Engagement that counts
Jeff Todd, UBC AVP Alumni and ED UBC Alumni Association
CASE VII
San Francisco
|
March 2013
Elevating alumni engagement as a Campaign goal

The most ambitious fundraising and alumni engagement campaign
in Canadian history: launched October 2011

Dual goals: raise $1.5B and double the number of alumni engaged
with UBC to 50,000 annually by 2015

Inviting our alumni, donors and friends to share their passion with
ours

To connect, donate and engage

In student learning, research, and community outreach

To learn more and get involved, go to startanevolution.ca
Page 2
What was the Genesis of the Campaign?
 UBC had not been in Campaign since 1991
o fundraising had continued successfully under the radar
 As a large, commuter school, alumni engagement was not where it
should have been
 UBC wanted a campaign to meet the need to increase $ AND alumni
engagement in the life of the university
 Campaign counting started in April 2008
 Goals built from the ground up with faculties
 Rooted in helping to deliver the University’s strategic plan –
Place and Promise
Page 3
Place and Promise: The UBC Strategic Plan
Aboriginal Engagement
STUDENT LEARNING
Alumni Engagement
Intercultural Understanding
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
International Engagement
Outstanding Work Environment
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Sustainability
Page 4
Alumni Engagement Goals by Faculty
(Data as of December 31, 2012)
Campus | Faculty
Campaign
Goal
UBC Okanagan
Alumni with
Points FY 12/13
YTD
Annual
Goal
873
580
7,000
5,179
5,500
10,400
8,112
8,000
Dentistry
1,200
707
1,000
Education
6,000
4,029
4,500
Forestry
1,300
798
900
Land and Food Systems
1,200
885
1,000
Law
3,200
1,938
2,500
Medicine
3,500
1,950
2,500
Pharmaceutical Sciences
1,200
966
1,000
Sauder School of Business
8,000
7,351
6,000
Science
7,000
5,113
5,000
UBC Vancouver
Applied Science
Arts
Other
Total
33
50,000
37,934
37,900
Confidential | February 15, 2013 | Page 5
Engagement at UBC
Page 6
New Portfolio to Deliver the Campaign
Development & Alumni
Engagement
Advancement Operations
Development
Alumni Engagement
Communications
Officers embedded in the faculties
 Gift processing
 Research & Prospect
Mgmt
 Information
Technology
 Human Resources
 Finance
 Constituency Fundraising
• Annual fund
 Major Gifts
• Principal Gifts
• Gift & Estate Planning
• Corporate &
Foundations
• International &
Regional
 Campaign Planning
 Alumni Affairs
 University Partnerships
 Alumni Services
 Alumni
Communications
 Operations
 Alumni Association
 DAE Campaign
Communications
 Interactive &
Development
Marketing
 Stewardship &
Events
Page 7
Engaging Our Volunteers
Page 8
Campaign Communications
(Data as of January 31, 2013)
 Total unique visitors to startanevolution.ca since Launch:
 141,295 visitors
 Search Engine Marketing (Google Ads) since Launch:
 19,776,338 impressions (# of views)
 18,560 visits (# of clicks)
 Social Media (increase since Launch):
18,951 Views (+ 16,000)
15,526 members (+ 5,500)
8,205 fans (+ 1,200)
3,365 followers (+ 1,000)
Confidential | February 15, 2013 | Page 9
Online ads
Page 10
Print ad # 1:
Digital Dumping Ground
Page 11
Print ad # 2:
Neglected Global Disease Initiative
Page 12
Print ad # 3:
Innovative Goggles
Page 13
Print ad # 4:
Project Seahorse
Page 14
Website
Page 15
Electronic Campaign Updates
Page 16
Executive Summary
ALUMNI WITH POINTS (ANNUAL, AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2012)
50,000
50,000
40,000
20,000
37,934
35,051
30,000
30,762
19,436
19,717
GOAL
22,641
10,000
0
Existing PreCampaign
(2008)
FY 08/09
FY 09/10
FY 10/11
FY 11/12
FY 12/13 YTD
FY 14/15
FUNDS RAISED (CUMULATIVE, AS OF JANUARY 31, 2013)
$1,500
$1.5B
Grandfathered
fundraising for
campaign projects
MILLIONS
$1,200
$1.04B
$900
$707m
$600
Campaign Progress
GOAL
$496m
$320m
$300
$0
$901m
$99m
Existing Pre-Campaign FY 08/09
(2008)
FY 09/10
FY 10/11
FY 11/12
FY 12/13 YTD
FY 14/15
Confidential | February 15, 2013 | Page 17
The Billennium
Confidential | February 15, 2013 | Page 18
So we know alumni engagement
works in practice, but will it work
in theory?
New strategic plan: Alumni, Forever UBC
Vision:
Realize the promise of a global community with
shared ambition for a better world and an
exceptional UBC.
Mission:
A member-driven Association that, with UBC:
• promotes alumni personal and professional growth
• connects alumni with each other and their University
• stimulates the alumni community for positive change
Defining Engagement
Engage - [en-geyj]
1. to occupy the attention or efforts of a person
2. to attract and hold fast
3. to attract or please
4. to cross weapons
Value Proposition
The Value of Engagement
Alumni
• Access to a ready network of fellow
graduates
• Opportunities for intellectual and
personal growth
• Chance to be part of group and
institution fostering positive change in
the world
UBC
• Thousands of individuals actively
promoting UBC
• Vested interest in UBC
• Alumni bringing peers, friends and
community partners to table
• Significant volunteer contributions
• Inspiring philanthropy
Belief reciprocal benefit in relationship:
• UBC can and should enrich the lives of alumni
• Alumni can and should help UBC achieve its vision
• Together, UBC and its alumni are force for positive change
Engagement Continuum
Engagement Level
Extremely Low
Low
Medium
High
Descriptor
Casually Connected
Connected
Committed
Conveners
Estimated Known
Alumni Population
90,000
77,000
19,000
3,000
In their words
“I went to UBC.”
“I feel like I’m still a part of
UBC.”
“I look for opportunities to
get involved
with UBC.”
“I create opportunities for
people to get involved
with UBC.”

