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When scrolling through Instagram, alumni might expect to see typical images on their alma mater's feed: scenic vistas of the quad, graduation caps, lattes from the campus coffee shop.

When Chris Pipkins walks the exhibitor space at advancement conferences, he sees a wide array of products, many offered by new and unfamiliar companies. As the associate vice president for advancement information services at James Madison University in Virginia, Pipkins says he fields more calls and emails from potential vendors than he once did.

As the creator of DonorRelationsGuru.com, an online resource for stewardship and other development professionals, I'm regularly asked for advice on donor relations challenges. Among the most common: "My supervisor says Non-profit X is doing (insert horrible practice here) and that we should do it, too."

Sonbol Aliabadi, executive director of the Sierra College Foundation, discusses the passion and hard work necessary to assist community college students when they need it the most. 

Alumni engagement metrics have come a long way in a short time and are proving to be crucial to advancement teams. With years of solid data under their belts, many in alumni relations are finding significant results from building systems around these metrics, altering their actions in response, and displaying the value of their work to constituents, institutional leadership, and board members.

Judges share their reactions to entries that merited the highest Circle of Excellence honor: Grand Gold.

The University of Illinois Foundation's chatbot, silent reading parties for UCLA alumni, Minecraft graduations, virtual potlucks for advancement staff, and more.

Landing in a Tough Spot: Navigating the challenges of gifts of land