Building Momentum After Back-to-School: Keeping Alumni Engagement Going All Year

Why Alumni Engagement Fades After September

Most institutions see the same pattern. September brings a rush of alumni back to schools for football games, reunions, and homecoming. Alumni organizations thrive during these weeks emails are opened, social media posts are shared, and the alumni community feels alive.

Then, October rolls around. Alumni interest declines. By November, the alumni relations team may only hear from a handful of engaged alumni. Without a clear alumni engagement strategy, momentum stalls.

This “September spike” isn’t unique to higher education. K12 schools and districts experience it too, especially if they have an active alumni base. The key is building an engagement strategy that stretches beyond fall traditions, creating year-round touchpoints that sustain alumni involvement and keep graduates connected to their past.

Why Year-Round Alumni Engagement Matters

When alumni stay engaged throughout the year, everyone benefits:

An institution that invests in year-round alumni engagement efforts builds trust and fosters long-term alumni participation. Alumni engagement best practices that keep graduates of every generation, from young alumni to older fellow alumni, connected to their past.

Fall: Turning Back-to-School Traditions Into Long-Term Connection

Fall is a natural starting point for alumni outreach. Alumni events like homecoming, reunions, and pep rallies draw graduates back, but the challenge is converting that energy into a year-round alumni engagement strategy.

Here are alumni engagement ideas for the fall season:

1. Leverage Homecoming Beyond the Game
   • Spotlight alumni achievements at halftime.
   • Introduce an alumni award program.
   • Capture alumni connections through photo booths and share them on social media.
2. Create a Fall Alumni Database Campaign
   • Encourage alumni to update their contact information during alumni events.
   • Promote joining the alumni association or alumni network.
   • Launch an alumni engagement platform for digital sign-ups.
3. Invite Alumni Mentors to the Classroom
   • Ask alumni to visit as guest speakers.
   • Host alumni-led workshops for prospective students and current students.
   • Connect recent graduates with younger alumni for career support.

 Pro Tip: Turn every fall event into a story. Post alumni spotlights, share their alumni involvement, and invite them to stay connected through your alumni relations team.

For more strategies, visit the Alumni Nations Blog.

Winter: Keeping Alumni Connected Virtually

Winter can feel like a downtime for student engagement and alumni participation, but with intentional alumni engagement strategies, it can be one of the strongest seasons for building community.

Virtual alumni engagement efforts are cost-effective and scalable. They also strengthen alumni organizations by keeping engaged alumni active, even in months when in-person alumni events are less feasible.

Spring: Celebrating Growth and Student Transitions

Spring is full of milestones that naturally connect alumni with their institution and its current students. Your alumni engagement plan should center on these opportunities:

1. Senior-Alumni Connections: Pair graduates with alumni mentors for career networking. This builds mentorship opportunities and deepens the alumni relationship.
2. Community Service Days: Invite alumni and current students to volunteer together, strengthening the alumni community.
3. Graduation Engagement: Feature notable alumni as commencement speakers. Invite alumni organizations to host graduation receptions for younger alumni and recent graduates.

Spring is also a time to showcase alumni involvement in meaningful ways through alumni spotlight features, mentorship programs, and stories about how alumni engagement efforts directly support current students.

Summer: Building Belonging and Alumni Interest

Summer often feels quiet on campus, but it’s the perfect time for alumni outreach. An alumni relations team can use this season to strengthen alumni connection and build community pride:

Summer also allows institutions to focus on younger alumni and recent graduates, creating spaces for them to engage outside of traditional alumni events. By encouraging alumni participation during this season, your alumni organizations show that engagement is more than seasonal it’s ongoing.

Alumni Engagement Strategies That Work All Year

A sustainable alumni engagement strategy weaves together the seasons with consistent alumni outreach. Here are alumni engagement best practices to adopt:

• Segment Your Alumni Base: Tailor outreach to younger alumni, older fellow alumni, and recent graduates.
• Build a Strong Alumni Database: Invest in an alumni engagement platform that makes alumni outreach seamless.
• Highlight Alumni Achievements: Share success stories to inspire both alumni and current students.
• Leverage Alumni Networks for Career Support: Encourage alumni participation in mentorship opportunities and career networking.
• Strengthen Alumni Organizations: Collaborate with your alumni association or alumni relations team to build engagement across the alumni community.

These alumni engagement efforts create a steady drumbeat of connection, ensuring engaged alumni feel valued by their past K12 schools year-round.

Why a Strategic Approach Matters

Every institution faces the temptation to treat alumni engagement as event-driven. But true success comes from implementing an alumni engagement strategy that prioritizes long-term alumni involvement.

By focusing on:

• alumni relationships
• alumni networks
• alumni interest in supporting current students
• mentorship and career paths

…schools create alumni organizations that thrive, influence prospective students, and inspire giving.

Moving Forward With Alumni Nations

Avoiding the crash after your September spike requires more than good intentions; it takes a clear, actionable alumni engagement plan. By building momentum after back-to-school and keeping alumni engagement going all year, your institution can foster alumni relationships that last for decades.

If you’re ready to move beyond alumni engagement ideas and into an alumni engagement strategy tailored to your alumni base, Alumni Nations can help.