Enjoyed their time at
UBC but didn’t “bond”
with UBC.

Enjoyed their time at
UBC and really “bonded”
with UBC.

UBC was
transformative in their
life

Likes the brand of UBC.

See UBC as very relevant
to their lives today.


Mid-career professionals
with time to invest in
worthwhile activities.
Believe in the
transformative role of
UBC in society.

Were student
leaders/AMS/Res
advisors/otherwise
active.
Community/business/s
ocial/cultural leaders.
Their UBC Experience

Attended UBC but
didn’t get involved or
didn’t have a great
student experience.

Don’t currently see
relevance for UBC in
their life.

Student Engagement
(Alumni-in-Residence)
Casually Connected
Connected
30,000
13,000
Committed
3,400
Conveners
600
The UBC Points Model
• History: Points started in 2003 based on a model from
University of Portland
• Challenge: Organizational buy in.
• Points developed to prove the worth of the then separate
Alumni Association
• Lack of cohesion in definition of activity, lack of training
and planning
• Points were an afterthought for many
The UBC Points Model
Evolving Process:
– Start with what can be tracked
• Address updates, event attendance
– Think about what should be tracked and counted towards
a goal
• Graduation attendance? Part time medical faculty?
Donations? Volunteers?
– Look at work flow and make tracking easy as possible
– Ensure data is useable for more than just number of
engaged alumni to help with buy in
– Set goals
The UBC Points Model
• Events
– Attendees receive 3 Points
– Track UBC/Assoc. vs. volunteer vs. faculties
• Volunteer Roles
– We measure volunteer engagement by role type and
committee/program
– Values vary based on time commitment and role seniority e.g.
Board Member = 15, Event Speaker = 8
• Services/Activities
– Travel programs, A-Cards, financial donations, cultivation
meetings, etc.
More than Measurement
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Why do alumni start their engagement journey?
Where do they start?
Who is most likely to take part in a program?
Where do they go next?
Can we get the message out to the right people?
Started by polling assumptions we all make
Used Points data to tell us the real story
Pathways
Activities
Dialogues Program Reach
Total alumni attendees
Undergrad (primary)
Graduate degree (primary)
Graduate Division
Arts
Applied Science
Dentistry
Education
Forestry
Land and Food
Law
Medicine
Pharmacy
Commerce
Science
449
341
108
#
136
60
3
53
4
24
15
23
9
56
63
%
30%
13%
1%
12%
1%
5%
3%
5%
2%
12%
14%
#
Acard
Editorial comment
Entered Contest
Medical Alumni Association
Milestones Program
Registers for Careers Online
Registers for online community
Submits to Class Act
Submits to Publication
Survey Respondent
Address Updates
Email Update
Address change
Phone Update
Total
Donations
Financial donations
Total
48
11
5
2
3
2
63
1
3
44
#
Total
9
182
34
12
55
#
62
62
Points Drivers
Total Activities Up to Q3 End
Breakdown of Top 10 Activities
Addrs/Ph/Email Update
Event
Pledge
Survey Respondent
Alumni Card
Entered Contest
Reg. for online community
E-mail frwdng signup
Req. Faculty Information
Career Dev/Work Exp
55,146
# of
Activities
11,849
11,369
8,745
7,434
5,174
3,573
3,001
1,040
398
260
2% 1%
0%
Addrs/Ph/Email Update
Event
6%
22%
7%
Pledge
Survey Respondent
10%
Alumni Card
Entered Contest
14%
21%
Reg. for online community
E-mail frwdng signup
17%
Req. Faculty Information
Career Dev/Work Exp
Points Drivers
Sauder - 12645 Activities
total
Event
Address/Phone/Email
Update
Registers for online
community
Pledge
Survey Respondent
# of Activities % of Total
3,158
25.0%
2,336
18.5%
2,279
1,069
1,029
Science - 7451 Total
# of Activities % of Total
Survey Respondent
Address/Phone/Email
Update
1,764
23.7%
1585
21.3%
18.0%
Pledge
1017
13.6%
8.5%
8.1%
Alumni Card (v)
Event
901
890
12.1%
11.9%
Arts - 11298 Activities Total # of Activities % of Total
Address/Phone/Email
2,680
23.7%
Update
Pledge
1,955
17.3%
Event
1,791
15.9%
Survey Respondent
1,714
15.2%
Alumni Card (v)
1,625
14.4%
Law - 2728 Total
Event
Address/Phone/Email
Update
Pledge
Registers for online
community
Entered Contest
# of Activities % of Total
864
31.7%
760
27.9%
442
16.2%
242
8.9%
105
3.8%
What’s Next
•
Report building in system - make it less manual
•
Using Points data in more organizational decision
making including building pipelines and marketing
strategies
•
Expand engagement opportunities via
communications, services, esp. online
Questions? Comments?
Page 33