Simple and Easy Alumni Fundraising Solutions to Boost Giving

Alumni fundraising is crucial for maintaining the strength of colleges and universities. Unfortunately, during the 2023 financial year, alumni contributions dropped by 13 percent after inflation (Source). This significant hit means schools will have to put in even more effort to boost giving. 

The good news is there are simple and easy alumni fundraising ideas that can really make a difference. This blog explores simple and effective strategies to encourage alumni to give back without making it complicated. 

Here’s how you can enhance alumni giving and support your school’s future.

1. Build Personal Connections 

The first thing you need to do is build strong relationships with your alumni. These relationships take time to create and effort to maintain, and they won’t happen overnight. 

Reach Out With a Personal Touch

Use your alumni database to send personalized emails or letters. Avoid generic donation requests. Instead, highlight and talk about their specific achievements while they were at school or how their past contributions made a real difference. 

Show that you remember them not just as donors but as key members of your community. This strategy is great for alumni fundraising because it makes each alumni feel special and valued.

Celebrate Their Big Moments

Everyone likes to feel remembered on their birthday or other big life events. Why not use these occasions to strengthen ties with your alumni? A simple birthday card or a congratulatory note for major milestones like weddings or career achievements can mean a lot. 

Your goal is to keep your alumni connected to their alma mater while reminding them to support current needs and projects. 

2. Host Engaging Alumni Events

Who says alumni fundraising can’t be fun? With events that focus on reconnecting or even class reunions, you can bring alumni back together and also open up doors for new fundraising opportunities. 

Networking Lunches That Matter

Host lunches with former classmates and guest speakers who are now industry leaders. These aren't just gatherings; they're networking goldmines. 

When you organize these lunches, you create a space for professional growth and rekindling old friendships. It's a powerful alumni fundraising idea because it directly links personal advancement to giving back. 

Plus, it reminds your alumni why they loved their school days, which gives them even more reasons to help out.

Virtual Hangouts to Keep Everyone Connected

Not everyone can make it to campus. Why not bring the campus to them? Host online happy hours or game nights.

These virtual get-togethers are perfect for those who are far away but still want to stay connected. It's a fresh take on fundraising ideas for alumni associations. These events create a sense of community, allowing alumni to stay connected regardless of their location.

3. Implement Innovative Fundraising Campaigns

Bring some creativity to your alumni fundraising ideas. Here are two creative strategies that not only raise funds but also strengthen ties with your alumni.

Brick Fundraising: Build a Legacy

Why not let your alumni leave a literal mark on the school grounds? With brick fundraising, alumni can sponsor bricks for new buildings or pathways. Each brick can be engraved with their name or a short message.

Alumni get to see their names during visits, and it serves as a constant reminder of their contribution and connection to their alma mater.

Merchandise Sales: Wear Your Pride

Everyone loves sporting gear from their alma mater, especially if it's well-designed and holds a special meaning. Design items like limited edition shirts, hats, or anniversary items. Make them available at major events or online for easy access. 

It’s a fantastic fundraising idea for alumni associations to keep the excitement and engagement high year-round.

Both these campaigns don’t just ask for donations, they offer something valuable in return.

To increase alumni donations to your fundraiser, Click Here to find out all the tips and tricks!

4. Use Digital Engagement Strategies

Nowadays, connecting with alumni online is more important than ever. Here are a couple of digital strategies that can help you engage your alumni effectively and boost your fundraising efforts.

Use Social Media

Social media can be a powerful tool for engagement. It isn’t just for scrolling. 

Use social media to launch challenges and use unique hashtags that encourage alumni to share  their successes and the role their alma mater played in their journey. 

Share Alumni Stories

Alumni love looking back to see where old schoolmates ended up. Their success stories are a great calling card for future students and an inspiration to alumni.  

Regularly feature stories, achievements, and the school’s contribution to their success. Alumni spotlights are excellent alumni fundraising tools because they create a sense of pride and community, which make alumni feel valued and more likely to give back.

By using these digital strategies in your alumni fundraising efforts, you will not only keep up with the digital trend but also create a more engaging and connected alumni network. 

5. Promote Special Projects and Giving Opportunities

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to giving back. Special projects and targeted giving opportunities can make a huge difference. Here are two ways to inspire your alumni to contribute.

Service Projects

Bring your alumni together to work on service projects that help their communities. Whether it's park clean-ups, volunteering at a food bank, or mentoring students, these service projects offer a hands-on way to give back. 

This alumni fundraising idea not only strengthens the ties between the participants , but also their connection to their alma mater which ultimately leads to a stronger commitment to supporting its fundraising efforts. 

Scholarship Funds

Scholarships are more than financial aid. They're investments in the future of students. 

Encourage your alumni to contribute to scholarship funds. This alumni fundraising strategy highlights the lasting impact alumni can have on future generations. 

Transform Alumni Giving with BetterWorld's Free Tools

Alumni fundraising can feel like a puzzle, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. What if you had a tool that brought all the pieces together, made the process smooth, and didn’t cost a dime? 

That’s where BetterWorld steps in. With BetterWorld, you get all the alumni fundraising solutions you need in one easy-to-use platform. It is where all your alumni fundraising ideas come to life.

Online Donation Platform

Imagine setting up an online donation platform that’s so simple that your alumni will find it easy to give back at any time. BetterWorld’s donation platform does just that. 

Set up an easy-to-use online donation platform. This will simplify campaign management and make it easy for alumni to contribute, whether they are recent graduates or long-time supporters.

Donor Engagement

Sometimes, keeping alumni engaged is difficult. Luckily, with BetterWorld’s alumni engagement tool, you don't have to worry about it anymore.

Want to make it fun? Use BetterWorld’s tools to create class-specific landing pages, visualize goals, and track progress. Engage alumni with inter-class competitions or online auctions to make giving a shared experience.

BetterWorld makes it easy to turn giving into a shared experience that brings alumni closer together.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is one of the classic alumni fundraising ideas. With BetterWorld, you can create interactive donation pages that let alumni see the impact of their contributions in real time. 

It allows alumni to leave comments, be recognized for their gifts, and even win prizes. This makes fundraising feel like a community event rather than just a transaction.

The best part? You don’t need to be a tech expert to get started. BetterWorld’s platform is designed with simplicity in mind, so you’ll be up and running in no time. 

Ready to see how BetterWorld can transform your alumni fundraising efforts? Request a free demo today and experience the platform that’s free now and always will be.