Building Alumni Associations at Comprehensive Community Colleges Turning Association Members into Future College Donors

Building Alumni Associations at Comprehensive Community Colleges Turning Association Members into Future College Donors July 2010 2009-2010 Luoma Leadership Academy Janet Blixt, Lisa Bottem, Melissa Fahning and Richard Kangas

Table of Contents Purpose... 3 History 3 Survey Research. 4 Strengths... 10 Obstacles... 11 Opportunities for Growth. 11 Best Practices 11 Recommendations. 14 Appendices: Appendix 1: Faculty Survey i Appendix 2: Alumni Survey ii Appendix 3: M State Alumni Association Web site mock up iii Appendix 4: Lake Superior College Alumni Form iv Appendix 5: Minnesota State Community and Technical College Moorhead Constitution and Bylaws.. v 2

Purpose Our group was charged with providing recommendations and guidance for Minnesota State Community and Technical College (MSCTC) and recently branded as M State, in developing a 3-year business plan for an alumni association with the goal of turning association members into future college donors. The college currently has four separate campus foundations as well as the M State Foundation. However, none of the campuses have an active alumni association. MSCTC Moorhead campus is in the initial stages of developing an alumni association, and the Dean of Students has drafted bylaws and a constitution. Our group conducted surveys of affected constituents to determine interest in alumni activities, and conducted national research to identify best practices of alumni associations around the country. According to an article from 2006 in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Why are Community Colleges so Slow to Jump on the Fund-Raising Bandwagon, written by Donald C. Summers, community colleges serve nearly half of the undergraduates in the country, including first-generation, and minority students, but they receive maybe 2 percent of the financial gifts made to higher education. Community colleges face many obstacles in building alumni donor bases because many two-year college graduates transfer to a four-year university and the alum s loyalty lies with that university. The need to raise funds is relatively new for most community colleges who have not yet developed and sustained an active alumni association. However, according to Rebecca Rump with the Southeastern Community College in Iowa, alums add value to community colleges. While four-year universities rely on their alumni primarily for monetary support, alums of community colleges are, among other things, part of program curriculum advisory committees, employers of graduates, employees of the college, taxpayers and voters. Therefore it is important to recognize the value of alums to the college. History Minnesota State Community and Technical College was established in 2003 by merging together the former Fergus Falls Community College, Northwest Technical College Detroit Lakes, Northwest Technical College Moorhead and Northwest Technical College Wadena. MSCTC serves more than 6,500 students through more than 120 career and liberal arts programs at its four campuses. The vision statement for MSCTC is; M State will be a regionally recognized organization focused on and partnering for innovation, learning, and your future. The mission statement is; To provide accessible education with vigor and integrity to diverse learners, preparing them for dynamic learning, living, working and serving. The existing development structure at MSCTC includes foundations on the four campuses operating at different capacities. Wadena s foundation was established in 2007 with 11 Board members which meets every three months. This foundation is in its infancy and just beginning to fundraise. Detroit Lakes was initially established as a trust association in 1981, with 3

a volunteer board from 1981-2007. In 2007, they became a foundation with a 13 member Board who is starting an annual campaign to fundraise. Moorhead is in its fourth year as an organized foundation. They are focused on providing scholarships, helping programs acquire equipment and establish endowments. The foundation s 12-member Board meets monthly. They are beginning the third year of a faculty/staff campaign. Moorhead s signature event includes an art fundraiser that highlights local artists. Fergus Falls is the most established of the four foundations with a 40 year history. They have a well-established Board that meets monthly and have engaged in strategic planning. Highlights of the foundation include an endowed lecture, an annual fund campaign, homecoming, a Facebook page, and they provide $140,000 a year in scholarship aid. Through on-site visits and conversations with the foundation directors at MSCTC, our team learned that foundation activity varies, but formal alumni interaction is nearly non-existent. There is a need for the college to explore moving to the next level and begin developing a formal alumni association for M State. Survey Research Our team surveyed the Minnesota State Community and Technical College faculty, a random sampling of 100 M State alumni, and the two-year development directors within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. We received 22 faculty responses from an email survey done spring 2010. Below are the questions and responses to the survey. (See Appendix 1 for further details). Do you have any communication with past graduates of your program? 4.3% Yes No 95.7% 4

