In 2019, CASE launched our Alumni Engagement Metrics survey (now called CASE Insights on Alumni Engagement) through the work of our Commission on Alumni Relations. It was groundbreaking in two ways.
It allowed our profession to expand the way we measure and evidence the impact of alumni engagement across four modes: philanthropic, volunteer, experiential, and communications. For so long, we had been measuring engagement only by the giving metric. But that conveys only a small fraction of the engagement story. In developing the survey, we wanted to look deeper—to consider what specifically constitutes alumni engagement.
Now, with six years of data, we can confirm something we had an instinct about all along: the more we engage our alumni in the life of the institution, the more likely they are to support it philanthropically. It is heartening to see more institutions announcing engagement goals alongside their philanthropic campaign goals.
Engaged alumni are the true mark of a thriving institution. When institutions thrive, they provide hubs of creativity, discovery, and personal growth.
The 2019 alumni engagement survey was also groundbreaking because it was our first global survey from the start. (Other CASE Insights surveys, whilst they have common data points, are unique to specific regions.) These alumni engagement metrics can be applied across the broad range of CASE member institutions around the world. The pride we can engender in our alumni is universal. CASE likewise takes great pride in being a global association. Every day we see the benefits of connecting members across borders, cultures, and perspectives, to share experiences and forge new knowledge.
A challenge of being a global association comes in understanding and addressing the unique needs of each region whilst not losing sight of our interconnectedness.
In some geographical regions, educational institutions are facing complex, challenging environments. The current environment in the United States is unprecedented, with threats to vital research funding, challenges to academic freedom, restrictions on international students, increased taxation on endowments impacting financial aid, and more.
In response, CASE launched a new initiative. Initially focused for our U.S. member institutions, Alumni for Higher Ed provides a set of resources that helps our members engage alumni in advocating for higher education. We have learned a lot about the power of alumni engagement in the last decade, and we know for certain that alumni can be a powerful force for higher education if we harness their voices.
Alumni for Higher Ed provides the tools to do just that, encouraging alumni to stay informed; contact their legislators; share their stories; engage local leaders; join and support their alma maters’ networks.
Whilst this initiative has begun in the U.S., it is our intention to tailor the resources to key CASE markets around the world. The principles and resources are broadly applicable throughout higher education.
Advancement professionals are the storytellers, connectors, and visionaries who convey the magic happening at higher education institutions—in your labs, classrooms, research facilities, and hospitals—to make demonstrable differences in lives well beyond the campus. I encourage you to engage your alumni to lend their voices to communicate the impact of your institution and the whole sector.
Now more than ever, I would welcome your engagement on this initiative and on any other aspect of CASE’s work in support of your institution. Please email me at [email protected].
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September - October 2025
A SENSE OF WONDER: How curiosity sparks creativity, new ideas, and engagement in the workplace.
Plus advice for mid-level managers, productivity tools to plan meaningful alumni events, and what's next for the future of advancement.
