alumni futures

Alumni as Volunteer Course Facilitators: 7 Reasons it Makes Sense

Last week we heard that Harvard University is recruiting alumni of a popular humanities course (The Ancient Greek Hero) to serve as volunteer mentors and discussion leaders for the MOOC-scale, online version of the class. No sooner had the Chronicle of Higher Education reported on this than a disillusioned reader commented,

Sure, we won't actually compensate you helping supervise this BS "class", but think of it as "service" to your alma mater.

Good grief... this is truly scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Another sarcastic and bitter soul opined,

Good news for adjuncts who thought they were at the bottom of the academic barrel! Harvard has come up with an even lower category. 

I'll assume for the moment that Harvard isn't proposing the alumni component as a way to further demean adjuncts, nor to trick alumni into doing something they ought not to. So then a question worth asking is why would Harvard ask alumni to serve in this capacity? Who benefits, and how?

[Why ask alumni to serve in this capacity? Who benefits, and how?]

A few reasons come to mind...

It makes the online course more functional
Content facilitators can make any course more functional, especially a humanities course where the educational currency is discussion. And it's even more true in a course with 27,000 enrolled students (as reported by the New York Times).

It connects alumni to students and to each other through volunteerism 
This is volunteerism on mutual terms. Instead of just saying "you need to help us because we don't have enough staff," they're saying, "you can put your education to work in a new way."

It may attract alumni who wouldn't volunteer in other ways
Many alumni are uninterested in socializing at mixers, or attending weeknight talks about the capital campaign. Many alumni are interested in the classics, in literature, and in the humanities. For them, this is a unique way to exercise that interest.

It adds to degree equity indirectly
If my alma mater runs open courses and those courses have high quality instruction, the quality of my own degree is maintained or even slightly increased as a result.

[Compared with handing out name tags...
this is directly connected to the graduate's educational experience]

It can connect volunteers more deeply than a generic activity can
This is a role that not just any graduate can fulfill effectively. Compared with handing out name tags, staffing the registration table, or setting up chairs and tables, this is directly connected to the graduate's educational experience.

It incorporates the academic and teaching mission of the institution
It goes beyond professional needs of alumni, and beyond the fundraising needs of the institution.

It reflects something unique to the institution
You can't take this particular class just anywhere, and you can't take it online from anyplace else. At least, not yet.

Agree or disagree? Did I leave something out? Is there a downside to this effort? Would it work in face to face classrooms, as well as online?

Leave a comment...

 

Related articles

Harvard Seeks Alumni Help With Free Online Course

Harvard's Ancient Greek Hero Course Online

Harvard Ask Alumni to Donate Time to Online Class

Preparing Advancement for an Ambiguous Future: Guest Blogger Andrew Gossen

Andrew Gossen (@agossen) is Senior Director for Social Media Strategy in Cornell’s Division of Alumni Affairs & Development, and is a member of the Alumni Futures advisory group. 

§

Have times ever been better for advancement in higher education? Stanford University recently wrapped up a $6.23 billion campaign. Princeton’s Aspire Campaign raised $1.88 billion. At Cornell, in the midst of the $4.75 billion Cornell Now campaign, we have just completed the most successful year of fundraising in the university’s history.

But an undercurrent of anxiety runs through higher education; the world is changing rapidly in ways that may make the status quo unsustainable. Can an advancement organization position itself to succeed in an ambiguous future? Cornell’s Division of Alumni Affairs and Development (AA&D) recently embarked on an experiment that we called the Skunkworks, in recognition of the history and spirit of Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs organization. 

Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development Charlie Phlegar convened the Skunkworks in Spring 2011. The group included 14 staff from across the Advancement Office – from Major Gifts to Advancement Services; veterans mixed with newcomers. Our charge? Take a broad look at the challenges, opportunities, and trends that will influence institutional advancement in higher education over the next twenty years. We were given complete freedom to explore in whatever manner we chose.

The group met regularly for a full year. Members took turns leading discussions on many topics, such as:

• The Digital Life of Alumni
• Rethinking the Endowment
• Storytelling and the Institutional Website
• Crowdfunding and Microfinance
• Young Alumni Giving
• The Psychology of Happiness in Fundraising, and
• Women and Philanthropy

By the end of the year, our conversations revolved around three main themes.

