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Executive Summary

This report presents a set of key steps and guidelines that many successful

associations have followed with proven success, and employs them to delivers a proposed

plan for building an alumni network for St. Christopher School, and identifies ways in

which the school and alumni can benefit from the network. The main deliverables of the

report are divided into 7 sections.

The first section is a comprehensive research on local schools in the kingdom of

Bahrain as well schools based in UK and international schools around the world. Through

the research it was found that only one local school has an existing alumni network;

AlBayan International School. While less than half of the international schools had an

alumni association (31%), more than half of UK based schools had one (58%). The

research also revealed that there are 20 main network elements offered by alumni

associations and the availability of the featured elements differed between UK based

schools and the international schools. For example, the alumni ambassador feature was

only offered by the international schools while discount cards were only offered by UK

schools. As part of the research, St. Christophers School was benchmarked against 4

international schools which were identified as the top 4 alumni network based on the

features offered through the alumni network.

The second section focuses on industry experts advice and insightful patterns and

trends. Many industry experts agreed that technology is a prime facilitator, and that

information and data management are becoming critical success factors for alumni

associations. For example, technology has made it possible to establish and create virtual


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groups and clubs that connect alumni located in different geographical areas. Experts also

advice to invest in programs that provide key core services and outcomes; they would

reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and facilitate high-value alumni programming and

communications. In addition, this section highlights different ways to utilize social media

including methods to reach students in ways that would not have been possible without

the use of technology, techniques to manage negative content, as well as new and fresh

ways to raise donations through the aid of different social media platforms such as

Twitter and Facebook.

The third section addresses ways to measure and control the alumni network

performance and progress. Two main networking theories are employed to measure how

the network may be valued. Metcalfes law is used to measure the value of individual

incremental increases in participants, and Reeds law is used to measure network value

based on group connectivity. Moreover, key performance indicators are explained and

applied. For example, for the objective of creating awareness, the goal is to create

awareness through effective online marketing, which can be measured by monitoring

social media accounts in regards to number of Likes, Followers, and Mentionsetc.

The fourth section focuses on showcasing primary qualitative and quantitative

research methods to be carried out by St. Christophers School. Two different surveys

were designed to target two different samples; seniors and old alumni. In addition, focus

groups were recommended to be used post conducting surveys as they provide further

insight into peoples behavior.


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The fifth section puts the spot light on alumni management softwares offered on

the internet. The searched covered a total of 15 different softwares of which 3 were

chosen as the best suited for St. Christophers needs, based on the features as well as cost

of the service.

The sixth section is the application of widely used marketing theories. The SWOT

analysis revealed the strengths and opportunities of the alumni network development may

overcome the weaknesses and threats. For example, opportunities through social media

may be used to raise donations to address weaknesses such as low budget. The

positioning map showed the current position of St. Christophers School with regards to

other local schools and how the implementation of this project would shift its place to a

better position in the market. Other theories used in this section include the Ansoff

matrix, the Marketing Mix7Ps and a local competitor analysis.

The last and most important section of the report is the final recommendations. It

provides a guideline through 4 stages designed to assist the school throughout the process

of developing an alumni network. Stage 1 answers key questions regarding the mission

statement and governing principles, in addition to defining the purpose from both the

alumni and the schools perspective, and finally the structure of the network in

accordance with the level of online engagement. Stage 2 focuses on two parts, the

forming of an alumni office and the development of the virtual network. Stage 3

identifies the level of commitment required from the school through three levels based on

the structure of the network chosen in Stage 1. The final Stage 4 puts an emphasis on the

importance of monitoring progress through the use of KPIs and proposes developing a

mobile application for the alumni network as part of future plans.


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Table of Content

Data collection ................................................................................................................................. 7

Schools alumni network search.................................................................................................. 7

Top 20 Alumni Network Features ................................................................................................ 7

Examples of Best Practices: Top 4 International Alumni Networks .......................................... 10

Benchmark ................................................................................................................................. 16

Analysis and statistics ................................................................................................................ 19

Positives & Negatives of the Schools Research ........................................................................ 25

Industry experts advice ................................................................................................................ 26

Gathering relevant market information .................................................................................... 26

Connect alumni activities with core institutional missions ....................................................... 27

Practices to reinforce the idea that the alumni community is exclusive .................................. 27

Support virtual clubs and groups ............................................................................................... 27

Repetitive or routine programming .......................................................................................... 28

Crowd source alumni program planning ................................................................................... 29

Insightful patterns and trends ....................................................................................................... 30

Social media ............................................................................................................................... 30

Different social media platforms ............................................................................................... 30

Raising donations through social media .................................................................................... 32

Managing accounts on social media ......................................................................................... 33

Managing negative content ....................................................................................................... 34

More success stories ................................................................................................................. 35

Measurement and Control ............................................................................................................ 36

Networking theories .................................................................................................................. 36

Alumni engagement .................................................................................................................. 37


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Example of Key Performance Indicators ................................................................................... 38

Primary research methods ............................................................................................................ 40

Survey ........................................................................................................................................ 40

Focus Group ............................................................................................................................... 42

Alumni network management software ....................................................................................... 44

Application of Marketing Theories ................................................................................................ 46

SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 46

Development of a growth strategyThe Ansoff Matrix ........................................................... 48

Promotional strategy7 Ps ..................................................................................................... 49

Competitor analysis in Bahrain .................................................................................................. 51

Positioning Map ......................................................................................................................... 53

Recommendations......................................................................................................................... 54

Stage 1: define mission statement, purpose and structure. ..................................................... 54

Stage 2: Getting started ............................................................................................................. 57

Stage 3: Set operating procedures ............................................................................................ 59

Stage 4: measuring progress and further development plans .................................................. 63

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 64

References ..................................................................................................................................... 65

Appendix ........................................................................................................................................ 68


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Data collection

Schools alumni network search

One of the major deliverable of this project is to conduct comprehensive research

on existing schools alumni networks. The search covered a total of 387 schools; of

which 110 were international schools with a British teaching curriculum, and 277

boarding schools based in the United Kingdom in several different regions including The

South East, The South West, Wales, London, The Midlands, The East, The North of

England and Scotland. The research also included the local private schools in the

Kingdom of Bahrain. The results found that only one schools has an active alumni

program which is Bahrain Bayan School.

Please refer to the Excel document, Sheet 1 for the international school search list,

Sheet 2 for the schools based in the United Kingdom and sheet 3 for details on the top 20

list of alumni networks.

Top 20 Alumni Network Features

The search results revealed that at most, the alumni programs are offering the

elements listed below:

An online portal: a database which holds all alumni informationand contact details.

Personal profiles/ directory form: members of the network are ableto create and update their personal profiles. Includes information such as current

place of work or study, pictures, contact number or emailetc


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Search engine: users can search for members by name, class,graduation year.etc.

Galleries and pictures: pictures are sorted in the gallery by events,date, yearetc.

Newsletters and magazines: monthly or yearly newslettershighlight the latest news and updates that relevant to the school.

Announcements and latest news: marriages, deaths and birthannouncements.

