Why Alumni Engagement Breaks (and How Leading Institutions Fix It)
A practical guide to building continuous alumni engagement—based on a proven model demonstrated by institutions like Ohio University, Wesleyan, Union Theological Seminary, University of Colorado Boulder, and William & Mary.
Based on results like 180% increases in engagement and 3x growth in participation.
Alumni engagement doesn’t fail because of lack of effort.
Most institutions are already running events, sending communications, and building programs. The problem is that engagement resets after every interaction, forcing alumni to start over each time.
This guide shows how leading institutions are building connected experiences that keep alumni engaged over time and drive measurable results.
What you’ll learn:
Why engagement resets — and how to break the cycle
What actually drives alumni to return and stay engaged
How leading institutions build continuous, connected experiences
How smarter engagement leads to stronger participation and outcomes
Real examples from institutions like Ohio University, Wesleyan, Union, and William & Mary
