Unlocking the Full Picture of Alumni Engagement with CASE

On-Demand Webinar

Unlocking the Full Picture of Alumni Engagement with CASE

We recently hosted an insightful webinar with CASE on how institutions can better understand and activate alumni engagement. For those who missed it, or want to review key insights, we’re excited to share the recording along with highlights from the conversation.

Watch the Recording 

If you couldn’t attend live, we’ve got you covered. The full recording is available below:

Why Alumni Engagement Matters More Than Ever

Alumni engagement is no longer limited to reunions and fundraising campaigns. Today, it’s about fostering lifelong relationships, creating career connections, and empowering alumni to become active ambassadors for their alma mater. During the webinar, experts from CASE shared why holistic engagement metrics matter and how institutions can use them to build stronger communities.

Key Takeaways from the Webinar

Defining Alumni Engagement in 2025

The CASE framework has evolved to measure engagement across four dimensions: philanthropy, volunteerism, experiential engagement, and communication. This approach provides a 360-degree view of alumni involvement, helping institutions capture the full scope of their impact. As Jenny Cook Smith, Senior Director at CASE, emphasized:

“This feels like something that helps you do your jobs even better but also captures the amazing work that your alumni are doing within your institutional sphere.”

Moving Beyond Transactional Relationships

Our speakers emphasized the importance of shifting from transactional to relational engagement. By tracking meaningful interactions—mentorship, event participation, professional development, schools can create more personalized alumni journeys.

Leveraging Data to Tell the Story

With the right data infrastructure, alumni relations teams can: 

• Segment audiences by behavior and interest. 

• Identify high-impact alumni who contribute beyond donations. 

• Build compelling reports that resonate with leadership and stakeholders. 

Jenny offered advice for institutions just beginning their reporting journey: 

“For someone whose institution has not yet completed the survey… the best way is to start with the CASE metrics framework, because it gives you that common language and structure to report engagement consistently.”

Collaboration Across Campus

Effective engagement requires buy-in from multiple departments: admissions, advancement, career services, and academics. Institutions that break down silos are best positioned to build authentic alumni networks. 

What This Means for Institutions 

Alumni engagement is a long-term investment that fuels institutional reputation, student success, and philanthropic growth. By adopting CASE’s engagement metrics and strategies and PeopleGrove’s one-button reporting, colleges and universities can: 

• Measure engagement more effectively. 

• Align efforts with institutional priorities. 

• Demonstrate impact to boards, donors, and stakeholders. 

• Report on alumni engagement more cohesively and easily 

Next Steps 

Interested in applying these insights to your institution? Contact our team to learn how we can help you strengthen alumni relationships and unlock the full potential of your network.