Events and reunions: activities, charities, fundraisers, sporteventsetc. could be organized by the school or by a group of alumni.

Events calendar: a calendar that hold all past and future events. Social clubs and groups: provide a stable and supportive

environment for alumni to relax, interact and develop as members of their

community.

Alumni awards: awards are given to recognize and honoroutstanding contributions and continuous voluntary services to the alumni

community.

Alumni volunteer/ ambassadors: serve as the primary contactbetween the school and the alumni abroad. Alumni ambassadors can start an

alumni network in different cities to keep in touch with fellow alumni through

reunions and gatherings.

Featured outstanding alumni: draw attention to alumni who haveachieved success in a range of diverse fields and have left a legacy to live up to.


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Career mentoring and advice: the purpose is to provide alumniwith the opportunity to access the wealth of knowledge and experience that exists

among the alumni, and to positively encourage networking among alumni on the

topic of careers.

Membership and discount cards: alumni get exclusive membershipcards upon joining the association; membership card may provide benefits such as

student discounts.

Links to social media channels: links to join the alumni networkpages on different social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Yearbook pictures: the school shares yearbooks from the schoolsarchive, organized by class year.

A donation or support us link: alumni continue to support theirschool by giving to various projects and campaigns. There are three main ways

you can help, either financially, by offering services, or advice/ expertise.

FAQ: a list of frequently asked questions; how do I register? Howprivate is my profile? How can I send a message... etc

Contact us: means of contacting the school through providing anemail address, telephone number, an address or map to the school.

Terms and Conditions: information regarding the materialpublished on the network, security and privacy of personal information.


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Examples of Best Practices: Top 4 International Alumni Networks

This section of the search focuses on international schools networks. The

international schools operate under similar conditions to St. Christophers School when it

comes to alumni, considering the fact that most of the students travel to continue their

studies abroad; thus, they are scattered around the world. The following top 4 list of

international schools alumni networks were chosen upon examining the features offered

by each network:

1. Tanglin Trust School, Singapore: The main page on the schoolsofficial website has a link to the Alumni portal https://www.tts.edu.sg (Please

refer to appendix Figure 1- 5).

The front page on the portal contains links to Sign in, Register, Contact us,

Search engine, Links to social media, Main menu; Our Community, Connect, Engage,

Register, Calendar and Latest News.

The Connect page contains a Member search: by name, group, country,

location. Lost Alumni contains links to reach out to former students, staff members,

parents and governors. Alumni ambassador: encourages alumni to continue to support

by volunteering to be a Tanglin Alumni Ambassador for a region, city or special

interest group. Reunions and events: organized by location and date, also includes

pictures.

The Engage page contains an online archive for yearbooks, videos,

newsletters, memory bank, class photos, publications by Tanglin, class photos and

Yearbooks. Career center: brows career openings at the school. Career center:
https://www.tts.edu.sg/https://www.tts.edu.sg/


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browse career openings, join LinkedIn Groups, and access to online library. Alumni

grant: Matched funding for a trip with a reputable organization; to travel and

experience different cultures, to challenge ones self and learn new skills or languages

or to give back; plan or join and organized service trip.

2. Bangkok Patana School, Thailand: The main page on the schoolsofficial website has a link to the Alumni portalhttp://www.patana.ac.th/ (Please

refer to appendix Figure 6 - 14).

The front page contains: a Welcome message, Sign in, Contact us, Register,

Search engine, Latest news, Newest members, Links to social media, Main menu:

Home, Register, Member/ Group search, Latest news, Events calendar, Career Center,

Alumni volunteers, FAQ.

The Home page contains About us information, highlights of alumni visits to

Bangkok Patana School, publications such as student achievements, school

prospectus: foundations, history, facilities, educational priorities and mission,

curriculum, newsletters, yearbooks, term magazines, parent teacher group news,

gallery, and a link to Bangkok Patana School YouTube video.

The Register page allows students, parents and staff members to register in the

network.

The Latest News page allows alumni to read about recent events, essential

information and the latest community news, in addition to alumni events reports, class

notes, Patana life, alumni visits
http://www.patana.ac.th/http://www.patana.ac.th/


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The Community and Events Calendar page is where alumni can find out about

upcoming events and view photo galleries of past events. Some events may allow for

online registration and ticket purchase.

The Career Center page contains posts job and volunteer openings, find

potential candidates, search openings and subscribe to new posting notifications.

The Alumni Volunteer page highlights three sections; become an Alumni

Ambassador: Alumni Ambassadors offer immeasurable help in keeping the global

network in touch, get involved in the school's work experience program: Careers and

University Guidance Faculty organizes a work experience program for students in

Years 11 and above, and act as a mentor: offer advice to current students and other

alumni regarding future education and career choices.

The FAQ page answers questions such as how do I select my 'Class of"

group? How private is my profile information? How can I turn off the auto-

notifications I am receiving by email? Why do you ask parents to register? How can I

keep involved with Bangkok Patana School once I have left?

3. The British School, The Netherlands: The main page on theschools official website has a link to the Alumni portal

http://www.britishschool.nl/ (Please refer to appendix Figure 15 - 23).

The front page contains: Brief history about the alumni association, Brief into

to the benefits of joining the association, Link to register, Main menu: Alumni news,

BSN Career Support Network, Alumni Events, Alumni Awards, BSN Memories,

Notable Alumni and History of the BSN.
http://www.britishschool.nl/http://www.britishschool.nl/http://www.britishschool.nl/


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The Alumni Association News page contains Competitions organized by the

school, Latest issues of the schools magazine, Alumni support to career initiatives,

Featured Alumni: where they are now, Featured Alumni families, Alumni

contributions to the school.

The Career Support Network is an initiative from the BSN Alumni

Association and the school careers department. Anyone either currently or previously

connected to the BSN can join the network if they are willing and able to provide help

and support to BSN students in initial career advice, university career choice, work

experience/ internships, job opportunities.

The Alumni Events page shows future alumni event with a reminder for the

next reunion, encourages alumni to suggest a location; options already put forward

range from New York to Johannesburg and a link to past alumni events; includes

information on annual reunions. Events pictures are posted on a Facebook page

created for each event.

The Alumni Awards page draws attention to three awards: The Global

Alumnus Award; awarded every other year to alumni who continues to support the

BSN and add value to the lives of students and could be considered an ambassador of

the BSN, The Alumni Most Inspirational Teacher Award; awarded once every five

years to a teacher who, in the opinion of past students, has made the most impact on

their lives, and The Spirit of Alumni Award: presented every year to recognize a

student who represents the very best of the BSN through their continued contribution,

served the school community with energy, enthusiasm and selfless dedication and has


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shown such commitment that the school believes they will continue to actively

support the BSN and its values long into the future, and finally a link to previous

award winners.

The BSN Memories page encourages alumni to share and contribute a

memory of their time at the BSN.

The Notable Alumni page Highlight incredible career achievements of alumni

to share some stories received what alumni have been up to since leaving the BSN

and encourages alumni to update BSN on their own on goings - or perhaps on those

of one of old classmates. Featured notable alumni are sorted by decades, 1970-1980,

1980-1990 and 1990-2000.

