The best way to use Affinity Groups on Graduway to engage your entire community (with sample messaging)

Affinity groups have long been a staple of alumni engagement programs. Too often, though, they’re underutilized or siloed. With the right structure and strategy, affinity groups can unlock meaningful connection, drive platform usage, and increase long-term support across your entire community.

Graduway makes it easy to segment your audiences and create groups based on shared experiences, interests, and identities.

In this post, we’ll walk through the most effective types of affinity groups to set up in Graduway, complete with guidance on how to structure each group and sample messaging you can use to drive participation.

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How to build Affinity Groups that scale engagement

Affinity groups thrive when they feel personal, relevant, and easy to access. Here’s how to set them up effectively on Graduway:

• Segment your users by key data points like graduation year, extracurricular involvement, major, career field, or location.
• Let users self-select into groups during onboarding or via an in-platform invitation.
• Create dedicated group spaces within the platform, with clear descriptions and community guidelines.
• Use Ivy & Ocelot to automate communication, respond to common questions, and nudge users to join groups that match their profiles.

Now, let’s explore the top Affinity Group types and how each one can support your broader alumni and community engagement strategy.

1. Class year groups

Best for: Alumni and students
Purpose: Build connection through nostalgia and life-stage alignment

Class year groups are one of the easiest and most effective ways to spark engagement. Alumni think so, too: according to Gravyty’s Alumni Trends Report, all generations surveyed prefer digital to non-digital (such as phone and direct mail) engagement. Class year group members can tap into shared experiences and milestones, making it easier for members to reconnect and participate in reunions, giving days, and ongoing school traditions.

2. Career industry groups

Best for: Alumni, students, Career Services
Purpose: Support networking, job sharing, and mentorship within specific industries

These groups foster peer-to-peer connection and mentorship around professional growth, which is one of the highest-value touch points for alumni and students alike. In fact, career development and networking were ranked the top most valuable services an institution can provide, according to 500+ alumni. Career industry affinity groups allow institutions to showcase the real-world impact of their programs through the success of their alumni. 

3. Extracurricular & athletics groups

Best for: Former student-athletes and club members
Purpose: Strengthen school spirit and legacy connections

These groups tap into the powerful sense of identity and loyalty formed during high-involvement experiences. Whether through sports, clubs, or student leadership, members often feel a lasting bond that leads to higher engagement and increased giving potential.

4. Regional and geographic groups

Best for: Alumni, parents, and volunteers
Purpose: Facilitate in-person connections and regional events

Geographic groups help large, distributed communities feel smaller and more connected. According to alumni themselves, nearly half say they find local chapters valuable when it comes to peer-to-peer mentoring and networking.

They’re especially valuable for planning events, building local volunteer networks, and fostering peer support among members living in the same region.

5. Diversity and inclusion affinity groups

Best for: Historically underrepresented alumni and student communities, and DEI offices
Purpose: Foster belonging and representation across your community

Diversity and inclusion in higher ed is at a pivotal moment, and Alumni Relations and Student Success teams are navigating what’s ahead. These groups are essential for cultivating inclusive alumni programs that reflect the full breadth of your community. They build trust, provide safe spaces for connection, and elevate voices that might otherwise be underrepresented in broader initiatives.

6. Parents and families groups

Best for: Families of current students or alumni
Purpose: Engage key decision-makers and champions of your institution

Parents and grandparents are often deeply invested in the success of students and institutions—both financially and emotionally. Creating a space for them fosters loyalty, strengthens community advocacy, and increases their likelihood of long-term involvement.

7. Faculty and staff groups

Best for: Current or retired faculty
Purpose: Maintain a connection between educators and alumni

For alumni, the relationships they create with faculty are often one of the most meaningful parts of their experience. These groups preserve those bonds and provide continuity between the academic and alumni experience, while also inviting faculty into mentoring and content-sharing roles.

8. Community and religious leaders groups

Best for: External advocates, board members, and spiritual leaders
Purpose: Strengthen ties with key community stakeholders

These individuals are already deeply connected to your mission. Giving them a defined space to engage reinforces their role as champions and helps expand your institution’s reach and credibility within broader networks.

9. Employer, company and recruiter groups

Best for: Alumni employers and industry partners
Purpose: Expand job opportunities and promote institutional outcomes

Alumni value professional growth and development, and providing them with tangible career resources is one of the clearest measures of institutional impact. Engaging employers directly builds trust in your programs, creates hiring pipelines for students, and adds long-term value to your alumni network.

3 examples of institutions driving more engagement with Affinity Groups in Graduway

Chi Omega

Chi Omega uses Graduway to power the ChiO&Co community, connecting alumnae by chapter, region, and class year to strengthen lifelong sisterhood through consistent engagement. With 16,000 users and counting, Chi Omega has found success engaging alums by segmenting its vast community into smaller, more personal groups—creating a strong foundation for volunteerism, leadership development, and giving.

Union Theological Seminary

On UTS Connect, Union Theological Seminary has implemented Affinity Groups around academic affiliations, class cohort and special interests. These groups support peer mentorship, courses and professional development, all while maintaining alignment with the seminary’s mission across various departments. In all, UTS’s strategy has led to tangible success:

• 77% graduates joined within the first year of the platform
• 800+ members across the student lifecycle, up from 200 alumni-only members in 2023

UC San Diego

As a graduate of UC San Diego, you are automatically a part of the Alumni Association. With more than 256,000 global alumni, the Tritons Connect community offers countless Groups where members can connect with each other anytime, anywhere. Some of the groups they offer include alumni councils, regional clubs, special interest groups and a staff and faculty cohort. 

Tritons Connect groups examples:

• Asia Pacific-Islander Alumni Council
• Black Alumni Council
• Pride Alumni Council
• GOLD Alumni
• Seattle Club
• New York Club
• Thailand Club

10 easy ways to boost engagement in Affinity Groups

1. Highlight active groups on your homepage to drive visibility and encourage sign-ups.
2. Use Gratavid to share personalized video messages from alumni leaders, staff, or students welcoming new group members.
3. Promote exclusive content or perks (like early event access or job postings) for group members.
4. Embed giving forms within group pages to create seamless opportunities for members to support causes they care about.
5. Post regular conversation starters or polls to spark interaction within the group.
6. Send targeted nudges based on user behavior, such as reminders to RSVP or post a question.
7. Feature group spotlights in your email newsletters to encourage others to join.
8. Recognize members who contribute frequently with spotlights or Badges.
9. Host group-exclusive virtual or in-person events to build deeper connection.
10. Invite faculty or alumni mentors into groups to offer support and drive meaningful dialogue.

Inspired? Get started with Affinity Groups in Graduway

Affinity groups help you scale personalization without losing the sense of community your audience values most. Whether you’re engaging alumni, students, parents, or partners, the key is meeting them where they are with shared identity, purpose, and interest.

When powered by a platform like Graduway, Affinity Groups become vibrant, high-value communities that drive engagement, connection, and loyalty.

Want to see how other institutions are using Graduway to grow alumni engagement and career outcomes? Let’s talk.