If you selected yes, what form of communication? 14% 23% E- Mail/Facebook/Electronic Casual 63% Personal How many graduates do you have contact with? 9% 9% 32% 0 to 5 6 to 15 16 to 25 25 or More 50% 5

Would you be willing to identify successful alumni from your program who have leadership experiences or might be potential donors to your program and students? 10% 37% 53% Yes No N/A What types of alumni activities would you like to see on your campus? 10% Guest Speakers 40% 20% Social Gathering Graduation Reunions 5% Homecoming Foundation Dinner 5% 5% 15% Unsure 6

How often should alumni activities take place? 15% 5% 20% 30% Semi-Annually Annually Bi-Annually Every 5 Years or More Unsure 30% Of a survey also sent in spring 2010 to a random sampling of 100 MSCTC alumni to determine what types of activities, if any, graduates would like to see as part of an alumni association, 10 alumni responded. Below are the questions and responses to the alumni survey. (See Appendix 2 for further details). Would you like to receive communication from M-State? 30% Yes No 70% 7

If yes, in what format? Other Mail Twitter Facebook Email 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 Would you like to receive information from M State regarding alumni activities on campus? 0% 43% 57% Yes Maybe No 8

What activities would you like to see hosted by the college for alumni? (Please check all that apply) Activity Responses Program Reunion/Reception 4 Facebook Group 2 Continuing Education Opportunities 3 Library Services 3 Invitation to Special Campus Events 3 Free College E-mail Account 2 Newsletter 3 College Travel Program 0 Children's Holiday Party 1 Campus Flea Market 2 Campus Speaker 0 Dinner & Social Activity 3 Family Centered Activity 3 Discount at Bookstore 4 Other 0 How often would you like to participate? 43% 28% 0% Monthy Quarterly Annually 29% Of the 11 responses to an e-mail questionnaire of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system s two-year development directors, it was determined that while eight of the 11 respondents have some type of alumni association, they are not as active as they would like to be and/or are in their infancy. One of the more active alumni associations that has a rich history 9

is Itasca Community College. The college holds an all-class reunion every five years as well as mini-reunions in several key locations around the country. A common element among most of the alumni associations is a newsletter or magazine. Saint Paul College reported that they are just building an alumni association and have found the printed magazine to be the most successful in dealing with alumni relations. Communication is a critical component of a successful alumni association. Alexandria Technical College reports that staying in touch on a regular basis seems to be the key to building successful alumni relations. Through the responses, it was determined that another key element for a successful alumni association is a web site. Riverland Community College is currently in the process of expanding their alumni association and has requested to redesign the alumni web site to give it a more contemporary look. Some of the elements of the web site will include; a place for alumni to enter or update their data, classmate memories, showcase current alumni stories and successes, a list of the Alumni & Friends committee members, meeting schedules and minutes, and a place to request a transcript. The college also reports that they hope to include upcoming alumni events and provide information on planned giving and how to make a donation or set up a scholarship. Some of the two-year colleges in the system responded that they have had to cut back or eliminate their work with alumni. South Central College reported that due to budget cuts, the alumni director position was eliminated approximately one and one-half years ago, which has limited the college s ability to contact alumni. The college does still maintain their data base and have made some contact with an alumni ask each year. The college also reports they have had limited success in fundraising but did a great job with friend-raising. South Central College also has had success with business visits. They identified larger companies that have hired graduates and then met with the business leaders and the alumni. Those business visits were highlighted in the college s Above & Beyond alumni newsletter which is published quarterly. Strengths Minnesota State Community and Technical College has a strong desire to build an alumni association as is evident with this project and the work being done on the campuses. Through ITV, on-site and conference call meetings, we quickly realized the willingness exists. MSCTC has great potential to build an alumni association given already existing strengths. There is a rich history of the college in the local communities. The Fergus Falls campus will be celebrating their 50 year anniversary, and the other campuses have been in existence for 40 plus years. The college plays a major part in providing an educated and skilled workforce, such as agriculture, manufacturing, health care and transportation. The campuses are vital to these communities and bring economic vitality. There is a mutual relationship between the college and the four communities with which they reside. This positive relationship brings with it a strong potential for alumni engagement 10