The History of The BSN page takes a look through the decades to discover the

multitude of twists, changes and developments that go together to make the history of

The British School in The Netherlands a fascinating and absorbing story and includes

a link to watch the 80th Anniversary video on YouTube.

4. The British School, New Delhi, India: The main page on theschools official website has a link to the Alumni portal

http://alumni.gardenschool.edu.my/ (Please refer to appendix Figure 24 - 30).

The front page on the portal contains links to Sign in, Register, Contact us,

Search engine, Links to social media, Calendar, Latest News, Main menu: Home,

Events, Membership, Newsletter, Career, Link to the schools official website.
http://alumni.gardenschool.edu.my/http://alumni.gardenschool.edu.my/http://alumni.gardenschool.edu.my/


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The Home page has a short welcome message, history of the school, going

back to the 1950s, featured and honorary alumnus and a map to both campus

locations in Malaysia.

The Events page contains a list of upcoming events, gatherings, holidays, and

reunions with the option of exporting events to personal calendars and allows

members to register for events.

The Membership page contains a list of registered members, including alumni

students and staff, organized by decades and class, in addition to members search and

link to find lost alumni members by refer them to register in the network.

The Newsletter page shows the latest newsletter issued, featured members in

newsletters, and achieved newsletters.

The Career Center page contains posts job openings, links to find potential

candidates, search openings and subscribe to new posting notifications.


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Benchmark

This benchmark is used to compare St. Christophers current position in

accordance with the top alumni networks.

Location Singapore Netherlands New Delhi,

India

Thailand

School Tanglin Trust School The British School,

The Netherlands

The British

School, New

Delhi, India

Bangkok Patana

School,

Thailand

Annual Fees S$12,649.54 = BD

3,772.83

18,480 = BD

9,538.16

INR 60,000 =

BD 375.24

THB 527,571 =

BD 6,111.35

Curriculum English National

Curriculum

Advanced Subsidiary

Level examinations.

IB Diploma.

National

Curriculum of

England

IGCSE

IB Diploma

IB Diploma

School Facilities Large multi-purpose

assembly and

sporting halls, music

rooms, indoor

facilities for

orchestras and

choirs, suites for the

ICT Suite, Food

Technology,

Exhibition Area,

Library, Atrium,

Cafeteria, Art

Studios, Sports hall,

Science Lab, Music

Football field,

cricket pitch,

athletics tracks

and tennis

courts. It is home

to the secondary

classrooms; a

Swimming

pool, Oral

Exam Rooms,

Counsellors

Suite,

Humanities and

Mathematics


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study of Information

and Communications

Technology, drama

studios and science

laboratories,

swimming pool and

learner pool; large

outdoor playgrounds;

tennis courts; playing

fields; running track,

fitness center;

outdoor chess corner,

shaded lunch areas,

two cafs and a

bakery shop.

Department, Sports

Field, Eco Garden,

Drama Room

library; specialist

rooms for Music,

Art, Drama and

ICT; four newly-

equipped science

laboratories;

facilities for

learning support,

language support

and the

Secondary

Counsellor; a

large multi-

purpose

auditorium; an

Amphitheatre;

fully-equipped

health room;

nursery.

area, English

and Science

area, canteen,

sports fields, art

centre, tennis

courts

Network

Features

Online Database,

Pictures, Profiles,

Social Media,

Newsletter, Search

Profile, Newsletter,

Events, Alumni

Ambassador,

Outstanding Alumni,

Online Database,

Pictures,

Profiles, Social

Media,

Online

Database,

Social Media,

Newsletter,


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Engine, Events,

Alumni Ambassador/

Awards, Outstanding

Alumni, Career

Mentoring,

Announcements,

Yearbook, Events

Calendar, Contact Us

Career Mentoring,

Contact Us

Newsletter,

Search Engine,

Events, Alumni

Ambassador/

Awards,

Magazine,

Support Us,

Outstanding

Alumni,

Announcements,

Membership/Dis

count Cards,

Contact Us.

Search Engine,

Events, Alumni

Ambassador/

Awards, Career

Mentoring,

Announcements

, Events

Calendar,

Contact Us,

FAQ

Alumni Page

Link

https://www.t

ts.edu.sg

http://www.britishsch

ool.nl/page.cfm?p=6

44

http://www.colfe

salumni.org.uk/

http://alumni.pa

tana.ac.th/
https://www.tts.edu.sg/https://www.tts.edu.sg/https://www.tts.edu.sg/https://www.tts.edu.sg/


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Analysis and statistics

The first step of the search was to filter the schools that had existing alumni

associations from the ones that do not. The first Pie chart shows that the search covered a

total of 387 schools; international and UK based, of which only 197 schools have an

Alumni Network.

197

190

UK and International Schools

Have Alumni Network Do not Have Alumni Network


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The second Pie chart shows a total of 110 international schools, of which only 35

have an Alumni Network. The chart shows that less than half of the international schools

have an alumni network.

35

75

Number of International Schools that have and do not have

Alumni Networks

Have Do not Have


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The third Pie chart shows a total of 277 boarding schools based in the UK; of

which only 162 have an alumni network. As seen in the chart more than half of the

schools have an alumni network.

The second step of the search was to list the features of each alumni network.

There are the 20 website elements that the top 20 international and UK schools have in

their alumni networks.

162

115

Number of UK based Schools that have and do not have

Alumni Networks

Have Do not have


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As seen in the chart below, the feature that is offered the most by the schools is

the Contact Us option which helps people contact the Alumni development team (email,

telephone, address) and the events which includes reunions, social and sports events. The

third most common feature is the online database which is the private log in portal which

makes the network secure as only members can have access. Other common features are

Social Media links (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube), search engine (search

people by graduation year or class). The least offered features are the frequently asked

questions, yearbook giveaway, and membership/discount cards.

18

13

10

16

9

1719

6 6

13

67

6

13

3

13

2

20

42

0

5

10

15

20

25

Features

Online Database Gallery Profile Social Media

Newsletter Search Engine Events Alumni Ambassdor

Magazine Support Us Outstanding Alumni Career Mentoring

Clubs Annoucements Yearbook Events Calendar

Discount Cards Contact Us FAQ Terms & Conditions


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This graph shows the features that all top 10 UK based Schools have. As it is seen

in the graph there are three features that all top 10 schools have which are the Online

Database, Search Engine, and the Contact Us Feature. Other common features are Social

Media, Events, and Support Us. It is also seen that there are features that are not available

in these networks such as the Outstanding Alumni, Yearbook, and Discount Cards.

10

8

2

8

3

109

1

3

8

3

54

6

10

12

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Features that top 10 UK Schools have







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This Chart shows the features all top 10 International Schools have. As it is

shown in the chart there are two features that all top 10 International Schools have which

is the Events and the Contact Us feature. More than half of the schools have an online

database, Profile, Social Media Accounts, Newsletter, Search Engine, Alumni

Ambassador, Support Us, Outstanding Alumni, Career Mentoring Announcements

(which include Marriages, birth, death news), and Events Calendar. It is also seen that

clubs and discount cards are features that very few schools have. The terms and

conditions feature is not seen to be used in all of the top 10 International schools.

