Honesty Is the Best Policy
CURRENTS Article In this article, Tina Hay, editor of The Penn Stater, discusses the editorial decisions the magazine made in covering the child molestation scandal that erupted at Penn State in November 2011.

The Benefits of Data-Driven Alumni Communications
Article A one-size-fits-all approach to alumni communications doesn’t work, said two speakers at this year’s CASE Summit for Leaders in Advancement.

Infographics
Sample Collection The CASE InfoCenter maintains this collection of education institutions' infographics and data visualizations used to convey advancement-related data and stories.

Infographics
Good Question Does the InfoCenter have resources that discuss best practices for designing infographics? What about examples of infographics created for advancement purposes?

CASE Survey Identifies Key Traits for Successful Alumni Relations
Article A CASE survey on alumni relations programmes outside of North America reveals that frequent communications via e-newsletters and alumni magazines as well as more holiday excursions and personal-interest events can increase the number of donors for these institutions.

Alumni Surveys
Sample Collection The CASE InfoCenter maintains this collection of alumni surveys, reports of survey results and magazine coverage for all members.

Alumni Surveys
Good Question We are preparing to conduct an alumni survey. Do you have sample surveys that can be emailed to me?

Graduates Rank Email as Most Effective Communications Tool
Article College and university alumni believe email is the most effective way for their alma maters to communicate with them, according to the results of a survey exploring donor motivation as well as the communications and philanthropic preferences of graduates.

Findings from the Field: The Donor Motivation Study in Practice, an inside look at the attitudes and preferences of more than 50,000 champions, friends and acquaintances
Converge Consulting in Alliance with CASE
White Paper This white paper, the second in a three-part series produced by Converge Consulting in alliance with CASE, explores the results of a study of how alumni attitudes relate to the motivation to give. The paper looks at preferred communications channels and philanthropic causes of alumni by segment, applies the study’s findings to three specific institutions and includes recommendations based on lessons learned.

Graduate School Alumni Relations
Sample Collection The CASE InfoCenter compiled this collection of graduate/professional school alumni association websites, programming ideas, newsletters, magazines and stewardship reports to assist members who are working with graduate/professional school alumni.

CASE Survey Reveals Most Successful Alumni Relations Services, Activities
Article A new CASE survey on alumni relations programs outside of North America reveals the critical need for email addresses and frequent communications via e-newsletters and magazines to grow the number of donors and volunteers. Time is also a key factor.

Storytelling: Tapping the Power of Narrative
Product This webinar presents storytelling is the single most powerful communication tool that any advancement professional possesses. Participants learn specific ways to use stories to effectively engage an audience, inspire action and advance an organization's mission. This multimedia file is a recording of a webinar originally presented Feb. 10, 2011.

The Power of Two
CURRENTS Article BI Norwegian School of Management publishes two alumni magazine, one in Norwegian and the other in English. The English-language magazine has helped keep international alumni engaged.

Virtually Yours
CURRENTS Article Technology is providing alumni relations professionals with a new way to organize events and engage more alumni, but it also offers us the opportunity to look at our field through a new lens. For example, using webcams and digital recorders, brick-and-mortar events can be retooled to reach more than just those people who attend. Alumni leaders now have the ability to engage their entire database worldwide without being limited to a particular venue, region, or timeframe.

Virtualmente suyo
CURRENTS Article La tecnología ofrece a los profesionales de la vinculación con exalumnos un nuevo prisma para ver los eventos. Es el fin de una era en las relaciones con los exalumnos. Las evidencias están a la vista, y la mayoría de nosotros no las hemos visto o no estamos dispuestos a aceptarlas. Para muchas asociaciones de exalumnos, la asistencia y la participación en eventos y programas siguen disminuyendo mientras los costos que conllevan siguen aumentando. Los sitios de redes sociales, y otras herramientas web 2.0 ofrecen nuevas formas de comunicarse con los egresados, sin mencionar que son nuevas formas para que éstos se comuniquen entre sí sin la participación de las asociaciones de exalumnos.

Advice for Small Alumni Shops: Keep it Simple and Personal
Article Small schools can do little things to communicate with alumni that will have a big impact, according to a speaker at the CASE District III conference held Feb. 21-24 in Tampa, Fla.

In Full Bloom
CURRENTS Article The digital age is upon us, with technology reshaping the way institutions interact with students, faculty, alumni, and donors. Find out how this new age is changing the world of communications and marketing, alumni relations, and development.

Advance Work: News at Your Fingertips
CURRENTS Article The University of Waterloo is offering its iPhone- and BlackBerry-wielding alumni the option of receiving school news on their mobile devices.

Advance Work: No Turning Back
CURRENTS Article The University of Pittsburgh alumni association stopped printing an annual alumni report and instead put it online. This switch not only saved money but allowed the association to better communicate with alumni.

Carleton University: Silver Medal
Best Practice During a period of fiscal restraint in 2001/2002, Carleton University's Office of Advancement stopped mailing the university magazine to its 1,800 international alumni. The result was devastating. Alumni complained that they felt disconnected, and the university lost contact with many of them. In February 2004, Carleton launched a successful online contest called "A Ringing Endorsement" that helped international alumni reconnect with alma mater, inspired goodwill and alumni pride, and helped the university collect updated contact information from many overseas graduates.

AdvanceWork: Season's e-Greetings
CURRENTS Article When alumni relations officers at Miami (Ohio) and Colgate universities wanted to spice up their alumni outreach efforts, they turned to e-cards. The Flash-based “postcards” of photo, sound, and video messages most often are used to engage and involve alumni in campus activities, seek their support, and help them feel connected to alma mater. This article explores why and how these campuses embraced e-cards and links to several examples.

Let's Make a Deal
CURRENTS Article Alumni might not realize that they can benefit from the technology their alma mater already uses to locate and stay in touch with former students. Help alumni activate their “hidden” alumni network by showing them how to connect with fellow graduates via online directories, campus personnel directories, online class notes, and more. With these high-tech tools, business-savvy former students can forge new ties, rekindle lost campus connections, and open doors to new opportunities. An accompanying sidebar offers advice on networking etiquette.

Manager's Portfolio: Achieving Fabled Service
CURRENTS Article Like Nordstrom and other companies famous for customer service, alumni associations should infuse quality constituent service into everything they do. This column features examples from the University of Michigan Alumni Association, which has created a customer relations staff.

Mending Student Discontent
CURRENTS Article Alumni still carrying grievances from their student days can be turned into enthusiastic donors if development officers listen to and address those grievances. Development officers should also be alert to the dissatisfactions of current students, and can try to collaborate with other campus departments to improve the student experience, in order to cultivate future donors.

Closing Remarks: It's Still about People
CURRENTS Article Taylor warns that advancement is in danger of depersonalizing its mission by mistaking technology for human contact. To sustain vital, long-term relationships between alumni and the institution, alumni relations officers need to see alumni face to face. E-mail, the Web, and other technological innovations may make work easier, but they should not be used to the exclusion of personal contact.

Tech Support: High-Tech Ties that Bind
CURRENTS Article In addition to e-mail and campus Web sites, the Internet offers special advantages for reaching out to international alumni. The article describes ways to use Internet telephone programs, streaming audio and video, freeware, and live chat to increase contact with alumni globally.

Closing Remarks: You've Got Mail
CURRENTS Article A psychology professor muses about the mailings he receives from his alma mater — including reunion announcements, a survey for the alumni directory, and a solicitation for the annual fund.