How to use fall to strengthen alumni relationships and grow your pipeline

I’ve always felt that fall holds a special kind of energy on college campuses. Students return, stadiums fill, and campus traditions come back to life. There’s a buzz in the air that feels different from any other time of year. As a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, this season always takes me back. I can still smell the barbecue smoke outside the stadium and feel the electricity of thousands of fans in burnt orange.

That feeling of nostalgia is exactly what makes fall such a powerful opportunity to engage your alumni. The most effective advancement teams use their fall calendars to lay the groundwork for future alumni giving. In this blog, I’ll share how to make the most of fall engagement and offer a few tips for turning seasonal attention into lasting support.

Your most valuable touchpoints are already on the calendar

There are few times in the year when alumni are thinking about your institution as much as they do in the fall. Many return to campus for Homecoming, tailgates, reunions, and other events that spark pride and reconnection, often without much prompting from your team.

But I see too many teams repeat the same plans year after year and miss what these events can really offer. Each one is a chance to build something deeper. Pay attention to who’s leaning in, who brought their family for the first time, who lingered after the program ended, or who didn’t show up at all, even though they used to. These moments give you important insights into your alumni and their level of engagement with your institution.

The key is to head into this fall’s calendar with a plan. Sit down with your team and talk through questions like:

• Why is this event on our calendar, and what are we hoping it leads to?
• Who do we want to connect with while they’re here?
• How are we identifying new or disengaged alumni in the room?
• What’s our plan for capturing updated contact info and other context?
• What would success look like by the end of the event?

Use digital to stay top-of-mind and engage alumni where they are

One of the smartest investments you can make this fall is in your digital marketing strategy. If your team is still relying mostly on email or organic social posts, you’re missing the chance to reach alumni with content that feels timely and personal, on channels where they’re already spending time. Putting extra dollars behind targeted digital ads this fall will allow you to show up in the right places, with the right message, during the moments when alumni are most engaged.

Here are a few ways to consider segmenting your alumni with digital ads this fall:

• Alumni who attended fall events. These alumni just reconnected in person, and digital is a great way to keep that momentum going. A short video recap, photos from the event, or a student story can help keep your institution top of mind after they leave campus.
• Recent graduates who are highly active online. They might not be attending events yet, but they’re often still following your channels. Target them with short, visual content that reflects what’s happening on campus now to remind them they’re still part of the community.
• Alumni who haven’t engaged in a while. Even if they aren’t showing up in person or opening emails, fall often stirs up nostalgia. Targeting this group with content that brings back familiar sights, sounds, and feelings from their student days can help re-spark a sense of connection.

Remember, this isn’t the time to push for a gift. Focus on smart, consistent touchpoints that build familiarity and trust. It’s one more way to move alumni further along in their journey with your institution.

Focus your messaging on what matters

As you build on alumni relationships through fall events and digital outreach, keep your messaging focused on what truly resonates. Alumni are flooded with content every day—from news headlines to nonprofit appeals to constant advertising. If your message is going to stand out, it needs to speak to what they care about.

This is where specificity matters. Phrases like “support student success” or “shape the future” might sound fine, but they rarely stick. Alumni want to understand what their engagement makes possible. They want to see how their connection, whether it’s time, attention, or a future gift, translates into something real.

Ask yourself: What does their presence on campus make possible? What does continued engagement support? What stories or initiatives reflect the values your alumni care about most? The clearer you are in answering those questions, the more likely alumni are to feel that their involvement matters and want to keep showing up.

For more on how to craft messages that connect, my colleague Jenny Jones recently shared some great guidance on speaking directly to higher ed donors. You can read it here: What to say to a donor who’s lost faith in higher ed.

Use this fall to think differently

With all the pressure advancement leaders are facing to bring in new revenue and more donors, this fall is a smart time to revisit how you’re engaging your alumni. If you’re looking for a partner or just want to talk through ways to strengthen your strategy, my team is here to help.

You can reach us at [email protected] or visit our website to learn more about how we support institutions in building stronger annual giving programs and deeper alumni engagement.