8

5

8 8

67

10

5

3

56

5

1

9

3

7

2

10

3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Features that top 10 International Schools have







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Positives & Negatives of the Schools Research

The school search is considered an all-inclusive research for it has covered

League tables for top UK private schools as well as top international independent

schools. Top schools lists were retrieved from credible sources such as

http://www.theguardian.com/, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ and

http://www.privateschools.co/.

However, the top 20 alumni list includes only public networks. The consultants

team attempted to contact the schools with a private portal for research purposes on

behalf of St Christophers school. However, none agreed to grant access for it is restricted

for members only. Thus, the fact that some of the schools alumni portals are private

compromises the reliability of the search (Please refer to the appendix figure 31).
http://www.theguardian.com/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/http://www.privateschools.co/http://www.privateschools.co/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/http://www.theguardian.com/


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Industry experts advice

Gathering relevant market information

Alumni associations should ask strategic questions: where is our greatest value?

What should be our priorities? What do we stop doing or start doing? How do we

increase our relevance to our alumni and to the school?

The answer to all of those questions is found through focusing efforts on market

related activities that have the greatest impact; relying on market information to segment

programs and creating value centric relationships with alumni, results in a shift toward

lifetime relationships through a lifecycle model of programs and services. Alumni

engagement through lifecycle interests focuses on a continuum of involvement with the

university through programs provided for all age groups, beginning as soon as a student

enrolls and extending through life. Studies show that nurturing this bond, starting with

young alumni, leads to consistent and increased charitable support over time. Through

market research, feedback from alumni, and Return on Investment analysis, alumni

associations should be able to invest in programs suitable for each life stage in a student/

alumni life (Napa Group, n.d).

Alumni surveyed across the US consistently report that the reputation of the

teaching institution and the increasing equity of their diplomas are key motivators for

connectivity. Thus, they seek to connect through career, social, and business networking

provided by alumni associations. They are interested in learning more about their

institutions academic strengths, how it educates graduates for careers, exciting


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developments in student faculty collaborations and opportunities to be exposed to new

things to be prepared for a complex and changing world (Napa Group, n.d).

Connect alumni activities with core institutional missions

As members of social communities, there will be many times when alumni gather

to interact casually through what is seen as the stereotypical image of home coming

activities and reunions. However, alumni programs can demonstrate great value to the

institution itself by exhibiting explicit support for academic teaching and research. This

illustrates to alumni and to senior leadership that the organization is not merely a social

one, but one that supports the institutions academic mission as well (Andrew B.

Shaindlin, 2010).

Practices to reinforce the idea that the alumni community is exclusive

It is important to choose a profile picture or a logo that promotes the identity of

the place it represents or its people. By highlighting the traditions and activities unique to

the school, alumni associations can thrive by isolating the alumni experience from public

networks including social media channels. This includes publications branded with

campus images and traditions, class reunions, opportunities to travel with fellow alumni

and the formation of local and regional clubs and chapters centered on their common

bond (Willmer, 2007, pp. 167-8).

Support virtual clubs and groups

Technology enables the creation of virtual groups, which offer alternatives to

diminished interest in traditional group activities. Current students are experimenting


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with virtual clubs and are finding that online interaction has valuable aspects that face-to-

face meetings do not. For example, digital interaction can be archived so that

presentations and discussions via the internet can be indexed, searched and easily shared

after a meeting is over (Kolowich, 2010). However, traditional events may have value

that cannot be replicated online, and over time fundraisers may encounter decreased

alumni participation as a result of less engaged alumni whose online interaction does not

connect them strongly to the institution.

Repetitive or routine programming

In efforts to be inclusive, alumni associations sometimes ignore behavioral

tendencies in the alumni population when designing activities. In keeping with the desire

to engage as many alumni as possible, alumni professionals often design programs and

services likely to appeal to the average alumnus; rather than risk excluding or alienating a

potential donor. There is a simple list of traditional activities through which they have

accomplished this; reunions, regional clubs and chapters, alumni education, alumni

publications, fundraising and volunteer recognition.

Organizations tend to continue doing what they have done before, often to the

exclusion of external influences that suggest they should adapt their activities to account

for changed environments (Hoag, Ritschard & Cooper, 2002). Alumni associations risk

ignoring opportunities to update their programs and change what they offer, opting to

maintain tried-and-true activities because they are easy to administer and can operate

without innovation or significant adaptation. Such programs are also well established


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among alumni; therefore innovative marketing has not been needed to sell the value of

such activities to alumni. In short, these activities are easy to design and implement.

Crowd source alumni program planning

A trend recently identified and analyzed in the literature is "crowdsourcing"

(Brabham, 2008). This term is defined as "taking a function once performed by

employees and outsourcing it to an undefined network of people in the form of an open

call" (Howe, 2006). In alumni relations, this could mean relying more heavily on alumni

volunteers to conceive, design and deliver programs and services that would be of interest

or benefit to the alumni body or to the institution itself. For example, the University of

California at San Diego experimented in 2009 with a service named AlumnIdea. This

service allowed alumni to suggest activities or initiatives for the alumni organization to

pursue, and to vote on the suggestions of other alumni. The goal was to help make alumni

planning more participatory, and more representative of alumni needs and interests (M.

Gullo, personal communication, March 3, 2010; UCSD, n.d.).


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Insightful patterns and trends

Social media

According to the U.S. 2012 Digital Marketer Benchmark and Trend Report More

than 90 percent of online adults now use social media regularly and younger alumni

prefer to communicate by social media rather than by email or print. We need to be

where our alumni are, we need to be in their newsfeeds. says Derek Cassoff, director of

communications for McGills office of development and alumni relations. And the

alumni are decisively there, on all platforms of social media, including Facebook,

YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. This means that social media is no longer optional for

effective communications with alumni (Tema Frank, 2013).

A 2012 survey by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (an

association of university and college professionals in development, alumni affairs and

communications) shows that 83 percent of U.S. colleges and universities are using social

media to engage alumni, with 96 percent on Facebook, 80 percent on Twitter, 73 percent

on YouTube, and 68 percent on LinkedIn. And not only young alumni; McGill was

surprised to discover that many were graduates from the 1970s and 80s, who were using

social media to find old friends and reminisce about their student days. A nostalgia-laden

post showing a box of Kraft Dinner and asking viewers what they ate in their student

days had the memories flooding in (Tema Frank, 2013).

Different social media platforms


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Twitter tends to be the platform of choice for breaking news and sharing fresh

information. The University of Waterloo alumni team leveraged Twitter to welcome

freash graduates to the alumni club during convocation ceremonies last year. The team

set up a Twitter wall at the site of convocation and invited people to join the Convo-

sation. As the students entered and left the venue, the Twitter wall displayed the tweets

including congratulations from faculty members, friends and family who were not able

to attend. In all, 2,000 tweets came in from all over the world during the four-day

convocation period (Tema Frank, 2013).

