Making the most of your alumni network

A short field guide for development teams who want more from the community they already have.

Your alumni are your warmest audience — they already know the school. The trick is making the invitation easy to say yes to.
 

Start with the relationship

1. Segment thoughtfully — a leaver of 2 years is not a leaver of 40.
2. Lead with value, and let the ask follow naturally.
3. Measure engagement, not just gifts.

Checklist: Before Importing Your Alumni

⚙️ Platform Setup
 

1. Site Branding Complete : Customised your institution’s colours, logo, and alumni landing page.
2. Photos Added : Albums added so alumni see engaging content upon login.
3. News Added : Alumni news or stories added.
4. Mandatory Fields Marked : Set required alumni profile fields to collect critical information.
5. Custom Fields Added : Expand your alumni data by adding custom profile fields to collect information specific to your institution.
6. Active Pages Reviewed : Disable pages not relevant at launch.
7. Direct Registrations Setup : Decide between auto-approval or manual-approval of direct registrations.
8. Auto Snapshot Email : Set the frequency of automated snapshots as contents gets added.
9. Stripe Payment Gateway Connected : Enabled payments for events, fundraisers, shop, and business listings.
10. Header Images Updated : Customise banner images for Directory, Jobs, and Business Directory pages.
11. Optional Content Added : Upload any ready content: Events, Jobs, Fundraisers, Chat Groups, etc.
     

🌐 Boost Awareness
 

1. Update School Website : Add alumni login/registration link on your school website to redirect to your Alumnly site. For reference, see Past Students - Alumni - Kolbe
2. Post on Social Media : Promote your new alumni platform on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Download draft content.

If you need help creating your alumni page or social media graphics, contact us at support@alumnly.com.
 

📧 Pre-Import Communication
 

We recommend notifying alumni 2–3 days before importing. Use these templates based on your situation:
 

1. Migrating from an existing platform
2. First-time launching an alumni platform

After import, Alumnly will automatically send a personalised invite to each alum for email validation and access.