1. Increasing competition for the attention of our audience.
It is more difficult to connect our audience to Cornell meaningfully. There is rising competition from other non-profits, rapid and dramatic change in communications, and an imbalance between sharing our message and listening to our audience.

2. Changes in the philanthropic environment.
The demographics and behaviors of our audience are making traditional programs and approaches less effective. For instance, women are assuming a greater leadership role in philanthropic decisions. Different generations display different attitudes towards giving. Direct mail and phonathons will become less effective as technology and habits change.  Keeping accurate contact information for alumni has always been a challenge, and will get harder as people abandon land line phones and answer fewer calls, thanks to caller ID and mobile technologies.

3. Organizational agility.
Traditional fundraising and engagement programs have served our institution well over the years, and we are organized to sustain and improve them deliberately and incrementally. However, the world is changing so fast that this deliberate pace is no longer as effective, especially with competition from the “new and nimble” non-profits that are making inroads into our audience and threatening our donor pipeline. 

Overall, we concluded that broad one-size-fits-all fundraising, engagement, and communications strategies will become less and less effective. We need to focus on user experience, personalizing and customizing interactions in ways that meet the audience expectations shaped by companies like Amazon and organizations such as Kiva.org. We must also segment our audience beyond their giving history, and account for generational differences, gender, ethnicity, and other variables that may affect capacity and inclination to engage.

And changing the way that we think about our audience is only one piece of the puzzle. Equally important is adopting an experimental mindset. The only way you will know if something works is to test it. Some experiments will fail and that’s ok, because that’s how you learn. Organizational culture must evolve toward pilot projects and rigorous data analysis, and away from the risk aversion and conservatism that characterizes so much of higher ed advancement.

Our final report to the Vice President recommended a list of pilot projects designed to test specific hypotheses that emerged from our discussion. Among them are experiments with crowdfunding, developing advancement strategies focused on professional cohorts of female alumni, gamification, and enhanced presentation skills training for faculty, senior administrators, and advancement officers. The organization has already incorporated elements of these into broader efforts to raise annual giving participation.

The Skunkworks approach demonstrates that an advancement office faced with change and uncertainty can position itself for the future by mobilizing talent already present in the organization.

 

Skunk Works logo via Wikimedia. Copyright Lockheed-Martin

Profile: Krista Slade and the Rhodes Trust

[Updated 25 November, 2011 with link to "Networking" article from Toronto Globe and Mail.]

Alumni communities serve critical roles in many kinds of organizations – not only in schools, colleges or universities.

This article is the third in a series of short interviews with professionals from non-traditional alumni programs.

Profile: Krista Slade
Director of Advancement 
The Rhodes Trust
Oxford, UK 

Krista Slade oversees alumni, development, and communications supporting the Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University in the UK. Krista joined the Trust in 2010, after three years as the first executive director of the Singapore-based Asia-Pacific office of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). With more than 20 years' experience in global advancement, she's worked in Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, her native Canada and now the UK. In 2010 she was honored with CASE's Crystal Apple award for outstanding teaching.

¶¶¶

Alumni Futures: Krista, what is the Rhodes Trust, and how does institutional advancement fit with its mission?

Krista Slade: The Rhodes Trust administers the Rhodes Scholarships, established in 1903 from the estate of Cecil Rhodes, who had the vision to create the first international scholarship program. His generosity has educated more than 7,000 Rhodes Scholars to date. Alumni include Nobel Laureates, Olympians, government leaders, judges, teachers, and business people. Scholars come from all corners of the globe, and share exceptional intellect and a commitment to service. We have about 4,400 living Scholars in more than 70 countries. 

[Rhodes was funded by a remarkably visionary act of philanthropy,
yet doesn't have a tradition of fundraising]

Our core mission is to operate the world's preeminent scholarship program, and ensure that we have the resources to do this in perpetuity. Our office is responsible for communicating our values, attracting the best scholarship applicants, and supporting our volunteer and fundraising infrastructure. Connecting the global Rhodes community and keeping them involved is the cornerstone of all we do. 