The university took photos of the new alumni with the school mascot holding a

message board, where grads jotted down their plans for the future or remembered favorite

times at Waterloo. The photos were posted on Facebook, generating comments by 1,000

users during convocation week and more afterwards.

On the other hand, alumni groups on LinkedIn are there primarily to build a

professional profile, to network and to find jobs. Concordia University, for instance, has

more than 10,000 members, and evenSaint Marys University,with a student population

of about 7,500, has 2,590 members in its alumni LinkedIn group (Tema Frank, 2013).

YouTube is expected to grow in importance among alumni networks. It is now the

second most popular search engine, after Google. To increase their impact, YouTube

videos can be shared easily on a universitys website, Facebook and LinkedIn pages and

spread via Twitter. This also helps boost the universitys search engine rankings, thus

building its visibility.
http://www.smu.ca/http://www.smu.ca/http://www.smu.ca/http://www.smu.ca/


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Posts with photos drive engagement, notes Richard Fisher, chief

communications officer, development and alumni engagement, at theUniversity of

British Columbia.UBCs most successful Facebook posts are often photos of its scenic

campus (Tema Frank, 2013).

Raising donations through social media

Social media can be less expensive for campaigning and more flexible than

mainstream media. For example, a print magazine is expensive to produce and cannot

reflect the interests of all or even most of the thousands of alumni at different life stages.

Thus, it is easy for potential donors to tune out the message. Moreover, social media has

made it possible to discover what alumni really care about and to invite them to be

willing participants in an ongoing conversation. Strengthening those ties will ultimately

lead to more successful fundraising.

McMaster University held a fundraising campaign in part of its 125th anniversary

celebrations, and the goal was to raise $125,000 for student bursaries in 48 hours.

McMaster began mentioning the campaign in its monthly email newsletter to all alumni,

and then seeded the discussions on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Some alumni even

helped solicit donations, as Andrew Pettit (@cupOmagic)was inspired to do by tweeting

that Ill donate $5 for every RT:#McMasters 125 Bursary Challenge aka sharing the

best time of my life .

This is the first time weve done something like this. So far the results have been

excellent, reported Kyle Kuchmey, McMasters digital communications alumni officer,

halfway through the challenge. The university surpassed its goal, raising $180,942 from
http://www.universityaffairs.ca/WorkArea/www.ubc.ca/http://www.universityaffairs.ca/WorkArea/www.ubc.ca/http://www.universityaffairs.ca/WorkArea/www.ubc.ca/http://www.mcmaster.ca/https://twitter.com/cupOmagichttps://twitter.com/search?q=#mcmaster&src=typdhttps://twitter.com/search?q=#mcmaster&src=typdhttps://twitter.com/search?q=#mcmaster&src=typdhttps://twitter.com/cupOmagichttp://www.mcmaster.ca/http://www.universityaffairs.ca/WorkArea/www.ubc.ca/http://www.universityaffairs.ca/WorkArea/www.ubc.ca/


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alumni worldwide. Better yet, it reconnected with some alumni on the do not call list

who reached out to the university (Tema Frank, 2013).

Managing accounts on social media

Every page, group and profile needs constant care and feeding. Many alumni

departments struggle to find adequate resources for this because of the volume of

information flowing through, and the way postings are displayed in a newsfeed. Staff

must post messages several times a day to ensure even some of them are seen by alumni.

The newsfeed posts do not repeat: if readers miss them, the posts are quickly buried.

You have to be there all the time. You have to be dedicated to putting your message out

there, advises Cynthia Breen, alumni officer, e-services, at theUniversity of Waterloo.

One approach to free up resources for social media is to reduce the frequency of

alumni print publications. Another is to take advantage of eager alumni volunteers. In

fact, the existence of self-organized, volunteer-run alumni pages is what led several

alumni departments into social media. TheUniversity of Toronto last fall took over the

administration of a LinkedIn alumni page started by a graduate, says Jonathan Cheevers,

alumni outreach coordinator. This was done in response to requests from group members

for it was becoming too large for them to manage. The alumni page on LinkedIn is

almost double the size, with more than 18,000 members (Tema Frank, 2013).

All this non-staff involvement can be unnerving for universities because it

requires giving up control. Nonetheless, when McGill staff saw that enthusiastic

graduates had created Facebook and LinkedIn alumni accounts of their own, rather than
https://uwaterloo.ca/http://www.utoronto.ca/http://www.utoronto.ca/https://uwaterloo.ca/


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trying to close down the unofficial accounts the staff offered training to volunteers who

wanted to run alumni-related social media pages (Tema Frank, 2013).

Managing negative content

Making full use of a profiles potential is of great benefit to the school because it

tells the world who you are, and also what you do. For example, when optimized

efficiently, a successful Twitter profile will, convey information, appear familiar and

inviting, drive engagement and interaction, and muse, inform, or inspire. However, a

common fear among administrators is that people will use social media to post negative

content, but that happens very rarely on alumni social media pages. And if things do go

wrong, having a base of engaged alumni online can help with damage control.

When information about some McGill donors was leaked in March 2012, the

universitys development office expected the worst and emailed 50,000 donors to

apologize and explain how the situation would be handled. The reaction on social media

was a pleasant surprise. There was a lot of Twitter chat. Most of it was very flattering,

says Mr. Cassoff, the communications director. People were amazed at how thorough

our data collection was!(Tema Frank, 2013).

Breaches of alumni data security are newsworthy when they occur. A

continuously updated online record of such events showed 24 publicly recorded breaches

of alumni association records between 2005 and early 2010. There are likely more such


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leaks of confidential information that have not been reported (Privacy Rights

Clearinghouse) (Tema Frank, 2013).

More success stories

Another successful campaign was the Greatest McGillians Contest when

McGill asked alumni, via different web and print channels, to nominate the greatest

McGillian; 700 nominations rolled in. Videos of alumni and others from the universitys

extended community defending their choice were posted to YouTube. To generate buzz,

McGill ran a who am I contest on Facebook and Twitter, unveiling hidden facts about

each of the finalists in the form of a quiz. All this activity generated over 60,000 votes for

the Greatest McGillian. Theres no way we would have had that much interest, says

Mr. Cassoff, if we were relying on the one print magazine that came out durin g the

campaign and a few emails

The most effective campaigns use all of the major platforms as well as traditional

email and print communications. The mac125bursary campaign not only used

McMasters social media accounts but also leveraged the power of social media

ambassadors on and off campus who were strong supporters of the university and

bursaries. The influencers will reveal themselves if you are listening to your channels,

observes Mr. Kuchmey at McMaster. Once you spot them, he says, contact them directly

and ask for their help (Tema Frank, 2013).
https://aoc.mcgill.ca/greatest-mcgillianshttps://aoc.mcgill.ca/greatest-mcgillians


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Measurement and Control

Alumni Network can be defines as any group of at least two alumni interacting

to the mutual benefit of at least one group member, where the initial interaction results

from a shared characteristic related to the teaching institute.

