Our Lady of Good Counsel Alumni Strategic Engagement Plan 2020-2025

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:

FOREVER A FALCON — 2 020–2025

COMPASSION — HUMILITY — TRUST — SIMPLICITY — ZEAL

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT —

No matter how long ago you graduated, whether you attended on Georgia Avenue in Wheaton or on Old Vic Boulevard here in Olney, or how distant you are from campus, my hope is that all of you retain a strong sense of belonging to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School.

Our founders, the Xaverian Brothers, are no longer a physical presence here Our goal is to create opportunities to enrich your lives and, in turn, for you to enrich the lives of our current students and your fellow alumni.

but their spiritual legacy remains. The Brothers’ values—Simplicity, Humility, Compassion, Zeal and Trust—are visible all over campus; we even sing about them at Mass. I hope that those core values remain a touchstone in your daily life and that you retain to this day an appreciation of the rich diversity of our school community. They make Good Counsel such a special place. We sincerely desire a lifelong relationship with every graduate. We hear all the time how friendships made here continue to enrich lives long after graduation.

When I talk to alumni about “giving back,” the conversation is always in the context of supporting Good Counsel’s mission to inspire our students to excel, serve, and love. I trust each of you has benefited from this mission and our unofficial motto: “The loving, good person, even alone, can make a difference.”

Alumni readily share how their Good Counsel education provided a foundation to achieve well, be of service, and make a positive impact in the communities where they live.

I am committed to ensuring that Good Counsel “gives back” to you, too, by finding meaningful ways for you to strengthen your bond with the school. We can do better. I have commissioned my Good Counsel colleagues to develop this Alumni Engagement Strategic Plan. Our goal is to create opportunities to enrich your lives and, in turn, for you to enrich the lives of our current students and your fellow alumni.

I look forward to partnering with you in this process.

Go Falcons!

Paul G. Barker, Ed.D. President

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

| FOREVER A FALCON

| 2020–25

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STRATEGIC DIRECTION —

FOREVER A FALCON The school’s future, and its ability to enrich lives and improve its community, depends upon the development of meaningful, lifelong relationships with our 13,000+ living alumni.

This is the beginning of a new journey together.

Let’s unite to show our Falcon pride.

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lumni live at the heart of every academic institution, serving as a critical bridge between the school’s academic community and the world in which it prepares its students to lead. As the landscape of education continues to evolve, alumni have become a fundamental part of our school’s experience, assuming roles as loyal advocates, ambassadors, and mentors who actively contribute to the way

people think, feel, and act toward Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and its community.

Today, Good Counsel’s relationship with its alumni, those who graduated from both the

Wheaton campus and the Olney campus, is more important than ever. As a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School, a Catholic high school, and the largest private high school in the state of Maryland, we care deeply about each of our alumni, and we recognize that the school’s future, and its ability to enrich lives and improve its community, depends upon the development of meaningful, lifelong relationships with our 13,000+ living alumni.

As we cultivate new resources for the school, innovate within a diverse and inclusive Catholic learning experience, live the Xaverian traditions and values, and equip students to begin the next phase of their personal educational journey after graduation, alumni support is essential to achieving our shared aspirations. Recognizing the importance of these relationships, we seek to add value to the lives of alumni, and we are committed to doing so in a way that is substantive, and energizing in its approach.

Our Lady of Good Counsel High School’s first Alumni Engagement Strategic Plan is grounded on the value proposition that true engagement is beneficial to both alumni and alma mater. Over the next five years, Good Counsel will utilize this plan as a framework to allocate resources appropriately and implement programs and initiatives aimed at strengthening its relationships with alumni across the country. This is the beginning of a new journey together. Let’s unite to show our Falcon pride.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

| FOREVER A FALCON

| 2020–25

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OUR PROCESS —

The Our Lady of Good Counsel High School Alumni Engagement Strategic Plan: Forever a Falcon has been developed in consultation with key stakeholders across the Good Counsel community over the past six months. The planning process started in March 2020 and was facilitated by the Good Counsel Advancement team. The team synthesized a framework for the planning process while considering industry trends.

As part of this process, the advancement team consulted internally with the president, the senior leadership team, and the Director of Diversity and Inclusion to participate in review of the plan. Externally, the staff sought feedback from the Advancement Committee, made up of alumni, faculty and staff, and current and alumni parents, as well as the school’s Board of Directors. Alumni input was sought through a comprehensive alumni engagement survey, sent in May 2020 to over 7,200 alumni with a contactable email address. Nearly 550 alumni completed the survey, providing a 7.5% response rate. Alumni preferences from the survey, combined with the internal and external feedback received through the planning process, have provided Good Counsel with a roadmap that will guide school and community-wide engagement with alumni for the next five years.

Alumni input was sought through a comprehensive alumni engagement survey, sent in May 2020 to over 7,200 alumni.

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Guiding Principle — To advance the Our Lady of Good Counsel High School community by engaging alumni in a mutually beneficial partnership that generates meaningful and lifelong connections.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

| FOREVER A FALCON

| 2020–25

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S t r a t e g i c P a t h wa y s — This plan includes five pathways of focus to guide where we want to be over the next five years as we work to broaden our engagement with our alumni base. The strategies listed under each pathway will be implemented in phases throughout the five-year plan.