AF: Your educational advancement background is extensive. Which aspects of your current work are most similar to traditional alumni and development, and in what ways are your current roles different?

KS: Rhodes was funded by a remarkably visionary act of philanthropy, yet it doesn't have a tradition of fundraising. So my role is all about building a sustainable, integrated development effort from scratch. This means establishing a database, understanding different countries' tax laws, hiring, writing – what you would find in any start-up operation. We have outstanding support from leadership and a great development board. We don't have a problem identifying prospective donors; the challenge is building the infrastructure to follow up on the opportunities. It's a nice problem to have.

AF: In the future, will Rhodes benefit from following traditional advancement models, or will you need to invent new ways of engaging your audience in order to succeed? 

KS: Most of what we do follows practices used in other institutions. One aspect that differentiates Rhodes is the global and mobile nature of our alumni community. Fortunately, Scholars have an established tradition of keeping in touch with Rhodes House, dating back to the earliest days. We have a great opportunity to connect with our constituents at the grassroots level. The Warden of Rhodes House, our CEO, has met with more than half of the living Rhodes Scholars in the last two years – a remarkable, empowering feat. It also requires a huge amount of follow-up and responsiveness.

This broad consultation process is fundamental to future success, and has already created tangible outcomes. For example, we have started distributing the bios of our Scholars when they leave Oxford. This is the most-clicked item in our electronic communications. Interest in the current and future generations drives much of our philanthropy.

AF: What are you doing now that shows promise for future success? What additional resources will you need for the program to reach its full potential?

KS: Two Scholars from the class of 2009 approached me about starting a graduating class gift campaign. They secured 85% participation from the global class. The gifts were modest, but the enthusiastic response was heartening for our Trustees and alumni. Our message about why support matters is filtering out to all segments of our community. Creating this culture of asking and giving is a long-term project, but it will pay big dividends in coming years.

[Our CEO has met with more than half of the living Rhodes Scholars
in the last two years]

Another unique aspect of Rhodes is that we have a strong reputation in some markets (especially the U.S. and Canada), but are less well-known elsewhere, even in the U.K. Building a domestic donor base for the Scholarships is an area with strong potential.

The biggest operational challenge right now is recruiting and training staff members to deliver the support and infrastructure our volunteers need and deserve. We have the budget, but not the bodies. Watch this space!

Photo of Rhodes House by The Reith Lectures, via Creative Commons. Click it to view full-size.

Related resources

• Rhodes Alumni Video Interviews (rhodeshouse.ax.ac.uk)
• Video: Rhodes Warden/CEO Donald Markwell & NY Times writer Nick Kristof (vimeo.com)
• 11 Famous Rhodes Scholars (huffingtonpost.com)
• Consider These Rhodes Scholarship Tips (usnews.com)
• Networking key to survival of...Rhodes Scholarships (theglobeandmail.com)
   
  Past Alumni Futures profiles: 
• Profile: Brant Ust, USA Baseball (alumnifutures.com)
• Profile: Dean Dwigans, Marshall European Center (alumnifutures.com)  

Technology versus Community: Ride the Wave, Not the Board

Image by shaindlin via Flickr

Over the past year I've delivered, participated in, or facilitated dozens of workshops, keynotes, conference talks, and panel discussions. All of them included at least a passing mention of social media, web-based community, or digital communication. Many of them focused exclusively on virtual interaction.

One well-established message, central to online interaction, surfaced again again, and it bears repeating. 

The Problem

Many people fret about "keeping up with technology." Software, websites and digital tools are constantly evolving, and new ones crop up all the time. People want to know how to identify and select the "right" online tools in the midst of continual upheaval.

The Advice

Don't worry so much about picking the "right" technology or the "best" tool.

Instead, pay attention to what kind of interaction the tools enable or magnify.

Pay attention to human behavior.

[Pay attention to behavior, not technology]

The Message

Your audience – as a community – depends on human interaction and healthy relationships. That was true before the Internet, and it will be true post-Internet. 

So focus on community, not technology. Or, as surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku said:

"Ride the wave, not the board."