Networking theories

Metcalfes Law is the system traditionally used for measuring the value of

individual, incremental increases to the number of participants in any network. Metcalfe's

Law states that the value of a network is proportional to the square of the number of users

participating in the network (Shapiro and Varian, 1999). Participation in an alumni

network increases in value as the network expands because with more potential

connections there is greater access to resources, contacts, and support from alumni. This

has obvious benefits for professional and educational networking.

The second way of measuring network value is based on group connectivity and

is known as Reeds Law. This law amplifies Metcalfes observation by asserting that the

value of a network grows exponentially in proportion to the number of possible sub-

groups that can form within the network (Reed, n.d.). This is critical because taking

groups into consideration means that members who self-identify and affiliate by interest

or other affinity are dramatically increasing the volume of possible interaction within the

network. According to Kumar et al. there are three types of group members:

1. Passive users join out of curiosity but do not engage in groupactivity or communication.


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2. Inviters recruit friends from offline communities.3. Linkers actively connect to other members to increase the density

of connections within the network.

Alumni engagement

While these theoretical constructs help explain the relative potential value of

various groups and group sizes, institutes have yet to translate this potential value into

tangible results. The measurement of these results is broadly known in the alumni

profession as alumni engagement (Weerts & Vidal, 2005). To best understand how to

make connections within a group valuable to group members one must measure alumni

engagement over time. Presumably, increased alumni engagement leads to greater

support by alumni, for example in the form of increased participation in donations of

money or volunteer effort.

Alumni are drawn together by homophily, which explains why social preferences

and shared experiences create the perception of a bond with others who share those

preferences and experiences (McPherson, 2001).A simple example is alumni event

attendance. If attendance at official institutional activities designed to bring alumni back

to the scene of their student experience decreases, will alumni officers find fundamentally

new reasons for alumni to gather under the schools banner, or will they try to design new

marketing ploys to compel alumni to attend the old, decreasingly relevant events?


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Example of Key Performance Indicators

St. Christophers School Alumni Network KPIS

Business

Objective

Goal KPI

Create

Awareness

Through

Effective

Marketing

Create

Awareness

Social Media

Likes Followers Mentions Wall posts Re-tweets Comments

Financial

Stability

Increase

Donations

Number of donors

Individuals Companies

Amount of donations from

Individuals Companies


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Improve

Operations

Increase Number

of Alumni

New members

New Seniors Old Alumni

Staff Parents

Student ReferralLevel of activity

Log in time Stand-by time

Activity on the network Volunteer

Number of participants inevents

Number ofcommunities/groups


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Primary research methods

As discussed previously; it is important to gather relevant market information.

The following are suggested methods of two widely used tools for conducting market

research, Surveys and focus groups.

Survey

Surveys are a form of quantitative research methods involving the collection of

information from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions. Surveys

are an efficient method for systematically collecting data from a broad spectrum of

individuals and educational settings. Below are two examples of surveys designed to

target two different samples; seniors and old alumni. It includes close ended questions,

open ended questions, multiple choice questions and likely scale questions.

Seniors survey

1. Gender: M/F2. What is your nationality?3. Do you plan on continuing your studies abroad?Yes no

4. If you choose yes where do you plan on going to university/college?

5. Would you want to remain in contact with your friends fromschool after graduation?

Yes no


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6. Would you like to be a part of St. Christophers private alumninetwork?

Yes no

7. What kind of alumni activities are interested in?Volunteering Internships Reunions Career

mentoring

8. Do you have accounts on the following social media channels?Twitter LinkedIn Facebook YouTube No

9.

What kind of groups/ clubs might you want to join?

Fundraisers Sports Education Other

10. Would you be interested in becoming an ambassador for yourschool in different countries? (represent the school and help keep alumni

connected to the school)

Yes No

11. How often would you log in to the alumni network to check forlatest updates?

Always 1 2 3 4 5 Never

Old alumni survey

1. Gender: M/F2. Age: 17-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56 and above3. What is you Nationality?4. Where are you currently living?5. Are you still in contact with any of your school classmates?


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Yes No

6. Where did you or are you attending college/ university?7. What is your latest educational qualification?8. Would you be interested being features on the network or your

career achievements?

9. Do you have accounts on the following social media channels?Twitter LinkedIn Facebook YouTube No

10. Would you attend a reunion held by the school every 10 years?Yes No

11. If you answered yes, which cities would you suggest the reunion isheld in?

12. Would you be interested in becoming an ambassador for yourschool in different countries? (represent the school and help keep alumni

connected to the school)

Yes No

Focus Group

Surveys are good for collecting information about peoples attributes and attitudes

but focus groups help understand things at a deeper level, by revealing a wealth of

detailed information and insight through qualitative research. It usually involves a small

group of people; 6 to 10, led through discussion by a skilled moderator. When well

executed, a focus group creates an accepting environment that puts participants at ease

allowing them to thoughtfully answer questions in their own words and add meaning to

their answers. The following are examples of questions to consider:


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Alumni network management software

A wide range of customers relation management software systems are offered on

the internet; some are designed for managing general networks for organizations or

educational institutes, and some specialize in the management of alumni networks. The

following 3 alumni network management systems are chosen based on the features

offered and price of the service (please refer to appendix for figures of a customized

Demo from 360 Alumni 36 - 41).

Software

Name

Features Price Link

360

Alumni

An Interactive Alumni

Directory and map, profiles,

groups (Class), events, job

boards, email marketing and

fundraising.

$3,500-

$5,000

http://www.360alumni.com/

http://youtu.be/fVzAte03Wbc

Your

Membershi

p

Easy to use website, groups,

committees and boards,

Alumni Directory and

profiles, event management,

online dues processing

(create master and sub-

accounts and set community

access based on membership

One-time Set

up Fee

$2,495

Annual Fee

$6,495

http://www.yourmembership.co

m/industries/education.aspx

http://www.yourmembership.co

m/solutions/ym-product-sheet-

pricing-

information.pdf#view=Fit
http://www.360alumni.com/http://youtu.be/fVzAte03Wbchttp://www.yourmembership.com/industries/education.aspxhttp://www.yourmembership.com/industries/education.aspxhttp://www.yourmembership.com/industries/education.aspxhttp://www.yourmembership.com/industries/education.aspxhttp://youtu.be/fVzAte03Wbchttp://www.360alumni.com/


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levels), advanced analytics

and dashboards (evaluate

trends).

Vaave Alumni Profiles, Sync with

Facebook & Linkedin,

Events & Reunions, Jobs &

Internships, Photo & Video

Albums, Browse and Search

Members, News &

Announcements,

Newsmakers &

Achievements, Discussion

Boards, User Privacy &

Robust Security, Alumni

Fund, Mass Mailing by

Admin, Distinguished

Alumni, Experiences &

Memories, Completely

Hosted Solution

- http://www.vaave.com/


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Application of Marketing Theories

Please note that the explanation of the theories are included in the project

proposal; the following is the application of marketing theories on the topic of alumni

networks.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Most alumni have had positive experiences The Alumni Network will increase St. Christophers position in the

market because the school can publicize screen shots of the alumni network or

alumni experiences in social media or main website.

