Welcome to the Office Hours with EAB podcast. You can join the conversation on social media using #EABOfficeHours. Follow the podcast on Spotify, Google Play, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud and Stitcher or visit our podcast homepage for additional episodes.
University leaders across America are asking their advancement teams to cultivate new donor bases to help close budget gaps, but how realistic is that? EAB’s Jeff Martin is joined by Longwood University alumni engagement professional, Ryan Catherwood, to discuss the state of university fundraising and the role of alumni engagement.
They discuss how schools have shifted from a heavy focus on in-person fundraising events to a total reliance on virtual activities. Ryan shares his thoughts on ways to engage alumni for help on everything from fundraising to career nurturing to serving as brand ambassadors for the university. The two also discuss what they’ve learned by watching all of the experimentation over the past five months and what that suggests for the future of advancement and alumni engagement.
Next, explore these related resources
What 110 advancement leaders think lies ahead for university fundraising during COVID-19
Learn about four consequences that advancement teams are already seeing and how EAB believes they will affect future fundraising efforts.
Making the Most of Your Advancement Outreach Efforts Amid COVID-19
Our campus communities are facing a time of unprecedented challenge, putting more pressure than ever on Advancement teams to guide fundraising efforts for not only the institution but vulnerable members of the campus community. This toolkit will help you develop a communications plan and write effective COVID-19 assistance fund outreach.