Why?

Because technology changes.

But community doesn't.

Profile: Brant Ust and USA Baseball

Alumni communities serve critical roles in many kinds of organizations – not only in schools, colleges or universities. This article is the second in a series of short interviews with professionals from non-traditional alumni programs. Read the first profile here: Dean Dwigans of the Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

Profile: Brant Ust
Director of Alumni Relations and 18U National Baseball Team 
USA Baseball
(Durham, NC)

For much of the last year, I've had the pleasure of advising USA Baseball (the National Governing Body for the sport) on alumni relations. Below, Alumni Futures readers can learn about the organization's efforts under its first alumni director, Brant Ust.

A Notre Dame alumnus and two-time USA National Team player, Brant's career highlights include his selection as a 6th round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers, nine years of pro ball, including time in the Red Sox, Pirates and Mariners organizations, and a stint as assistant coach for the University of Michigan.  

¶¶¶

Alumni Futures: Brant, how does the concept of "alumni relations" fit into the strategy of a sports-focused organization like USA Baseball?

Brant Ust: Alumni Relations for USAB is focused on being a part of our athletes', coaches' and staff members' lives beyond the time they wear the Red, White and Blue. In other words, establishing a connection that starts from the first day they're a part of a USAB National Team experience, and that continues throughout their collegiate, professional and post-baseball lives.

AF: Before taking up alumni responsibilities, you were a professional ball player and a college coach. Did any of that prepare you for a role in alumni relations, and if so, in what ways? 

BU: Absolutely. My experiences as a player and coach have been key to establishing what we believe are useful ways to serve our alumni at various stages of their careers. I draw on experiences from my playing career when envisioning what we can do, and how we should be serving our alumni.

[The USA Baseball experience is powerful...
It creates a special, long lasting connection...]

AF: What are some of the obstacles you face in establishing your alumni program, and how do you plan to overcome them? 

BU: We have a broad spectrum of alumni, from our 14U National Team through our World Baseball Classic (Major League Baseball) alumni, and everything in between. It requires a lot of support from within the organization, following and updating our alums’ accomplishments and current ‘locations’ in baseball and in life.

We don't have the years of relationship that a university has with alumni, but the uniqueness of the USA Baseball experience – representing one’s country, playing in the Olympics – is powerful, and is often experienced at a crucial time during their overall baseball development. So it creates a special, lasting connection between USAB and the individual. 

Celebrating World Cup Gold, 2009. Photo courtesy of USA Baseball. Click to enlarge.

AF: You have more than 2,500 alumni, including players, coaches and staff. What resources do you have for serving this audience? 

BU: In 2011 we've been getting out to ‘reconnect’ with our alumni; Major League Baseball Spring Training visits, email correspondence, the creation of a USAB alumni–specific logo, an Alumni Edition of our USAB Magazine, reconnecting with our young alumni via the Minor Leagues, and a USAB Alumni presence on Twitter and Facebook. 

We also integrate our alumni into current USAB events, camps, and National Team schedules. For example, on our coaching staff we have Brooks Badeaux (Pro National Team, Baseball World Cup ’05). This coaching experience will connect him as an alumnus, as well as provide our players with quality instruction from someone who has been where they are, and where they are striving to be. 

We use input from a myriad of alumni relations sources, from traditional university examples to athletic groups to professional associations. We share the same challenges and goals while having a distinct alumni profile. We're proud that the bookends of our alumni database are prominent Major League players: Jim Abbott ’87–’88 and Ryan Zimmerman ‘05.

AF: One last question. Can you get me World Series tickets?

BU: Low man on the totem pole here……

¶¶¶

 Photo of pitcher Lindsay Horwitz, USA Women's National Baseball Team.
By Karl Fisher via Creative Commons.

Related resources

• USA Baseball website (usabaseball.com)
• Ust named Director of Alumni Relations (usabaseball.com)
• 198 Team USA alums on Opening Day rosters (joshfitzgerald.wordpress.com)
• USA Baseball Alumni – Complete list since 1984 (usabaseball.com)

Alumni + Photos = Social Currency: Travis Warren

This article is written by Travis Warren, CEO and Founder of WhippleHill Communications.

