11:30 AM–12:45 PM 

Welcome, Introductions and Setting the Stage – Opening Session – Annual Giving and Engagement Trends for Young Alumni and Students

Join our chair, Skylar Beaver as she kicks off the conference, introduces the faculty, review conference highlights and learn how to make the most out of our time together.

12:45–1:00

Stretch Break  

1:00–1:45

Elective Sessions (select one):  

• Alumni and Constituent Networks that Work... for You: A Discussion on Peer-to-peer Engagement
  
  Speakers: Levi Dillon and Katie Sampson, Temple University
  
  Your advocates really are your best advocates. This session will explore and discuss strategies to activate volunteers to spread awareness of engagement programs authentically to cut through the noise of forgettable mass messages. Temple University will outline its constituent-centric approach to Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and reveal its combined peer-to-peer efforts employed to engage their alumni and constituents to increase results. The session will then open up for a group conversation on ideas and feedback-sharing on steps advancement professionals can take to activate volunteers and social ambassadors to cultivate enhanced relationships with and among constituents
• Amplifying Alumni Affinity Networks
  
  Speaker: Ayanna McConnell
  
  Affinity groups are networks of alumni with common interests and experiences, often formed as a source of networking, support and camaraderie for alumni. Alumni engaged in affinity networks offer leadership, perspective, and expertise that may be untapped. Learn how alumni affinity groups at Michigan are evolving, and exchange ideas with session participants for building connections between students and alumni through intentional partnerships.
• Cultivating Engaged and Passionate Student Leaders
  
  Speaker: Alyson Beckman
  
  Join Alyson and learn her top 5 tips for creating an engaged student advancement organization and maintain the enthusiasm, passion and leadership with your student groups.

1:45–2:15  

Resources / Stretch Break  

2:15–3:00  

Elective Sessions (select one):  

• Communicating with Millennial (and Gen Z) Donors about Giving
  
  Speaker: Skylar Beaver
  
  Developing a lifelong philanthropic relationship with alumni begins in the first few years after they graduate. Coming at them right away with aggressive and overly direct solicitations for money can be off-putting and may jeopardize that relationship. Finding softer, more engaging, and even more entertaining ways to explain and convey the importance and impact of philanthropy at your institution can set the stage for loyal support for years to come. This session will focus on developing a compelling case for participation and support, methods for timing and coordinating communication, tactics for leveraging volunteers and much more! 
• Fledgling Raptors – A Community College Case Study
  
  Speaker: Colleen Dolak, Montgomery College
  
  Recruiting younger alumni and engaging students can be challenging for any institution. Imagine what that might be like for a community college where the average age is 26. In three years, the Montgomery College Alumni Association’s board transformed through mentoring, member recruitment and dynamic marketing efforts. We’ll discuss how to expand your outreach, make connections, and get recent alumni involved.
• Pivoting Toward Partnership: A Model for Student and Young Alumni Mentorship
  
  Speakers: Taylor Hensley, Lauryn Lintner, Brett Reardon, Chelsea Smock, Butler University
  
  What better way to increase student and young alumni engagement than match them up one-on-one? That’s exactly what the Butler University Student Foundation (BUSF) and Young Alumni Board (YAB) did when their traditional engagement activities were put on pause during the pandemic. Learn how these two organizations teamed up to make the best of the challenges of a remote semester and develop a mentorship program that earned the honor of CASE ASAP District V’s “Pivot Award” in 2021. In this session, student, alumni, and staff panelists will share key takeaways (communication, buy-in, goal alignment), successes, and growing pains so that participants can replicate this successful program at their own institutions.
  
  
  
  By attending this session, attendees will be able to:
  
  1.  Develop a framework for a 1:1 student/alumni mentorship program that aligns with the goals of their institution’s student population and enhances collaboration between alumni and student organizations.
  
  2. Develop strategies to get buy-in from student mentees and alumni mentors participating in the mentorship program
  
  3. Clearly define expectations for all parties involved in the mentorship program
  
  4. Evaluate the program and implement strategies for improvement and continuity

3:00–3:15  

Stretch Break  

3:15–4:00  

Activating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice in Alumni Engagement

Speaker: Ayanna McConnell

As the pandemic and social injustices unfolded in 2020, many organizations started or renewed their commitment to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The Alumni Association was ending year 3 of a strategic DEI plan, and saw an opportunity to renew and recommit efforts. Learn how we transitioned from a focus on staff culture and supporting minority student enrollment  and to evolve how we engage, inform, support and celebrate alumni in order to create and deepen belonging to the Michigan family. 

