Educational Institution Program - Constant Contact

[Pages:2]Case Study

Educational Institution Program

IUAA

IUAA brings alumni back

Alumni chapter emails build community and support advancement

Indiana University will always play a big part in the lives of its former students. The IU alumni association (IUAA) unites a worldwide community of 500,000 alums. A strong alumni network is critical to a university, nurturing professional development, generating member dues, supporting advancement and attracting volunteers. "We make alumni part of an instant community wherever they live," says Jen Goins, Senior Alumni Relations Officer at IUAA, "and help them influence the future of their alma mater."

Connecting alumni where they live Using an enterprise-level system, the IUAA team keeps in touch with their full alumni list through regular e-newsletters and magazines. "Good quality and timely communication is important to that initial contact with grads and to ongoing engagement," says Jen.

But according to Anne-Marie Farrow, president of the Charlotte, South Carolina chapter, "many people, including some big donors, prefer hearing from their local chapter rather than the university itself." For that local or group-specific personal touch that alumni truly respond to, IU relies on its volunteers that head up 80 alumni chapters in the U.S., 40 international chapters and affiliate chapters such as the iconic Marching Hundred Band alumni or Kelley School of Business grads.

Email by committee For many years, chapter-level communication had to come through the IUAA for editing and approval, then to marketing for layout and delivery using the enterprise-level system. Because of the onerous process, the emails were not timely and errors sometimes resulted from too many cooks in the kitchen.

"Sending email communication was one of our biggest battles," says Jen Goins. "Volunteers were frustrated with what they felt were long turnaround times. Marketing was always under pressure, because chapter communication was just one of its many commitments."

Chapters take on the task Many chapters were calling out for more control over communication. In 2012 IUAA moved to provide Email Marketing through Constant Contact to every chapter and affiliate group. Jen's goal is to have all chapters actively communicating with their alumni to strengthen engagement and get people thinking about the old "Cream and Crimson" on a regular basis.

"Our first year of using Constant Contact Email Marketing has been very positive," she says. "Giving our chapters ownership over their communications through Constant Contact has really taken away a lot of stress." By eliminating the many middle men touching each email, Jen estimates her group alone is saving between 20 and 30 % of their daily time that used to be devoted to chapter emails. "Marketing is also saving a ton of time," says Jen.

To strengthen alumni-wide messaging, IUAA uses the `Campaign Copy' feature from the Constant Contact Partner Console to create emails and, with a click of a button, copy them into chapter accounts. Chapters then have ready-to-go, branded emails they can send instantly, allowing them to stay top of mind.

Association at a glance: Partner Since May 2012 ? Indiana University Alumni Association ? 80 chapters across the U.S. ? 40 international chapters ? Affiliate chapters for specific schools and groups

Constant Contact benefits : ? Email marketing builds

engagement within chapters ? Regular communication leads to

more alumni involvement in events and fundraising ? Email creation reduced from hours to minutes ? Significant cost savings from eliminating print and mail

| (888) 606-7313

? 2013 Constant Contact, Inc. 13-3333

Case Study

IUAA

The magic of local IUAA trusts its capable volunteers to manage the relationships with the alumni in their chapter, and the volunteers love it. "It's a huge change from where we were and a real win-win," says Jen. For university alumni, especially out-of-state, there's nothing quite like hearing from their chapters about local events such as alumni game watches or scholarship luncheons.

"In Colorado, meeting someone else from IU sparks an immediate conversation because it's a unique experience," says Ross Miller, president of the state chapter of 6,000 alumni. "When we send email to our list of 2,700 contacts, we strive to catch their eye, get them excited about events and continue to engage them in the IU community."

Strengthening the volunteer community IUAA actively strengthens its inner circle of volunteer chapter leaders who have chosen to be invested in the IU community. "Our volunteer leadership represents us where they live," says Jen, "and we're working to bring us all closer together." Using Constant Contact across the board is part of this plan. Leaders can now share and strengthen their communication experiences and organize webinars and conference calls to replace expensive travel.

The lifetime giving cycle "Our hand in advancement goes well beyond membership," says Jen. Working closely with the foundation and with their volunteer leaders, IUAA aims to reach alumni with the optimal level of engagement and not inundate them with contact. "Our strategy links communication to the lifelong giving cycle. Message and tone will be different for a recent graduate than for a major donor."

Targeted audience, instant feedback Shifting to more email and less printed communication not only reduces cost and time spent, it permits the kind of visibility organizations could only dream of in the past. "Now that we can see click and open rates for every email, we can determine what's working and what isn't," says Anne-Marie Farrow of Charlotte. "When I send a video, my open rates are through the roof. Thanks to Constant Contact we can actually track alumni interest and engagement."

Anne-Marie actively uses Constant Contact Online Survey to gauge interest in potential events, and EventSpot to register for them. While her multiple sub-lists are refreshed weekly from the central IUAA database through Constant Contact's integration options, her non-alumni sub-lists may target freshmen or simply loyal fans of the Hoosier university's legendary athletic teams.

For more information or to get started with Constant Contact's Educational Institution Program, call (888) 606-7313 or visit education.

"Putting communication tools in the hands of the chapters is very powerful."

Anne-Marie Farrow, president of the Charlotte chapter

"What used to take a few days can now be done almost instantly using Constant Contact."

Jen Goins, Senior Alumni Relations Officer at IUAA.

"The regular communication we carry out through Constant Contact is critical to our goals as a large, out-of-state chapter."

Ross Miller, president of IUAA Colorado chapter

| (888) 606-7313

? 2013 Constant Contact, Inc. 13-3333

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