From the Nominator

"Time to Celebrate is a powerful cross-team collaborative campaign that celebrates milestone graduation anniversaries from 5 to 70 years. Expanding on our reunion programme, it is a long-lasting initiative that engages a wider cross-section of alumni than we could ever reach through in-person activities. It engages alumni regularly throughout their lives to build a sense of belonging and celebrate their lifelong connection with Imperial. It also allows us to update contact information and request email consent in an effective and low-risk way.  

We created a celebratory milestone pack with commemorative pins, which we posted free of charge to alumni who completed an online form that included an ask for email consent. The campaign was elevated by thoughtful touches. Emails were highly personalised, with bespoke illustrations of campus featuring recipients’ milestone anniversary. We also commissioned separate illustrations of our medical campuses and worked with college archives and the college of arms to create pins honouring our constituent medical schools.   

Packs included a personalised ask, raising £5,327.43 from 54 donors and demonstrating our success in connecting with alumni who were not considered to be very engaged. Donors were disproportionately young and female, 46% were first-time donors, and 38% of those who had previously given had been lapsed for three or more years. Medicine alumni were also disproportionally likely to give. A total of 3,455 alumni requested a pin, with 90% opting-in to email communications. The response on social media was touching, with many sharing messages of gratitude and fond memories with the college and with classmates."

From the Judges

A unique program that achieved results that impact several areas of development and alumni relations. By incentivising constiuents to participate, the institution received a high percentage of email consent and updated address information. This program has tremendous potential for long-term success and can be built upon for the future.