with the college. The commitment of the communities to the college is evident through giving from individuals, businesses as well as other entities. An example of community giving is the many in-kind donations to specific programs in the form of equipment. The college has the potential to tap into over 20,000 alumni. This is a major resource that can enhance the existing database. Obstacles Through our conversations with campus staff it is our perception that communication between the four foundations is fairly limited. We recognize that there are several factors associated with this including limited staffing, lack of a shared vision and mission, budget constraints, organizational structure, as well as geographical restrictions. Opportunities for Growth The Minnesota State Community and Technical College has a great resource to tap into with over 20,000 alumni, many of which have not been solicited. The college should take the opportunity to improve alumni addresses to develop an updated database. In many two-year college communities, graduates live and work in the region. According to the Community College Times, 80 percent of alumni live within a 25-mile radius of the campus where they graduated and donors see a direct impact of their gifts. This creates a base of support for the college. In addition to a potential donor base of alums who live and work locally, these alums can also be a resource as potential volunteers, mentors, board members, fundraisers and college advocates. The college has a positive history with regional business and industry. This is an opportunity to cultivate those relationships and expand upon the partnerships and structures already in place. The college can tap into industrial clusters that employ many of the college s graduates. One can assume there s a fairly significant amount of alumni who work for local businesses. Through this collaboration we see tremendous potential to develop a framework where alumni within these businesses begin a long-term relationship with the college. The face of the alumni association is the web site. MSCTC can expand on its existing site to provide for a shared vision and mission and make the web site as seamless as possible for the user. Best Practices We have identified through our research five fundamental components of a successful alumni association. However, before we discuss those five components, a successful alumni association first and foremost has to have adequate funding, personnel and buy-in from the entire organization. We have learned through our research that organizations lacking these three components have not been successful. It is common for an alumni director to play many roles, however the most successful associations have dedicated staff. 11

The first component of a successful alumni association is the web site. The web site needs to be clear, concise and easy to navigate and portray a unified vision and mission. Appendix 3 provides an example of a web site for an M State Alumni Association. The alumni link on the main page of the college s web site should be visible and easy to find. Key components of the web site include alumni services; provide networking opportunities through alumni contacts and clubs library access lifelong learning opportunities alumni career services discounts to the bookstore wellness center membership transcripts The next component is alumni career services which may include: college job fair volunteer and mentorship opportunities for alumni current job openings networking opportunities transcripts library access computer access The third component of a web site is the newsletter which could be produced quarterly, bi-annually or annually. A successful web site should also include an events component that includes a monthly calendar of events. Components under the event section may include: ribbon cuttings reunions fine arts activities homecoming photo gallery social gatherings network gatherings Every successful alumni association web site should include a section to update your information. This is the easiest and most cost-effective way to update alumni addresses, profiles and a way to share your story. Minnesota West Community and Technical College includes an example for a multi-campus college at www.mnwest.edu. This component should have multiple avenues for ease of use. For example, alumni who are electronically proficient would prefer an electronic submission, while others might prefer to print a pdf form and mail it to the college. 12