When I first read about the Library of Congress’s Flickr project, I couldn’t wait to check it out. It made me think about how schools could benefit from digitizing their photographic archives. I spoke with others at my alma mater, Proctor Academy, about putting our archives online for public viewing. Scanning the collection would make it more much widely available but I thought that the impact could be even greater. Could we turn these assets into a form of social currency?  

I hoped that pushing photos from Flickr out to our Facebook and Twitter networks would start conversations and increase the sense of community online. The photos would serve as conversation starters, or ‘icebreakers,’ putting people at ease and creating a reason for them to engage.  

Before we could begin we needed to get organized. We set up a Flickr account, and started scanning and posting photos one hundred at a time. Initially, rather than focusing on ‘conversations’ (currency), we set out to simply build our collection (assets). After we had about two thousand pictures posted, we began publishing links to the photos on Facebook. 

Early on we learned a number of valuable lessons. Many photos failed to generate interest because they were from too far in the past, or because they had uninteresting captions. Relying heavily on the ‘Insights’ from our Facebook page, we refined our photo selection process and overall approach. The gender, age, and location of our audience helped us better determine which photos to post.  

Before long we felt comfortable taking risks with our images and captions, trying hard not to take ourselves too seriously. Humor through photo or comment was often the best icebreaker. We realized humility was also key to starting conversations. Mistakes happen –occasionally we misidentified people, places or dates, and sometimes found that our mistakes led to the best conversations of all. We also selected photos from upcoming reunion years and focused on programs we knew our alumni were invested in and would love to respond to.  

It might sound a bit illogical not to announce what we were doing. In fact, we just started and let whatever would happen, happen (read Seth Godin’s latest book, Poke the Box, if you’re looking for inspiration). Once a week or so we posted links to archive photos on our Facebook page or tweeted about a photo. It was great to realize our initial hunch was correct – that there was endless opportunity in digitizing archives. And as we found out soon enough, the rest takes care of itself.


Photos: 
Ski Hill Men – engaging Reunion years. 
The Bird in front of Morton House – inviting humor. 
Caution Boy’s School – inviting humility.

Related articles

• What's in it for you? Why should social media be a priority on your campus? (case.org)

The Key to Online Relevance: Alumni Groups

To understand as professionals what networks really are, we must go deeper than just asking ‘How does Facebook work?’ We need to understand what networks are and how they influence and enable specific behaviors.

Private online alumni networks are sometimes called “walled gardens” because they are closed to non-alumni, whereas anyone can join "open" public sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Walled garden communities intentionally trade size in exchange for exclusivity.

This was a viable trade-off when social interaction was limited by socio-economic status, geographical location and professional identity. Today, however, near-frictionless online interaction means that alumni can have both kinds of experience: private, "branded" connections with schoolmates, and open-ended networks of co-workers, neighbors, family, and friends.

[The vast majority of alumni interactions from now on
will take place online, not face to face.]

For organizations, creating value within these networks depends on the existence of groups. Metcalfe’s Law shows that the utility of the network is proportional to the square of the number of members. This would be all we need to know, if alumni only connected with others one at a time, forming pairs. But they don't just form pairs. Alumni congregate to form groups. 

This is where another insight, Reed's Law, comes into play.

David Reed pointed out that within social networks, groups form. Subgroups within the larger network become critical parts of the network, and their value's growth can be exponential – proportional to the number of potential groups. The larger the network, the faster its value increases. 

[The larger the network, the faster its value increases.]

Alumni organizations should help alumni share knowledge and expertise to solve each others' problems. Groups are the most effective way to achieve this. Connecting with individual alumni isn't going to help a graduate use LinkedIn very effectively. Participating in groups of alumni who share common needs or interests will help individuals who have goals for networking.

Understanding the structure, the potential, and the limitations of alumni networks allows you to serve your audience more effectively. Creating value for members can keep alumni organizations relevant to their community, because the vast majority of alumni interactions from now on will take place online, not face to face.

How are you making online tools relevant to your mission?

How are you measuring your success?

