Success Story
Villanova University created a robust student-alumni networking community, powered by PeopleGrove, that not only helps meet the evolving career support needs of alumni but also drives increased and deeper engagement among graduates.
28k
Platform Users
INSTITUTION TYPE:
Private
TOTAL ENROLLMENT:
6,700
ALUMNI
135,000
Essential to giving outcomes is fostering lifelong connections with alumni.
For a recent conversation on how Villanova University successfully encourages alumni engagement with giving goals in mind, Sheila Doherty, the university’s Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations, joined Morgan Walbert, Vice President of Campus Partnerships at PeopleGrove. They discussed how creating a robust student-alumni networking community, powered by PeopleGrove, not only helps meet the evolving career support needs of alumni but also drives increased and deeper engagement among graduates.
Presented below are highlights from the conversation, which can alternatively be watched in full here.
Doherty began her journey at Villanova University in undergraduate career services. While connecting students with alumni for career advice, she was “overwhelmed with the generosity that our alumni showed, with their time, their talent, and giving their undivided attention to our students.”
Wondering what the university could do to give back in the same way for alumni, Doherty co-authored a proposal for alumni career services. This initiative gained traction amid discussions about the value of a college education and the evolving landscape of alumni engagement.
"It was clear that alumni relations needed to offer more than just social events," Doherty explains. "We wanted to provide meaningful support to our graduates throughout their careers."
It was clear that alumni relations needed to offer more than just social events, we wanted to provide meaningful support to our graduates throughout their careers.
This led to the creation of the Nova Network, an engagement platform powered by PeopleGrove and designed to connect alumni and provide valuable resources. With around 28,000 users on the platform, 20,000 of which are alumni, Doherty explained there are three main ways the Nova Network drives alumni engagement.
First, there’s networking, their “most popular area” where the platform enables alumni to find peers and remain connected to the university community. Secondly, there are career resources where “jobs, recorded workshops, checklists for resumes…and other programs that we have, including an alumni small business directory” are centralized.
What Doherty says they use the most to drive alumni engagement are Groups on the platform. There are “regional groups that align with our areas in fundraising in university advancement [plus] industry, academic, and social and identity based groups that align with affinity roles we have in alumni relations specializing in those affinity groups.”
On how Groups have played a role in engaging Villanova alumni, Doherty explained the importance of having a “scalable way to reach all alumni” – especially as Villanova transitioned from a university that drew students more regionally to, after classification changes and basketball successes, an institution with appeal more nationally.
“Networking couldn't really only happen in person anymore. We needed to reach our Californians, our Chicagoans, and our Floridians. [And if alumni] move to another part of the country, they knew that it was easy to get in touch with Villanova in those areas.” PeopleGrove became their “go-to.”
Leveraging the engagement that’s happening on the Nova network has helped target “the work we’re doing in alumni relations around affinity, around that deeper, more meaningful engagement that everyone’s really hungry to do. Happy hours aren't cutting it anymore…we're really finding that [alumni can] relate to their small affinity group,” Doherty stressed.
“We're finding that our PeopleGrove platform helps us go straight to the region and interest area that we're looking for and communicate things that are happening with just the people who it's relevant for.”
Villanova University's innovative approach to alumni engagement, exemplified through the Nova network, reflects a deep commitment to fostering lifelong connections and support for its graduates. By prioritizing personalized engagement, Villanova is nurturing a thriving community of alumni who remain connected to their alma mater, key to participation in give back efforts.
To hear the rest of the conversation, watch a recording of the live event. To learn more about how PeopleGrove provides engagement solutions that improve alumni giving, schedule a consultation and we'll discuss your institution's unique needs and show how PeopleGrove can support your initiatives.
