The ROI of mentoring programs for colleges & universities

You’re already being asked to do more with less, and yet you face mounting pressure from your leadership team to drive better return-on-investment for alumni programming and engagement activities. Whether your team is currently running alumni-to-student or alumni-to-alumni mentoring programs and looking to optimize the program, or you’re learning how to get started, knowing how and why mentoring programs result in real returns on investment is key to proving impact. 

Far from just a “feel-good” initiative, mentoring programs have proven to be an ROI driver and a leading indicator of both engagement and giving. 

According to the Gravyty’s Alumni Trends Report, alumni who participate in mentoring are 156% more likely to have donated to their alma mater, and 209% more likely to donate in the future compared to those who haven’t participated. That makes mentoring not just a community-building tool, but a strategic advancement lever.

Mentorship: A key indicator of an engaged alumnus

Mentorship goes beyond just an activity to drive more platform visits or alumni participation. Good mentorship can and will result in real-world career opportunities and success which, in turn, translates into a more generous and involved alumni community. 

In our Alumni Trends Report, when asked what services they most value from their alma mater, alumni consistently rank career support and networking opportunities at the top. In fact, nearly half of surveyed alumni named these as their #1 need. 

Mentoring directly fulfills this demand by connecting students and alumni – or alumni with each other – for career guidance, professional networking, and personal growth.

The impact is undeniable: alumni who participate in mentoring are 335% more likely to use their alumni networks for career advice and advancement opportunities. These connections not only benefit individuals and their career growth, but they also deepen loyalty to the institution that fosters them.

The mentorship and alumni giving correlation

While mentoring programs builds stronger bonds amongst alumni, they can also directly impact dollars raised – a key measure of a well-run, integrated advancement program.

The data show a direct link to alumni giving:

• 88.4% of mentoring participants have already donated to their alma mater, compared with only 34.5% of non-participants.
• 82.5% of mentoring participants say they are likely to donate in the future, compared with just 26.7% of non-participants.
• Alumni who serve as mentors are the strongest donor prospects, with 88.7% reporting they are likely to give in the future.

This clear correlation between mentorship and philanthropy shows that alumni mentoring programs pay for themselves many times over—not only in immediate donations but in cultivating lifelong donor pipelines.

And, while a critical measure of impact, it’s not just the fundraising dollars that mentoring can influence. Beyond donations, mentoring also correlates with other key engagement metrics:

• Career services: Mentorship participants are more engaged with alumni career services, expanding opportunities for both students and fellow alumni.
• Community building: Mentoring creates a culture of reciprocity and belonging, strengthening the overall alumni network.
• Institutional reputation: Schools that invest in structured mentorship are seen as supporting alumni success well beyond graduation.
• Generational value: Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X alike rank networking and mentorship as top alumni program benefits, showing its universal relevance.

Alumni mentoring programs in the digital age

Today’s alumni expect convenience, flexibility, and digital access. That’s why mentoring programs thrive when built on digital-first platforms that make it easy to connect anytime, anywhere. Mentorship participants surveyed prefer an omni-channel experience, including video, text, and newsletters, which keeps them more engaged than non-participants. 

Even more telling, a staggering 93.3% of alumni donors engage through an alumni platform, making alumni network platforms like Graduway a critical hub for digital mentoring.

By leveraging digital platforms, universities can scale mentorship opportunities across geographies, generations, and interests, ensuring no alum feels left out.

See how Graduway powers mentoring programs at scale

FAQs about alumni mentoring programs

What is an alumni mentoring program?

An alumni mentoring program connects alumni with students or fellow alumni for career guidance, professional networking, and personal development. It’s designed to build lifelong community ties while delivering value to participants.

Do alumni mentoring programs increase donations?

Yes. Gravyty’s Alumni Trends Report shows that alumni in mentoring programs are 156% more likely to have donated and 209% more likely to donate in the future.

How can universities measure the ROI of mentoring programs?

• Compare giving rates of mentoring participants vs. non-participants.
• Track engagement metrics like alumni portal logins, event attendance, and mentoring matches.
• Collect survey feedback on alumni satisfaction and career impact.

What’s the best way to scale a mentoring program?

Use a digital alumni engagement platform that automates mentor-mentee matching, integrates with career services, and supports communication across email, text, and video.

What are the benefits for alumni mentors?

Serving as a mentor not only strengthens professional networks but also deepens institutional loyalty. Alumni mentors are 88.7% more likely to donate in the future, making them some of the most valuable advocates for your institution.

What percentage of college & university alumni are mentors?

Of the 600 alumni surveyed in Gravyty’s Alumni Trends Report, nearly half (48%) have participated in a mentoring program as a mentor. Over a third (36%) have been a mentee. 

Mentorship for advancement success

For advancement leaders, mentorship is a proven strategy for driving alumni affinity, strengthening career support, and generating long-term fundraising success. With alumni mentors and mentees showing dramatically higher rates of giving and engagement, investing in a structured alumni mentoring program is one of the smartest moves a university can make.

The ROI is clear: mentorship creates lasting impact for alumni, students, and institutions alike.

Want to see how Graduway can help you power personalized and authentic mentoring programs at scale? Contact us today for a demo.