5 Musts for Effective Alumni Website Design
See which elements leading alumni associations are deploying to drive online donations.
By Colleen Ringer
While charitable giving across the U.S. was down slightly (3.4%) in 2022, giving to higher education institutions actually increased a significant 12.5%.
Is your alumni website optimized to continue this trend and encourage giving? Tap into growing donation rates among graduates by including these “musts” in your association’s web design.
Must #1: Lead with Calls to Action
Despite increased giving in 2022, fewer than one third of alumni donate to their undergraduate alma maters, according to the 2022 State of Alumni Giving Report from Hanover Research. Why isn’t this percentage higher? Beyond the more obvious answers like affordability or prioritizing other causes, one of the top five reasons alumni provided for not giving, according to the Hanover survey, was “I was not asked to donate.”
Knowing prominent calls to action asking visitors to donate could be all it takes to win over a new donor, we knew we couldn’t be shy with CTAs during our redesign of Cal’s Alumni website. We positioned three bold calls to action right on the homepage. Aligned with the association’s goals for its alumni website, users are immediately encouraged to take one of three actions: Join CAA, Give Back or Get Involved.
Must #2: Make Emotion Part of Your Appeal
To add gravitas to Cal’s new stand-out calls to action, we tapped into the school’s identity as the No. 1 public university in the world, reminding alumni they are part of a truly special community. Messaging to the tune of, “Alumni are the Cal legacy. A gift in support of CAA keeps us all connected — to UC Berkeley and to each other,” showcases the importance of alumni giving while also fostering a sense of community among former students. Because, at the end of the day, everyone wants to be part of something larger than themselves.
Must #3: Share a Variety of Success Stories
While the simple act of asking for donations can increase giving among alumni, asking without context isn’t terribly effective. Nearly a quarter (23%) of non-donors in the Hanover study reported not giving to their university because “I do not believe that my undergraduate institution needs more money.” Another 14% said, “I feel the amount I could give would be inconsequential.”
Sharing lesser-known success stories can go a long way in illustrating what alumni’s hard-earned money will be used for.
Case in point: Well-known for its athletic endeavors and highly ranked business school, The University of Arizona amasses a great deal of quieter yet equally significant successes across its 21 colleges each year. That’s why, in our work for the University of Arizona Alumni Association, we made sure to highlight a range of stories that not only celebrate the university’s achievements, but also graduates’ contributions to society, whether that be news of UArizona hosting its first astronaut training program, a former UA athlete winning silver in the Paralympics or a team of graduate students studying the effects of heavy metals on Indigenous communities.
Must #4: Lean In to the Nostalgia Factor
For many, their college days represent an enjoyable, carefree time of life enriched by friendships and new experiences. Appealing to alumni’s nostalgia can be a powerful driver of engagement — including giving.
For schools like the University of Arizona, one of the primary ways alumni stay engaged is through athletics and events, so we made sure to not only feature such elements on the new alumni website, but make them easily accessible, too. In the navigation, we included a menu item called Celebrate Arizona, which serves as a hub for all things extra-curricular, including homecoming, history and traditions, and Wildcat spirit. Nostalgia can go a long way toward fostering a deeper relationship with alumni — and the more engaged your users are, the more likely they are to click “give.”
Must #5: Elevate the Aesthetics
Yes, nostalgia tugs at alumni heartstrings, but rely on it too heavily and you’ll risk losing donors’ attention. Instead, tailor your alumni website’s aesthetics to your audience, which should lean more mature and professional than the look meant for prospective students reading the main website. Explore your graduates’ demographics and delve into their digital habits to find out what appeals to them visually.
For example, CalTech’s alumni site features a clean, modern design that captures the university’s forward-thinking ethos while showcasing compelling editorial content alongside direct calls to action. The site’s elevated design and creative use of illustration speak to the school’s culture of innovation, while its organization and calls to action are simple and to the point. It’s an alumni website that understands its audience, with a design that speaks to the university’s high standards.
Do You Need a Dedicated Alumni Website?
We can create (or redesign!) your alumni association’s website with your specialized goals in mind.
Colleen has worked with clients large and small for more than a decade as a writer, editor and content strategist. She has managed content marketing programs for national and global brands, including hospital systems, universities and nonprofits. Before entering the world of content marketing, Colleen lived in the land of magazine publishing and wrote about architecture, design and travel.
As a mother of a video game-obsessed son, Colleen spends part of her free time learning about Fortnite and the other part trying to recruit her son to root for the Arizona Cardinals. She loves a good book, a strong iced tea and when her Fantasy Football team is winning.