Image: Visualization of my LinkedIn network via LinkedIn Labs

Related articles

• 7 Tips For Leveraging Your Professional Profile On LinkedIn (krishnade.com)
• A Recent Grad's Perspective on LinkedIn (thesnarkoleptic.wordpress.com)

Profile: Dean Dwigans and the Marshall European Center for Security Studies

New in 2011: Profiles
Alumni communities serve critical roles in many kinds of organizations – not only in schools, colleges or universities. This year I'll post short interviews with professionals from some non-traditional alumni programs.

Profile: Dean Dwigans
Director of Alumni Relations, and
Chief of Graduate & Stakeholder Support,
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies
(Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany)

Last year, while teaching a workshop for the European Association for International Education in Paris, I met Capt. Dean Dwigans, U.S. Navy. In addition to his career as a military Judge Advocate, Dean (now retired from the Navy after a 25 year career) took on the role of alumni executive at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

I interviewed Dean to learn more about how his work at the Marshall Center compares with traditional alumni programs.

¶¶¶

Alumni Futures: Dean, you spent your career in the U.S. Navy, focused on legal practice and more recently, teaching international law. How have you managed the transition to alumni relations work?

Dean Dwigans: I really enjoy the alumni business, especially in the international environment. I get to apply creativity and energy to developing meaningful and lasting relationships with, and among our 8,000 graduates from more than 100 nations. I'm in the government end of it, but I hope to stay engaged in general alumni relations discussions and training, which I find very useful. I brought back many ideas from the EAIE workshop in Paris, for example.

AF: You and I exchanged some thoughts about the "magic formula" for successful alumni work. I said, "Relevance + Access = Engagement." Do you think that's true in your organization?

DD: As long as the definition of "relevance" includes being meaningful and responsive to alumni needs, I think it's a valid short-hand for success.

The Marshall Center has unique focus: building a network of security professionals to create a more stable security environment. We advance democratic institutions, promote active and peaceful security cooperation, and enhance partnerships among nations in North America, Europe, and Eurasia. This is instead of, say, fundraising, marketing our programs, or other more traditional alumni association roles.

But I also see how we're similar to traditional programs. When I look at communications from some civilian alma maters, I'm sometimes put off by the emphasis on fundraising in almost every contact. At the Marshall Center, we have to offer our graduates something useful that applies directly to them or they'll tune us out, and I think civilian institutions should do the same. We promise our graduates that we'll stay in contact, continue to help them grow professionally, and provide a forum for their ideas.

AF: What kinds of activities and programs do you have in place?

DD: We get to know each student while they're in residence. We then work hard to stay in contact from the moment they leave, offer programs "in country" at least once a year, and invite some alumni back each year for professional training, and for contact with other alumni and with faculty. We have a new, improved web presence coming online this year to make collaboration and distance education easier – helping us stay in contact with alumni worldwide.

Our magazine, per Concordiam, is devoted to alumni research and writing. Our "communities of interest" track the subject matter of our resident programs, and we have conferences several times a year for small groups of distinguished alumni. They serve in important, visible roles – ambassadors, defense ministers, and parliamentarians. Our goal is to have contact with each of our 8,000 alumni twice a year, even if it's just to update their contact information. 

I'm now trying to put this all into a strategic plan, to focus and coordinate our efforts, and help me explain our program to senior leadership. 

AF: What resources do you have to deliver on these goals?

DD: I have a staff of eight, with five devoted to specific regions where they're responsible for maintaining the relationship and knowing the graduates' needs. Three staff members are devoted to alumni events. The Marshall Center is a U.S.–German partnership, and we teach in three languages – English, Russian and German. So our regional representatives speak multiple languages to communicate with alumni. We also benefit from very supportive and involved leadership, which is vital to any alumni program.

AF: What are your biggest challenges, and where do you see the greatest opportunity?

DD: We have a relatively narrow educational mission, compared with a liberal arts college for example. But the challenges that governments face now are so varied and complex that we have to expand our educational efforts. Cybersecurity, crime and corruption, immigration, disaster relief, negotiation and mediation, border security, the environment, religion, trade issues, international law – the list is endless. We keep alumni up to date with lectures, resident courses, and conferences on these topics. The quarterly alumni magazine focuses 80% of its content on one of these topics, and a mix of the other topics for the remaining 20%. We also try to maximize the use of technology and virtual interaction.

