Reconnectors
Offer Great Potential...
...for
Alumni Programs Willing to Make an Effort to Reach
Them
This edition
of Alumni Report continues our series on the four
key alumni “personalities” in
the Campbell Rinker R4 Matrix. This time, we’re
looking at Reconnectors – one of the most important
groups for an alumni program. The alumni types were
defined from a series of 20 questions in our national
AlumniPoll survey dealing with the current and desired
involvement of alumni. CLICK
HERE to download information about all 4 personalities
(4 MB PDF download).
Alumni Personality 3: Reconnectors
Reconnectors
(27% of all alumni) are alumni with the greatest
degree of unrealized potential. They tend
to have relatively low levels of involvement with your
institution. They don’t give or participate much.
However, they are open to increased involvement, particularly
in areas that will provide a practical benefit to themselves
and others. Reconnectors are like rich, raw ore – there
is much good to be found here, but extracting that
goodness takes real effort.
Demographically, Reconnectors are likely to be early-to-mid
career (median age: 37), to work in a field unrelated
to their undergraduate major, and to be female (not
exclusively, but more so than any other segment).
Income is an issue for many Reconnectors. They are
the least affluent group, with median household income
15-to-20 percent lower than that of other segments.
As a result, Reconnectors tend to be interested in
resources that their alma mater may provide to help
them improve themselves, personally and professionally.
A problem,
however, is that they’ve been somewhat
out of the loop in terms of traditional alumni involvement.
Reconnectors are unlikely to give or participate in
alumni activities, and they tend not to follow athletics.
They tend to not keep up with institution news and
progress. As a result, they may not be aware of available
opportunities.
Reconnectors
do OK in keeping in touch with classmates, but they
desire to do much better. In fact, they desire
greater involvement in many areas. Their gap between
current and desired involvement is greater than other
segments on every item in the AlumniPoll survey! In
addition to reconnecting with classmates, this segment
is particularly interested
in:
1. Accessing
the institution’s career resources;
2. Using their skills to mentor current students; and
3. Continuing education opportunities
As seen
in these priorities, Reconnectors tend toward pragmatism.
They want to be involved in things that
make a difference – for themselves or for others.
They won’t bother with events and activities
that only function as entertainment.
Reconnectors
desire to be givers, and are open to supporting your
institution. But many do not have lots
of discretionary giving dollars – so appeals
to this group need to be modest, practical and results-oriented.
They likely aren’t interested in enhancing the
institution’s reputation or in making a token
gift to a $10-million effort. But you will get their
attention for smaller-scale projects that provide a
tangible benefit for students, staff or community.
Reconnectors want to be a part of positive change.
Involving
Reconnectors is not quick and easy. The barrier of
inertia needs to be overcome, and the “payoff” for
engaging them is not always measured in dollars and
cents – especially in the short term. But, unlike
some other segments, there is real openness to increasing
involvement.
How do you identify Reconnectors? Campbell Rinker
has developed a survey-based model to help you categorize
alumni into each of the R4 alumni segments. If you
conduct an alumni survey, be sure to contact Campbell Rinker to find out how to add a handful of questions
that can be used to classify your alumni.
Almost every
alumni program can involve alumni who are “Rallyers.” Other segments are difficult
to inspire toward greater involvement, regardless of
the effort. But Reconnectors can be motivated, and
your institution’s ability to reach them is likely
to make the difference between an average alumni program
and a great one. Be willing to work for and with Reconnectors,
and you are likely to see positive changes in their
lives and the life of your institution.
To read more about the personalities of Rallyer and
Reminiscer alumni segments, visit the addresses below...
Rallyer Alumni Segment
Reminiscer Alumni Segment
Methodology notes
Data based
on Campbell Rinker’s AlumniPoll
2002, Campbell Rinker’s syndicated online survey
of more than 3,000 North American alumni. Data were
weighted to match national proportions for public/private
enrollment, as reported by the Chronicle of Higher
Education. Segments were defined through K-means cluster
analysis.
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