Alumni Engagement Campaign
Transformed Alumni Week into a multi-channel campaign that increased alumni participation, expanded ambassador reach, and connected engagement to fundraising outcomes.
Project Information
Role
Campaign Strategist, Project Manager, CRM Lead
Team
Amber Gracia - Alumni Engagement Specialist
Emily Bratton - Graphic Designer
Erik Altman - Web Content Specialist
Client
National Speech & Debate Association
Challenge
The National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) is a nonprofit organization serving middle and high school students involved in speech and debate across the country. With a large and active alumni base, the organization wanted to strengthen alumni engagement and increase participation during Alumni Week.
The objective was to turn Alumni Week into a coordinated online event that would bring alumni back into the conversation, encourage advocacy, and connect participation directly to fundraising efforts.
Project Approach
I led the Alumni Week campaign from concept through launch, guiding strategy, coordinating teams, and managing execution.
Campaign Planning
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Led brainstorming sessions to define goals, themes, and success metrics
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Identified priority audiences including alumni, graduating seniors, and advocates
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Built a detailed timeline outlining when content would be developed, launched, and promoted
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Structured messaging so engagement and fundraising worked together throughout the week
Coordination & Execution
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Managed an eight-week campaign delivery across email, social, paid media, and fundraising platforms
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Led creative development and streamlined content approvals
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Kept stakeholders aligned and the timeline on track
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Ensured messaging stayed consistent across all platforms
CRM & Fundraising Integration
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Built segmented outreach campaigns within Virtuous CRM
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Connected campaign emails directly to the Alumni Week donation page and segmented audiences
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Centralized tracking so engagement and donations could be monitored in one place
Outcome
Alumni Week launched as a unified campaign rather than a series of disconnected efforts. During the campaign, 130 alumni pledged to become official alumni ambassadors, extending peer-to-peer reach across their networks. Additionally, 796 alumni made their membership official, directly connecting campaign engagement to measurable program growth.
The structure developed through this project now serves as a repeatable model for future alumni engagement and fundraising campaigns.
Tools
Emma Email Marketing | Facebook | Feathr | Instagram | LinkedIn | Sprout Social Virtuous CRM | YouTube