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[Ana Gozalo]

Thank you everyone for contributing to our panel session on Community engagement. As promised, here are some of the takeaway points from the discussion.

Community Engagement Panel Takeaway Points:

Question 1: Future of Community Engagement in the Digital World
– Candace: Traditional approaches like phone calls and face-to-face events remain effective. Digital mediums expand reach.
– Karin: Combining online and personal approaches is key.
– Vanessa: Emphasises the importance of a mix of online and face-to-face for strong connections.
– Merryn: Digital channels are growing, but personal interaction and engagement are essential. Replies to social posts matter.

Question 2: Connecting Old Scholars with Limited Contact Information
– Candace: Suggestions include updating competitions, social media ads, and uploading “alumni lost lists” on the website.
– Karin: Recommends using mobile numbers, looking for family members, and leveraging LinkedIn and networks.
– Vanessa: Suggests using LinkedIn, year-level ambassadors, networks, and staff.
– Merryn: Advises leveraging networks, person-to-person contact, and using one alum to reconnect with others.

Question 3: Tracking Engagement Beyond Events
– Candace: Tracks involvement in the database, saves emails, and monitors email open rates and click-throughs.
– Karin: Tracks responses to digital communications and emphasizes that people engage with stories about others.
– Vanessa: Tracks through digital communications.
– Merryn: Uses various methods but notes the challenge of manual data collection for aggregate reporting.

Question 4: Encouraging Alumni Engagement, Especially from School Leaders
– Candace: Stresses the importance of showing staff the value of alumni for their programs and curriculum, filtering support from the top.
– Karin: Encourages leadership participation in reunions and meaningful connections with specific years.
– Vanessa: Recommends involving staff at reunions and engaging old scholars in school programs.
– Merryn: Advocates for asking leaders if they want to be involved and running with their suggestions.

Question 5: Tips for a Sustainable Alumni Engagement Program with Limited Staff
– All: Leverage volunteers to extend efforts.
– Karin: Use ambassadors and convenors for reunions. Convenors can seek out “lost” old scholars.
– Vanessa: Make the Alumni Committee accessible through Zoom.
– Merryn: Be selective in tasks, retire non-value-adding activities, and communicate the reasons to superiors.

[Ana Gozalo]

Hi Anne,

I’ve also used Synergetic for tracking prospects and recording activities. While I haven’t found a way to create an automatic task list, here’s what I do: I generate a Crystal Report on activities directly from the system and use that as a reference for follow-ups.

I hope this helps!

Cheers,
Ana

[Ana Gozalo]

Hi Paul,

I must say, the activities you’ve planned are not only fantastic but also quite manageable, even if you don’t have a large team to work with. To further enhance your participation numbers, I’d recommend recording the donations from the BBQ and/or bake sale individually rather than as a lump sum. You could use printed class lists to streamline this process, which would be ideal.

Additionally, here are a couple of extra ideas to consider:

– School Decorations: Sprucing up the school with posters, balloons, and other decorations can create a festive atmosphere and draw more attention to Giving Day.
– Screen Broadcast: Utilise every available screen around the school, including the staff room, to display the Giving Day page. This will ensure that the message reaches as many people as possible.
– Additional Helpers: If possible, recruit some extra hands on the day from other departments. We had a few individuals from the admin team helping out with donation processing and platform monitoring. It’s a full-time job on the day!

Lastly, don’t forget to plan a staff activity to celebrate your success. It’s a great way to acknowledge everyone’s hard work and contribution to the event.

Best of luck with your Giving Day, and I’m sure it will be a tremendous success!

Warm regards,
Ana

[Ana Gozalo]

Hi Abhra, Lucy, Anne, and Catherine,

A heartfelt thank you for your incredible response to our community engagement discussion. Your questions and insights have been pure gold!

Your input will shape our preliminary Zoom discussion with the panelists next Tuesday 15 August. Thank you for your collective wisdom, and stay tuned for updates as we integrate your brilliance into the SA/NT summit.

Thank you again. Your dedication to boosting community engagement is inspiring.

Warm regards,
Ana

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