This document outlines a cross-departmental collaboration between alumni relations, annual giving, and career services at a university to foster student-alumni connections. It details a New York Connection event where students visit professional sites, network with alumni, and attend a closing reception. The objectives are to understand successful partnerships, engagement strategies, and ideas to implement. A timeline outlines planning tasks over a year in advance. The event agenda includes site visits and a closing event co-hosted with the local alumni chapter. Communications and follow-up efforts aim to cultivate donors and steward relationships. Past results included increased alumni giving, corporate engagement, and program evaluation to improve future events.

1. FOSTERING STUDENT-ALUMNI
CONNECTIONS & EXPANDING PROSPECT
ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CROSS-
DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATIONS
Mary Ann Cicala, Alumni Director
Austin Community College

2. Objectives
 Understand the ingredients of a
successful partnership
 Understand the components of a
cross department engagement
strategy
 Leave with ideas to implement in
your own shop

3. Plan(t) the Seeds for the Future

4. Who Benefits
 Alumni Relations professionals seeking
ideas for volunteer opportunities and
impactful events
 Annual Fund and Major Gift
professionals seeking strategies to
increase new alumni giving
 Career Service and Advising
professionals seeking program ideas
for career development and strategies
for increasing student participation

5. Tools you will leave with
 Conceptualize the roles and
partnerships each department plays
in fundraising
 Understand the important correlation
between professional interactions
with students and first impressions
of existing alumni
 At least one strategy on developing
alumni engagement with current
students

6. Challenges Identified

7. Shared Interests and Goals
Positive
Alumni
Behaviors
Positive Alumni
Role Models
Positive
Student
Experience

8. Realistic Expectations
 Build Timeline 12 months out
 Not sustainable for any partner to do
everything:
Focus on key strengths and
benefits for each office
 Must invest a lot of time up front

9. Steps to New York Connection
 People
 Clear Vision/Mission Statement
 Timeline
 Event

10. People
 Start with quality core group and
grow
 Diverse Spheres of Influence
 Donor Engagement Strategy

11. Steps to New York Connection
 People
 Clear Vision/Mission Statement

12. Mission Statement
The purpose of the New York Connection
is to assist undergraduate students with
their career planning by:
 Gathering information regarding professional life in New York City
 Exploring interests, values, and skills and connecting them to the
workforce
 Hearing real-life accounts of "life at work"
 Exposing students to a variety of employers in the communication and
arts fields
 Learning about the career paths and responsibilities of Emerson College
alumni
 Allowing for formal and informal conversations and networking between

13. Steps to New York Connection
 People
 Clear Vision/Mission Statement
 Timeline

14. Timeline
Month/Day Task
12 Months
March
Confirm the Date with major stakeholders
(Alumni Relations/Career Services)
9 Months
July/August
Send out Save the date to Academic
Departments, Student Life, Deans, and
NY Alumni Chapter Leader(s)
7 Months
September
Prospect Review—Brainstorm and
Prioritize Potential Site Hosts: Major Gift
Officers, Corporate & Foundation
Relations, Alumni, and Annual Giving
Staff
6 Months
October
Confirm Closing Reception Site
3 Months
January
Coordinate and Secure Site Visits
Identify Staff/Faculty Volunteers

15. Timeline continued
Month/Day Task
1 Month Out
February
Open Registration for Students
(Marketing: Emails, Posters, Table Tents,
Dept. Flyers, & Class Announcements)
1 Week Before Host Mandatory Prep Sessions for
Student Participants
2 Days Before Email Student Guides
• Emergency Contact Information
• Schedule for Career Track
• Information on Site Hosts and Bios
1 Day Before Reminder email from Staff/Faculty Track
Captain with his/her emergency contact
information
1 Business Day After Link to Survey
1 Week After Post Mortem with Key Staff/Faculty

16. Steps to New York Connection
 People
 Clear Vision/Mission Statement
 Timeline
 Event

17. Event: Agenda

18. Event: Site Visits

19. Closing Event and Partnership with
Local City Chapter
 Partnership with Local City Chapter
 Central Location
 Great Opportunity to Partner with
Foundation & Corporate Relations
 Empower Chapter to Own This Event

20. Event: Closing Reception

21. Communications
 Students: Email, Class Announcements,
mandatory prep session, briefing w/ agenda and
site description/host bios, 2 reminder emails, survey
 Faculty/Staff Captains: Email, Group Meeting,
Introduction to site host, briefings, survey, thank you
 Site Hosts: Intro/Meeting, Email with Logistics,
Confirmation with attendees list (security), thank you
email, thank you gift, follow up with PM
survey
thank
you

22. Student Briefing

23. Cultivation & Stewardship
 Student survey before email include feedback
 Personalized letters and emails
 Email highlights “favorite moments” collected in student
feedback
 Handwritten note thank you with gift (usually a framed
photo with students or office gift basket)
 Feature in Expression Magazine

24. Cultivation & Stewardship

25. Results
 Site Hosts—to annual fund donors/participation
 17 of 22 (88%) Made their first gifts in FY13
 Major Gift Donors
 Led to Naming Opportunity in LA Center
 Corporate Foundation engagement
 Viacom Scholarship Program for students who
demonstrate a commitment to enhancing & promoting
diversity

26. Evaluate Post Mortem, Make Improvements

27.  Questions?
Mary Ann Cicala
Alumni Director
Austin Community College
mary.cicala@austincc.edu
512-223-7109