The yearly seniors will feel like they are supported by the alumnithrough the alumni network since they can read their experiences and get advice

about universities and difference majors.

Encouraging social relationships between alumni since it mightlead to job opportunities and career development

Weaknesses

The school might not have latest contact detail about all graduatesand might have to wait for graduates to access the main website to know about the

alumni network

First few batches of graduates might think their experiences are notas important as the last few years graduates


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Low budgetOpportunities

Use social media to communicate with alumni. Ex: SchoolsFacebook page

Train new seniors that are on campus to be active in the alumninetwork and to build a community

Be one of the first schools in Bahrain to have an active alumninetwork

Advertising for seniors that the alumni network can help them indeciding their majors

Threat

Seniors might have each other on their social media networks andmight not see the Alumni Network as providing a new and unique service since

social media provides services such as profiles, pictures and videos etc.

Lack of experience in handling such network


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Development of a growth strategyThe Ansoff Matrix

The Ansoff Matrix is a method used to identify the strategy most suitable for

growth depending on the product at hand and the nature of the market in which it

operates. The most suitable growth strategy for St. Christophers School is the product

development; the alumni network is considered a new product introduced to target an

existing market; seniors and old alumni.

Existing Product New Product

Marketing Penetration Product Development

Market Development Diversification

Existing

Market

New

Market


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Promotional strategy7 Ps

Marketing Mix

Product

The product is an alumni program targeting St. Christophers alumni including

former students and staff members; a virtual online alumni network where users will have

their own log in to access various services such as activities, programs and clubs, career

mentoring and more.

Price

Alumni may be charged a small once-off fee for joining the network.

Place

Initially, all alumni related activities will be conducted on-line on the network.

With time the services may extend off-line; such as reunions which may be held on

school campus.

Promotion

The schools accounts on social media can be used as a promotion tool to

advertise the network. In addition, the school may post flyers on campus and include

some information on the schools official website.

People


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The alumni office will be running all activities related to alumni including the

management of the network and event organizing. It is recommended that only one

person from the alumni office is the main point of contact between the school and the

alumni.

Physical Environment

Initially, there is no physical environment for the alumni network. The alumni

network is based virtually; all communication and interaction will be online. However,

for future plans the school may create local clubs and groups or activities that involve the

students visiting the campus such as school tours.

Process

When alumni sign up to join the network they will have to answer a few questions

including name, age and year of graduation. They will immediately get an automated

response from the school thanking them for their interest in joining, and their information

will be sent to the school alumni office for approval.


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Alumni

Network

Under

Development

No Existing No Under

Development


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Positioning Map

Positioning Map before the implementation of the alumni network

Positioning Map after the implementation of the alumni network


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Recommendations

Starting an alumni association can involve a serious commitment of time and

resources. Although seemingly daunting, with careful and rational planning, forming an

alumni association can be a smooth, manageable process with lasting fruitful outcomes

(USAID, 2010). The following are 4 main stages to facilitate the launch of a successful

and sustainable alumni network:

Stage 1: define mission statement, purpose and structure.

This stage addresses key questions that the school should consider at the very

conception of an alumni association proposal. It includes defining the purpose, a mission

statement, what the school hopes to accomplish and how alumni can benefit from it.

During the initial start-up meeting and through the process of brainstorming, there should

be an agreement on the governing principles to create a code of conduct aligned with the

schools mission statement, which should then be communicated to the governors and

stakeholders.

Many alumni associations exist for the purpose of improving their communities.

Some alumni can use their alumni association as a way to organize community service

activities such as working with orphans and the elderly, cleaning up parks and water

supplies, or holding fundraisers for causes important to alumni. Other alumni associations

exist for the purpose of giving back through raising donations for programs that sponsor

exchange opportunities; such programs promote mutual understanding between the home

and the host country or other similar strategies (USAID, 2010).


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From the perspective of alumni, alumni associations can have a number of

benefits; they are a great way for alumni to network with one another, both socially and

professionally. Association meetings and events provide a forum for alumni to maintain

bonds forged during their educational journey and to build new friendships and

connections. By joining an alumni association, alumni automatically plug themselves into

a network of high achieving professionals that can prove to be an invaluable career asset.

Many alumni associations conduct mentoring programs between older and younger

alumni, hold workshops on leadership and rsum writing, organize job fairs for

members, and invite human resources representatives from leading firms to meet with

alumni.

Whether the association is established through the schools own initiative or

because of the expressed interest of a group of alumni, it must start with the very basics

in laying the foundation for an organized structure. There are three historic models to

define the structure of a network in accordance with the level of online engagement:

(please refer to appendix figure 32 - 35)

Structure 1: online directories; involves basic one way communication with no

interactivity, institution only content and limited data collection. Basic extension of

offline directories with no objectives of measured ROI.

Structure 2: alumni centers; basic two way communication with some

interactivity, includes alumni generated content, profile and interest management.

Involves measured ROI analysis such as % of email addresses and online donations.


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Structure 3: online social networks; high level of engagement, alum-to-alum

communications, includes personalized and subscribed content and data collected from

social networks. It involves specific ROI analysis such as % of online and peer-to-peer

fundraising programs.


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Stage 2: Getting started

The first part of the second stage is to start-up by forming an alumni office,

assigning roles and outlining responsibilities of the alumni executive committee. A

summarized and simple description of alumni office functions is that they build the

loyalty and commitment of alumni by providing services and managing events and

activities that help build bonds and keep alumni informed (Worth, 2005, p. 31).

An alumni association will usually have a board comprising of at least 5 to 7

alumni representatives. Typically, it will have a president, secretary and treasurer, and

sometimes an events chair and a communications chair. People on the board are expected

to give funds to their alma mater and they do not have to match a strict set of

qualifications, but it usually helps if people from a variety of fields are present on the

board; for example a lawyer, designer/ artist, events manager, an academic etc. However,

such a representation may neither be true nor be guaranteed, as most alumni associations

hold elections to designate representatives on the board.

The number of people needed in an alumni office depends on several factors such

as the total number of alumni, the number of alumni engagement programs run by the

school, the frequency with which it communicates with its alumni and its budget. For

example, The British School in New Delhi, India has only one person in the alumni

office, Mr, Navneet Kaur; Alumni and Marketing Officer.

The standard list of events for alumni associations includes fundraisers,

educational events, sport clubs and events, community service events, social events,


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cultural events, university/ collage events and family events. Responsibilities of the

alumni personnel extend to include performing various research that provide insight on

topics regarding alumni relations such as conducting specific research on fresh graduates

or old alumni needs to determine which programs are worth investing in. It is completely

up to the school whether the alumni network will also include alumni staff members or

parents of alumni, but if they do it is also their responsibility to develop a systematic

promotion strategy to advertise and acquire potential members.

The second part of Stage 2 is the virtual development of the network; St.

Christophers School hasthree options at hand;

Use the schools IT team to develop and customize an alumninetwork.

