Reunion years offer a unique opportunity to deepen alumni affinity, energize volunteer/class leaders, and drive meaningful philanthropic touchpoints, yet many institutions struggle to activate class committees or re-engage alumni who haven't connected in years, especially in the post-COVID landscape. This session explores how strategic volunteer management, creative engagement, and data-informed planning can transform reunion committees into powerful ambassadors for participation and giving.

Drawing on examples from Fordham University, Caroline and Neil will share a practical framework for recruiting, training, and motivating reunion volunteers: designing class-based philanthropic challenges, and building engagement initiatives that spark nostalgia and deepen class identity. Attendees will learn how current ideas are modeled and new experiential opportunities, peer-to-peer outreach, mini-campaigns, and personalized committee moments can create that momentum and positive touchpoint even among historically quiet classes.

The session will also highlight the critical role of data in shaping these engagement strategies. Using class behavior trends, communication performance insights, accounting for opted-out alumni and real participation metrics, we will demonstrate how data allows teams to refine messaging, forecast outcomes, and strengthen volunteer impact over time.