Included on the web site should be an alumni directory that consists of alumni e-mail as well as a search for lost alums. Another important component to consider for the web site is the featured alumni or alumni of the month. There could be a section to nominate this person as well as a section to view past featured alums. Another important area of a successful alumni association web site is the alumni awards section. This area is the highest level of recognition the college offers that is presented on behalf of the alumni association. Awards would need to be established on the front end by the college. This section would also include an area to make nominations. Awards could also include supporting honorary alumni recognition. For example, a college could plant a tree on an alum s behalf or name a building after an alum. This should be coupled with a press release. There should be a link about the alumni association that explains the mission, vision, bylaws, the alumni board and the alumni staff. The Contact Us link provides photos of staff, a phone number, address and a link to individual e-mails. There should also be a Make a Gift link that allows the user to make a gift to the college. This form should be electronic with a pay pal option. In addition, the face of the web site should include links to various social networks, which may include Facebook, twitter, Linkedin, a blog, flickr, or You Tube. The second component of a successful alumni association is a publication which can be a newsletter or magazine available in print and/or electronic format. The publication should highlight events, activities, new projects, construction, new programs, alumni profiles and featured alumni. In the print version, a postcard may be included for alumni to update their information and/or make a gift. The third component is alumni networking which includes utilizing social networking, class reunions, social gatherings, ribbon cuttings, graduations, homecoming, athletic and fine art events, athletic and entrepreneurial hall of fame inductions, endowed lecture series, clubs, cultural events, golf tournaments, a 5K walk/run, job fairs, holiday events and volunteering opportunities. The fourth component of a successful alumni association is alumni services, which may include a college job fair, volunteer and mentorship opportunities for alumni, current job openings, transcripts, library access and computer access. And finally, the fifth component of an alumni association is fundraising. The goal of every alumni association is to turn association members into future college donors. An association can encourage and facilitate alumni giving, communicate giving opportunities to alumni and serve as a resource for the foundation office for donor identification and communication. 13

Through our research we found that it is important to engage the new alum with even a small donation. It s important to not lose track of the small donor because that could be harmful in the long-run. For example, Lake Superior College provides for every new graduate a form that congratulates them on earning a degree from the college and lets them know that while graduation marks the end of being a student, it also marks the beginning of a lifetime as an alum. (See Appendix 4). One of the easiest ways for a new alum to stay connected, that Lake Superior College does, is to make a small gift of $5 each year for the next three to four years which keeps them involved with the college. Recommendations In closing, we are making the following six recommendations to Minnesota State Community and Technical College to address the challenge of creating an alumni association. 1. Conduct a self-study to determine the college s commitment in continuing to build an alumni association. To create a successful association, the college has to prioritize funding and personnel. 2. Determine the structure of the alumni association. The question is will the M State alumni association parallel the existing organizational structure which is a college foundation and four campus foundations. Also to consider, is will the association be part of the college or coupled with the existing foundation associations? Our observation based on the M State web site and conversations with affected personnel, is that the current structure is unclear and there is not a unified appearance of one college with multiple campuses. 3. Establish a formal alumni association for M State. Our recommendation is to create one college alumni association without losing the autonomy of the four campus associations. We recommend creating an executive director position whose responsibilities will include oversight of the campus foundations and alumni associations. This will provide for a cohesive structure. 4. Build a strategic plan. An alumni association should have a strategic plan in place that is approved by the Board of Directors. A set of strategic goals should be created and implemented utilizing M State staff, alumni and friends that will promote the college. It is imperative to develop a shared vision and mission statement for the alumni association that trickles down to the four campuses. This will help develop the cohesive structure. MSCTC Moorhead has already developed a purpose, goals, by-laws and an alumni association constitution, that the M State alumni association should consider using as a model. It should be the goal of the association to develop and sustain a lifelong partnership between alumni and the college. (See Appendix 5). 14

5. Create a web site that will support alumni participation. The face of the alumni association is the web site and an important part of the association. Detailed information was included in the Best Practices section beginning on page 10. 6. Establish criteria for future administrative hiring to include fundraising experience. Various research on community colleges has revealed that fundraising should be a critical consideration in hiring future college leaders. With declining financial resources available to a college, fundraising is critical. 15

Alumni & Friends About the Alumni Association Alumni Services Alumni Career Services Alumni Newsletters Events Update Your Information Alumni Directory Alum of the Month Alumni Awards Family Legacies Make a Gift Contact Us About the Alumni Asssociation Minnesota State Community and Technical College is committed to providing resources and services that will enhance opportunities for our students and alumni. Whether you are looking for connections to advertised employers or requesting a transcript, you can find what you are looking for with M State. Our in-depth Web site and helpful staff are here to assist in your success. MAKE A GIFT to M State