Use university IT trainees to build the network as part of theirgraduation project.

Use specialized online alumni management software for an annualfee.


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Stage 3: Set operating procedures

This stage defines the level of commitment required to keep the network

operational in order to remain relevant and valuable to alumni. The alumni network

typically provides news and information about the school, multiple options for engaging

alumni with each other, access to affinity programs and activities that interest alumni

throughout their careers and lives, events on campus and regionally, career services and

ways to give back to the school through involvement and donations.

The following recommendations regarding network elements are based on the

concept that St. Christophers School should establish its alumni network with a planned

incremental approach, in order to maintain a high momentum throughout launch and

operation of the network. The features necessary to the operation of the network are

highlighted through 3 levels:

Level 1: The database is the key resource that has enabled alumni organizations

and their associated activities to thrive is the accumulation and management of large

amounts of data. The basic level includes an alumni database which contains valuable

information such as alumni educational history as well as specialized and private

information such as behavioral characteristics, including political views and personal

connections. Thus, high levels of privacy and security should be adapted when dealing

with the database. Personal profiles are important for alumni to build social and

professional relationships and networking opportunities. The search engines make it easy

for alumni to find each other and can be designed to search by name, location, class or

year of graduation. Finally, the contact us information are necessary to let alumni know


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that the school is easy to contact and will happily answer their enquiries; all top 20 school

alumni networks have this option.

Level 2: includes all features in level 1 as well as a pictures gallery, where the

school can post pictures from yearbooks or alumni can upload old class photos and share

valuable memories. Moreover, a newsletter or magazine are seen to be important; 8 out of

the top 10 international schools alumni networks have it published and sent to alumni via

email, where they bring the light to the latest news and updates that are relevant to the

school. The newsletter can be published monthly, quarterly or annually. An

announcement board may be added in this level to initiate basic two way communication

and facilitate interactivity; alumni news and updates are posted such as marriages, births,

deaths etc. In addition it is recommended that the outstanding Alumni are featured on the

network for they reflect positively on the school; it shows how far the alumni got in life

through the education they received in St. Christophers School.

Level 3: includes all features in level 1 and 2 in addition to holding events

designed to bring alumni back to the scene of their student experience such as reunions

and fundraisers. This level should also include programs designed address alumni needs

such as career mentoring. Once the virtual and physical relationship with alumni is

established through various events and programs, an event calendar would come into

place; it may offer a reminder option for events date, location and time, as well as an

RSVP option which should give an estimate of the number of alumni interested in

attending. Alumni ambassadors have assertively helped international schools stay in

touch with their former students through organizing reunions and gatherings in different

cities, and through finding lost alumni and referring them to join the network; they are a


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link between the school and the alumni abroad. A support us tab provides a quick and

easy way to raise donation. It is recommended that information regarding the use of the

donation is shared on the network because people are generally more willing to make a

contribution if they know where or how their donations are being used. PayPal is an

example of a safe and trusted payment method. Moreover, frequently asked questions

section is necessary at this stage as the alumni office would have their hands full

managing the network. Thus, the FAQ will reduce the number of general enquiries sent

individually. Last but not least, links to social media platforms.

There is still a lot of experimenting with regards to social media, it can be full of

surprises but alumni departments need to get into the act. Communications professional

Mr. Fisher of UBC advices Start now. There will never be a right time because

everything moves so fast, but dont start unless youre willing to commit to the long haul.

Once you start, theres no going back. Evidently, social Media is a powerful tool with

the ability to build connections, connect and reach millions of people through just a click

of a mouse, a post or a comment. However, they are public networks; if the school was to

give career advice for example, that type of information is usually tailored and

personalized or even private and cannot be posted on social media platforms unless it was

general advice. Thus, it is safe to conclude that social media platforms are not to be used

as the official alumni network for St. Christophers School but they are to be used as a

promotion tool. St. Christophers Schools has its own general account on Facebook,

Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube through which they can promote the alumni network to

inform and encourage people to join. This can be done through posting pictures and


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screen shoots of how the network looks and what features are offered through the

network to highlight the benefits of joining to potential customers.


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Stage 4: measuring progress and further development plans

In order to successfully move forward in any new project, it is critical to keep

track of performance, look back and measure the progress. This can be done through

setting key performance indicators through benchmarking, and creating measures to keep

track of objectives such as the number of members, volunteer participation, activities and

events report or end of year financial statement.

Once the network is up and running with a solid members base; St. Christophers

school should consider approaches for further development. For example, a mobile

application or a special responsive link to the network which can be accessed from

mobile smart phones. This will keep the alumni connected 24/7 and they can receive

news, information and updates wherever they are. Through the research it was found that

some of the schools have a mobile application for the schools official website but none

have an application for the alumni network. Thus, this proposal should take the school to

another level and set it apart from other teaching institutes.

Following through with these guidelines will help the school enhance the services

they provide, and create a better and more efficient alumni network.


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Conclusion

The recommendations in the report are to be used as a guide, not as a rigid recipe.

No two associations are alike and there is no single formula that will guarantee the

successful creation of an alumni association. Although associations may follow different

paths of development and end up taking varying forms, this handbook presents a set of

key steps and guidelines that many successful associations have followed with proven

success (USAID, 2010).


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References

Andrew B. Shaindlin, (2010, May). Technology, Relavence and Control in

Alumni Relations. Retrieved from

http://alumnifutures.typepad.com/files/cgu-shaindlin-critique-final-2.pdf

Brabham, D.C. (2008). Crowdsourcing as a model for problem

solving. Convergence, 14(1), 75-90.

Hoag, B.G., Ritschard, H.V., & Cooper, C.L. (2002). Obstacles to effective

organizational change: The Underlying reasons. Leadership &

Organizational Development Journal 23 (1), 6-15.

Howe, J. (2006, June 2). Crowdsourcing: A Definition. Message posted to

http://crowdsourcing.typepad.com/

Kolowich, S. (2010, March 10). Student clubs, virtually. Inside Higher Ed,

Retrieved fromhttp://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/03/10/clubs

Kumar, R., Novak, J., & Tomkins, A. (2006). Structure and evolution of online

social networks. ACM, KDD '06. August 20-23, 2006, Philadelphia, PA

McPherson, M. (2001). Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks.

Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 41544
http://alumnifutures.typepad.com/files/cgu-shaindlin-critique-final-2.pdfhttp://crowdsourcing.typepad.com/http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/03/10/clubshttp://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/03/10/clubshttp://crowdsourcing.typepad.com/http://alumnifutures.typepad.com/files/cgu-shaindlin-critique-final-2.pdf


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Reed, D. (n.d.). That sneaky exponential. Retrieved from http://www.reed.com

Shapiro, C., & Varian, H. (1999). Information rules. Cambridge, MA:

Harvard Business Press.

Tema, Frank. (2013, March13).Reaching out to University Alumni through

Social Media Retrieved from

http://www.universityaffairs.ca/reaching-out-to-university-alu

final report. alumni network 4 st. christ. shaikha & anfal

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