumni, which will benefit not only alumni themselves but also the University, the Association, and the campuses. III. Leverage existing communications resources and collaborations to focus and align communication strategies and messages that increase impact and support new and ongoing objectives for alumni engagement. 1. Use the strategic planning process as a platform to work with University and campus partners to better align alumni communications around central themes, institutional priorities and areas of particular interest to alumni. 2. Enrich the content and expand the features of the Association s website to spotlight activities and individuals to more closely link alumni with the University. 3. Strengthen the UTAA s collaboration and partnership with the University Public and Government Relations office. 4. Advance the alumni/donor engagement continuum by aligning development and alumni communication activities. IV. Realize strong advocacy for the UT system of higher education in Tennessee through an influential legislative relations program. 1. Formalize the legislative relations plan for the UTAA Board of Governors to ensure active alumni engagement of key opinion leaders in Tennessee on topics and issues important to UT. 2. Provide timely, integrated, and compelling communication of key legislative and policy issues to distinct audiences. 3. Develop a financial resource model for the legislative advocacy efforts that supplements the resources provided by the University and the Association to support a more formalized and rigorous Association effort. V. Develop an Association financial model that ensures fiscal viability and supports sustained, consistent alumni engagement and programming. 1. Achieve commitment for long-term institutional investment in the Alumni Association. Important to achieving this objective is our continued effort to develop and present a compelling case for continued financial support for the UTAA to the Board of Trustees, the University president, and the chancellors. 2. Assess the financial implications and determine the viability of additional student services. 4

5 3. Develop and evaluate a tiered alumni giving program with progressive benefits and incentives at various levels, including a lifetime membership option. 4. Grow affinity partnerships to increase revenues directly to the Association, including a review of current credit card contracts and distribution agreements. 5. Develop an effective volunteer management program that engages volunteers in valued, meaningful activities that expand and enhance the Association s capabilities and capacity to serve and reach a broad group of alumni. Implementation Guided by the Association s 10-year aspiration, the Strategic Plan identifies key goals and initiatives for the next five years. These initiatives will be implemented through the UTAA s annual operating plans and budgets. First-year priorities will focus on finalizing a viable financial model for the UTAA, building a best practice Board of Governors, and enhancing collaboration with campus alumni offices. The plan is a living document that will be assessed by the staff twice each year and annually by the Board of Governors to reforecast initiatives as changes occur in the institution and the alumni relations environment. The key success indicators for the Strategic Plan over the next five years will be the following: Greater alumni involvement in the University and the UTAA More engaged young alumni A larger force of active alumni volunteers Increased revenues from affinity programs and partnerships and other self-funding mechanisms Accurate and accessible databases Higher levels of alumni financial support to the institution 5