We get our students involved very early. I'm one of the first people they hear from. I welcome them before they arrive, and ask them to join the Alumni Knowledge Portal. On the Portal we provide travel information, area info, class schedules and other information they need for settling in. We meet with them when they arrive, introduce them more thoroughly to the Portal, invite them for private or country meetings, host field trips, and talk to them all again before they depart. We see many of them every day while they're here, and they become not only alumni, but our good friends as well. But I learn more from them than they do from me, especially when I visit them after they've returned home. They've opened my mind to new perspectives, and they reinforce how we're all committed to the same goal – a peaceful, productive existence for our families and nations. 

After all this interaction, they know who we are, and we in turn have a very good idea of their needs. That's one of the keys to our ultimate success.

¶¶¶

Photos by Karlheinz Wedhorn. Top: Woerner Hall at the Marshall European Center. Below: Interior of the large plenary at the Marshall Center.

Related resources

• George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (marshallcenter.org)
• Marshall Center Alumni Home Page (marshallcenter.org)
• Marshall Center on Twitter (twitter.com)
• Marshall Center on Facebook (facebook.com)

Public School Districts and Alumni Funding

Many American public school districts are searching high and low for additional funding. It seems inevitable that they will ask alumni for donations, as private institutions do. This practice isn't new, but it doesn't garner much attention in the public eye – at least, not compared to the high-profile capital campaigns of private institutions of higher education.

I am guessing we'll hear more about it soon. A recent blog posting from Newark (New Jersey) Star-Ledger columnist Mark Di Ionno highlighted one example of local public school fundraising:

N.J. school districts begin seeking alumni donations to plug holes left by state aid cuts

And this isn't a bake sale or a car wash. The district is talking about raising funds for endowment, as a private institution would do – and they are doing it campaign-style, with a quiet phase that has generated US$3.5 million of a planned US$5 million goal by school-year end, according to Di Ionno's article.

The readers' comments in response to the story raise a number of good questions (in classic Internet flame-bait and trolling fashion).

• Is private fundraising warranted if local tax-payers think administrators are overpaid?
• Will this practice widen the gap between wealthy towns and lower-income areas? 
• Can public elementary and secondary education "compete" with colleges and universities for scarce private support from overlapping populations?

Public school systems can certainly increase individual giving by launching strategies (and training and assigning staff) to pursue it. But many questions remain, such as how much money is out there for savvy, assertive districts, and is endowment the right form of support to pursue? And what are the districts prepared to stop doing to free up resources for development?

Share what you know and think, in the Comments.

Photo of (mostly) smiling students at the Globe, Arizona Public School about 100 years ago, via Flickr user freeparking and Creative Commons.

Related resources

• N.J. school districts turn to local foundations to support imperiled programs (nj.com)
• Facebook founder Zuckerberg establishes foundation to help Newark schools (online.wsj.com) 
• Cash-strapped L.A. schools seeking corporate sponsors (latimes.com)
• First Chevy Volt auctioned for Detroit Public Schools (volt.charitybuzz.org)
• Fund for Public Schools – New York City (schools.nyc.gov)
• Public school fundraiser? Try alumni (the.honoluluadverstiser.com)

What Not to Wear, and When Not to Have an Event

This Thursday is Thanksgiving, a national holiday in the United States. Many U.S. readers will be taking the week off, so instead of a long, philosophical treatise, this week I'll just post a couple of instructive or cautionary posts that I noticed on Twitter.

The first one is a comment from a "Seasoned Alumni Girl" who has advice for undergraduate students attending a networking event:

Sound advice.

The second is a comment from an engaged alumnus who would rather have this week off from alma mater's activities:

Regardless of what you're wearing or when you prefer your alumni events to happen, enjoy Thanksgiving if you're in the U.S.

Alumni Futures will return next week with some thoughts about LinkedIn, and the vulnerability of professional networks.