From engagement to fundraising: a Mater Dei customer success story

For schools looking to increase fundraising, creating genuine engagement between their alumni and the school is a crucial step. By building relationships with alumni, schools can tap into a network of supporters who are passionate about their alma mater and feel invested in the school’s success.

In this blog series, we’ll explore how schools of all sizes use various engagement strategies to increase their fundraising and see as much as a 380% increase in giving.

Today, we’ll discuss key engagement and fundraising strategies from Mater Dei High School and explore how Graduway and Advance from Gravyty have supported their success.

About Mater Dei High School

Mater Dei High School is a co-educational Catholic secondary school located in California’s Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. It is known for its strong sports programs, particularly football.
It is known for its strong academic, athletics and arts programs and annually sends 99% of graduates onto college.

Alumni engagement at Mater Dei High School

Mater Dei High School has been working to build engagement with its alumni since introducing Graduway + Advance less than a year ago. With 2,000 attendees expected at each reunion across 10 total events each year, Mater Dei High School has seen great success in reminding alumni of their connection to the school. The school primarily engages alumni by connecting them through social media, newsletters, and email. The school also focuses on conducting alumni challenges and moving passive supporters to active donors.

Mater Dei High School has also embraced the importance of reunions as a means of driving alumni engagement. With between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees expected at each reunion, the school has seen great success in reminding alumni of their connection to the school.

Fundraising at Mater Dei High School

Mater Dei High School’s Giving Day, “1950 Day,” was a massive success. In less than a year, the Giving Day saw a 480% increase in alumni donations from the previous year, raising over $600,000 for the school. The school achieved this through intense alumni challenges and by asking alums to move from passive supporters to active donors.

Key Takeaways:

These high schools’ fundraising success stories hold valuable lessons for other institutions looking to drive fundraising through enhanced engagement. Here are some key takeaways:

• Prioritize alumni engagement to drive fundraising success. Genuine engagement with your alumni is essential if you want to raise funds in the future.
• Use technology platforms effectively to foster engagement between alumni and students. Tech platforms such as Graduway and Advance from Gravyty make it easier than ever to connect with alumni, engage them with events and campaigns, and identify potential donors.
• Create a culture of collaboration across departments, especially regarding fundraising and student engagement. Different departments within the school can combine their efforts to create a more cohesive approach.
• Focus on creating targeted campaigns and events that resonate with your alumni community. By understanding what your alumni care about, you can create campaigns and events that are more likely to drive engagement and donations.
• Always strive to build and strengthen relationships with your alumni. This will allow them to stay connected with the school community and more likely to give back in the future.

For schools looking to increase their fundraising and build stronger engagement with their alumni, following these takeaways can be a solid foundation for a successful alumni engagement and fundraising campaign. Graduway and Advance from Gravyty can also provide tools and insights to make this a reality. By fostering a culture of collaboration and prioritizing engagement with alumni, any institution can expect to see improvements in their engagement metrics and fundraising results.