Four technical universities in the Netherlands pooled their international alumni efforts and ended up with a world-class network. Now in its 10th year, 4TU encompasses more than 30 alumni communities in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Nordics, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.S. as it continues to extend its global reach.

Fundraising today has become increasingly digital. In the last few years, more advancement teams have created roles devoted specifically to digital engagement. Digital gift officers (or the similarly focused donor experience officer) aim to connect with mid-level donors through email, video, social media, virtual meetings, and more. Here’s a look at what teams have learned so far about the challenges and promise of digital engagement with donors.

For Erasmus University’s Rotterdam School of Management’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2021, #RSM24: Around the World in 24 Hours brought together alumni chapters worldwide on a single day.

The 2022 Circle of Excellence Award-winning fundraising campaigns took creativity to a new level, using ingenuity to create targeted campaigns, events, annual giving appeals, and more that engaged audiences. Here's what made these projects effective.

In August 2020, the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, launched ChangeMakers, a strategy to encourage UQ’s alumni across 190 countries to engage with the university and fellow alumni from anywhere in the world. The ChangeMakers alumni community hosts events, fosters mentorship relationships, and encourages volunteerism. More than 70 alumni have become ambassadors to help spread the word.

To celebrate Singapore Management University’s 20th anniversary, its alumni, students, and staff put their best feet forward. In September 2020, the university launched a monthlong virtual race fundraiser with the goal of raising SGD$400,000 for students impacted by the pandemic. 

At Elon University, international students mark their connection to campus in the International Grove.

All Day Hall Day offers 24 hours of activities and giving opportunities.

In 2019, Athabasca University's online Master of Business Administration degree program celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Alumni relations teams that executed innovative programs in 2019 faced a big question in 2020: How could they continue those projects amid the pandemic? Here’s how five teams grappled with that—and the key lessons their experiences reveal about creatively and strategically problem-solving when contexts change.