4:00–4:15  

Stretch Break  

4:15–5:00

Student to Young Alumni Transition

Speaker: Alyson Beckman

Come engage in a rapid-fire session of great ideas you can put to use in your own shops immediately. In this highly participatory session, participants will have 60 seconds to present their idea big or small that can be applied to transitioning our students to young alumni.. You’ll be exposed to a dynamic network of colleagues with whom to share and further develop the ideas presented, plus a recording summarizing the ideas will be shared following the conference.

11:00 AM–12:00 PM  

Small Group Discussions

Faculty Office Hours

12:00–12:15  

Stretch Break  

12:15–1:15

Young Alumni Engagement Idea Swap

Come engage in a rapid-fire session of great ideas you can put to use in your own shops immediately. In this highly participatory session, participants will have 60 seconds to present their idea big or small that can be applied to Young Alumni Engagement programs. You’ll be exposed to a dynamic network of colleagues with whom to share and further develop the ideas presented, plus a recording summarizing the ideas will be shared following the conference.

1:15–1:45 

Stretch Break  

1:45–2:30

Elective Sessions (select one):  

• Increasing Diverse Young Alumni and Donor Engagement Through Impact Storytelling
  
  Speakers: Shumiala Kinnear and James McRae, University of Michigan
• Leveraging Student Interest Organizations to Build on Young Alumni Engagement
  
  Speaker: Seema Surani, University of Chicago
  
  The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy admits approximately 500 graduate students every year, with representation from approximately 40 countries and 35 U.S. states. With a growing young alumni base across the globe, Harris’ Alumni Relations team has found success in leveraging the skills, energy, and excitement of student organization leaders to engage a network of young alumni through events, programming and volunteer activities.
  
  
  
  This session will highlight effective partnerships that we have developed over the years with key student organizations including Minorities in Public Policy, Women in Public Policy and Harris Student Government.
  
  
  
  During this session, attendees will be able to develop a perspective on how Harris’ Alumni Relations team utilizes these student-alumni engagement activities to cultivate young alumni for volunteer and leadership opportunities, what key relationships we have established with colleagues across departments, and how we measure engagement and success for various programs.
  
  
  
  By attending this session, attendees will be able to:
  
  1.  Learn about why and how to solidify partnerships with active student groups.
  
  2. Hear about ways to support student groups/programs while balancing young alumni interests.
  
  3. Understand the importance of establishing a clear value-proposition to student leaders on why they might want to incorporate alumni programming during their graduate school tenure.
  
  4. How to identify young alumni volunteers and leaders by leveraging student initiatives.
• Engaging Alumni and Students Where They Are | Our New Future of Hybrid Events
  
  Speakers: Alyson Beckman and Christina Ruiz, UCLA
  
  The COVID-19 pandemic caused us to evaluate the how and why of executing many of our signature programs. For some of our events, the opportunity to engage those outside of our normal volunteer pool was a game changer. Join Christina and Alyson as they discuss several events which will shift and reform due to the new way of the world and learn about the best practices and lessons learned throughout the process.

2:30–2:45 

Resources/Stretch Break 

2:45–3:30 

Student Engagement Idea Swap

Come engage in a rapid-fire session of great ideas you can put to use in your own shops immediately. In this highly participatory session, participants will have 60 seconds to present their idea big or small that can be applied to Student Engagement programs. You’ll be exposed to a dynamic network of colleagues with whom to share and further develop the ideas presented, plus a recording summarizing the ideas will be shared following the conference.

3:30–3:45 

Resources/Stretch Break 

3:45–4:45

Faculty Panel: What Will We Preserve from the Pandemic? Final Thoughts and Questions

This forward-thinking conversation between faculty and attendees about what’s next in the industry will bring together many of the content threads from the program to help set you up for success for what comes next.

4:45

Conference Adjourns