Why Institutions are Switching Over to Technology at a Younger Stage to Manage Strong Alumni Relations?

To start with, let’s go through some misconceptions built around using technology for alumni relations and understand how technology is a catalyst rather than a barrier to strong alumni relations especially for younger institutions:

• Technology for Alumni Relations is meant for big institutions with larger alumni base.
• Using technology for alumni relations is expensive and small institutions might not have the budget for it
• Using technology for alumni relations requires technical knowledge and expertise

These misconceptions can be avoided if we understand thoroughly how technology facilitates young institutions in building a strong alumni network. As Mrs. Latha Venkitachalam, Executive Director of IIT Madras Alumni Association rightly mentioned in one of the sessions of Alumni Champion Talks that, “There is no Escape to Using Technology”. Moreover, younger institutions are at an advantage of adopting technology at an earlier stage because of the reasons as:

Quality of Alumni Database is much stronger at an earlier stage

The alumni data of younger institutes is up-to-date as they just got out of the institute. Therefore, it becomes relatively flexible to manage the data with the help of technology as it provides flexibility of the number of fields of information. This not only improves the quality of database but also helps in building deep relations through personalized communications.

Technology drives Interactions

In the tech-savvy world, millennials are more receptive to notifications over letters or emails. Let’s not forget that these alumni are the same people who place an order on Amazon in a jiffy. With mobile application, you can boost alumni engagement and notify your alumni with latest information in just few clicks! This not only drives communication but also boost draws the attention of alumni.
This holds true for getting their participation in your events too!

Well, we understood why technology is meant for younger institutes; but what about fund raising? The important factor for fund raising is an engaged alumni community. You don’t have to wait for your institute to be old to generate funds from alumni.

Learn The Secret of Fund Raising and get the maximum support from your alumni at younger stage also.

Join Alumni Champions Community where alumni professionals regularly exchange their best practices and noteworthy stories which provides tremendous insights for building a vibrant alumni ecosystem.