Shannon Plate has been a mental health therapist for 20 years, a journey that began in her late 30s as a returning student at Harper College in Illinois. Plate attended two other schools after Harper—including a master’s program at Trinity International University—yet it’s her community college experience that she looks upon most fondly.
“The encouragement and help they gave me made for a wonderful experience,” says Plate. “Returning students are hard workers, and at that point you’re not messing around. I was rewarded for the work I did, getting a scholarship and having people who went out of their way to help.”
In 2010, Harper named Plate a Distinguished Alumni, a program that has honored 92 high-achieving alumni since its 2008 inception. Plate currently leads the Distinguished Alumni Endowed Scholarship, a fund started by the Distinguished Alumni.
In this volunteer position, Plate recruits fellow distinguished alumni to further grow the $45,000 fund. Fundraising appeals come at an annual scholarship award ceremony, while Plate writes donation requests for the Harper newsletter. She also appears in a video on the campaign’s home page, championing the program’s immeasurable impact on her and other distinguished Harper alumni.
“The message is, ‘Here’s what this scholarship has done for people,’” Plate says. “Without our help, this person may not be in school. So, this is a good use of resources for the place that gave us a start to be successful.” In an era of shrinking federal support, more community colleges are engaging alumni in fundraising, whether directly soliciting donations or recruiting alumni to volunteer in philanthropic campaigns.
This article is an excerpt from the current issue of the Community College Journal, the bimonthly magazine of the American Association of Community Colleges.
Given the limited fundraising resources of two-year institutions, administrators are eager to emphasize the direct impact donations have on underresourced learners. Harper College, for example, hosts a scholarship brunch that directly links donors who have started scholarships, including alumni donors, to student recipients.
“It has an amazing impact when alumni sit down with these students,” says Shannon Hynes, director of alumni relations and affinity groups at Harper. “Students and donors are put in break-out groups and ask each other questions. We have high donor retention rates because of these types of events. Face-to-face interaction allows alumni to see their gifts in action.”
Shout it from the rooftops
Harper’s Distinguished Alumni scholarship program launched in conjunction with the college’s 50th anniversary. Seven students have been given scholarships since 2017, with about 26% of distinguished alumni donating to the fund.
Scholarship applications open each spring, while a committee of distinguished alumni help choose a recipient. Direct involvement in the process keeps distinguished alumni connected. With experience in both four- and two-year institutions, Hynes recognizes the importance of community colleges finding innovative ways of engagement.
“Our students who transfer to four-year colleges may then consider their alma mater,” says Hynes. “So, our goal is to continue that relationship the minute they leave. We may work with affinity groups in connecting with students as well. That helps us establish a relationship and secure donors in the long run.”
According to the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, about 1% of all higher education giving goes to two-year colleges—an unfortunate fact that has Harper and other community colleges embracing a more inclusive definition of “alumni.”
“We define an alum as anyone who takes one or more classes, and they don’t have to earn a degree,” Hynes says. “People coming here may be close to a degree, or are coming back to take a handful of classes. If they self-identify as an alum, even if they only take a few classes, we welcome them to our alumni community.”
The right messaging
Northwood Technical College (Wisconsin) adopts a similar approach, considering anyone who has taken a class, regardless of degree completion, as an alum. Northwood’s four northern Wisconsin campuses each have their own alumni boards, which are part of a larger alumni association that also includes “friends” of the college.
Northwood Tech defines “friends” as non-affiliated donors or residents involved in the fundraising process. Although campuses are spread across a large geographical area, the college strives to promote a consistent message throughout its footprint, says Senior Advancement Officer Brian Schroeder.
“Our campuses work independently while operating under one cover,” Schroeder says. “We have one campus that does frequent community events like fairs and parades, shouting from the rooftops how great the college is.”
Chartered in 1979, Northwood Tech’s alumni association schedules a year-round slate of activities at each campus. Although the college maintains an annual fund to support general operations, individual campuses launch targeted campaigns to address unique needs. Messaging mostly encompasses direct mail, social media and a quarterly alumni newsletter.
“A campus could be looking for a new building, or something that will benefit their local community,” Schroeder says. “In those cases, we’ll hit that area harder with specific messages about what’s happening.”
However, Northwood’s extensive geographic coverage and sparsely populated service area can make for outreach challenges, adds Schroeder.
“If I’m looking to connect with someone three hours away, I’ll talk to an alumni board president and say, ‘Do you know X, and can you connect them with me?’” he says. “It’s about keeping a name in front of you, then being available and visible. We’ll work with the alumni association on who has potential to be good donors for us.”
