Is there any way to quantify and assess the value of Alumni Relations, reunion programs, regional clubs, event planning, and the like? Is it enough simply to count the number of events, or the number of attendees? How do we know these efforts are having the impact we want? How do we measure their return on investment?
There's a tendency to believe one has achieved something by simply having an event. I have always told our people "Do not mistake activity for progress!" Some events are simply to make people feel good. Some are intended to convey information. Some are intended to cultivate. Before an event is planned - decide what that purpose will be. Who needs to be there and why? Who is going to do the follow up? If these questions are answered, people in these programs can be evaluated as to their effectiveness.
Our ability to collect and crunch data makes quantifying the value of these programs much easier than it was a few years ago. For example, in addition to simply tracking number of events and attendance, program managers can analyze how many attendees are repeats and how many are first-timers; they can correlate attendance with giving records and see if giving behavior changes in the months following attendance at events; they can analyze attendance by age/class year to determine which programs are working best for which demographic. Figuring out optimal times, locations, and days of the week for events should be another objective of data analysis. Sunday brunch may work better than a weeknight cocktail reception in Los Angeles, but not in San Francisco. Alumni in Maine may be willing to travel further to events than alumni in the Boston suburbs.