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1. Collaborate

pg. 7

2. Connect

pg. 8

3. Communicate

pg. 9

4. Celebrate & Recognize

pg. 10

5. Contribute

pg. 11

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Strategic Pathway:

COLLABORATE —

Embrace a One Good Counsel culture to enhance the needs of the community by developing stronger internal partnerships

GOALS

•

Work with faculty to identify opportunities to involve alumni with classes, take faculty on the road for regional alumni events, and host virtual alumni programming.

•

Partner with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to offer an array of programmatic strategies targeted to diverse alumni market segments aimed at increasing engagement with and connection to the school.

•

Coordinate with academic administration to improve flow of data on incoming students and ensure key student life activity is recorded and shared upon graduation.

•

Collaborate with the Office of Admissions to enhance the legacy program

•

Work with college counselors to offer a career mentorship program for

•

Partner with the Office of Marketing and Communications to elevate

for alumni and involve alumni with the admissions interview process. alumni with current students. the awareness and importance of alumni engagement, showcase the accomplishments of alumni, and highlight the range of engagement opportunities offered locally and regionally.

•

Coordinate with the Office of Campus Ministry to provide opportunities for alumni to engage in service and retreats centered on mission.

STRATEGIES

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Share the importance of alumni engagement at all-faculty and staff

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Meet regularly with key internal stakeholders to discuss programming

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Establish annual protocol for data sharing to include key information

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Seek opportunities to partner with faculty and staff in order to engage

•

Collaborate regularly with the Office of Marketing and Communications

meetings. and initiatives to provide for more collaboration. required. our diverse alumni base with the arts and athletics. on digital and print communications to share stories of alumni success and consistently highlight alumni impact.

•

Coordinate with the Office of Campus Ministry to launch an alumni day of service and to develop an annual alumni retreat centered on Xaverian values.

•

Work with administration to offer domestic and international service opportunities to alumni such as the annual alumni trip to El Salvador.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

| FOREVER A FALCON

| 2020–25

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Strategic Pathway:

CONNECT —

Enhance opportunities and outreach for alumni to connect with each other and with current students

GOALS

•

Provide business networking, social and educational opportunities that engage alumni and meet various needs based on their life stages.

•

Develop methods to increase networking effectiveness and alumni

•

Work with campus partners to engage alumni in career mentoring,

satisfaction. internship opportunities and job placement for students and young alumni.

STRATEGIES

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Re-engage an Alumni Business Networking group and develop Ted Talk

•

Partner annually with Gonzaga High School and other peer schools and

style events and networking receptions in the spring and fall. recruit alumni and parent businesses for the Gonzaga Business Network Career Fair.

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Produce an Alumni Business Directory allowing alumni to view and

•

Develop an Alumni Mentoring Program focused on connecting Good

regularly update professional profiles.

Counsel alumni with each other to promote professional development.

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Implement a technology platform to support a scalable mentoring

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Coordinate with the Office of Admissions to plan alumni legacy events

program. and involve alumni in the admission interview process.

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Provide financial planning resources for alumni through the Gift Planning program.

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Strategic Pathway:

COMMUNICATE —

Enhance two-way communication between alumni and the school to effectively engage and inform the alumni base

GOALS

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Develop a messaging and branding strategy for Forever a Falcon.

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Redesign the alumni and advancement webpages for greater search functionality and engagement opportunities.

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Provide alumni with a platform to network.

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Utilize social media strategies to engage alumni with stories about each other and school priorities.

•

•

Track all social media metrics for alumni engagement including: •

Impressions

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Engagements

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Direct clicks

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Video views

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Shares

Track all digital metrics for alumni engagement including: •

STRATEGIES

Pageviews

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Unique visits

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Average time on page

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Bounce rate

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Mobile users vs. tablet

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Top viewed pages

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Integrate Forever a Falcon messaging into senior year advisory to build

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Implement an online community platform that best serves the interests

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Expand alumni involvement and connections through LinkedIn and

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Assist seniors in the development of a LinkedIn profile during their

awareness of ways for students to remain involved after graduation. of our alumni. connect LinkedIn profiles to the advancement database. advisory and connect graduating seniors with the Good Counsel Alumni LinkedIn group.

•

Share alumni stories and school updates via alumni social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and through The Counselor magazine).

•

Utilize the monthly alumni e-newsletter to share to alumni and alumni parents information about upcoming events and activities, class notes and school news.

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Enhance alumni data to include affiliations, interests and preferences to personalize communications and outreach.

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Optimize email communications around alumni interests and preferences and measure success.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

| FOREVER A FALCON

| 2020–25

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Strategic Pathway:

CELEBRATE & RECOGNIZE —

Build presence locally and nationally by engaging alumni in relevant community events and programming and recognize alumni for their personal and professional accomplishments

GOALS

•

Plan regional events and visits in targeted geographical areas of alumni concentration to engage alumni with the President, Athletic Director, Advancement Staff and, when possible, faculty.

•

Plan first-rate events that engage the alumni community on campus including football tent parties, Alumni Reunion Weekend, the Steve Dean Golf Tournament, Cookies and Cocoa with Santa, and the Grand Celebration.

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Collect and share stories of alumni success with the alumni base and the Good Counsel community.

STRATEGIES

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Track event attendance and capture attendee information.

•

Launch virtual alumni offerings involving Community Partners and

•

Celebrate the personal and professional accomplishments of alumni

alumni businesses to engage alumni across the country. through social media alumni channels and The Counselor annual alumni magazine.

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Award and recognize the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year and Visionary award winner annually and induct an Athletic Hall of Fame class bi-annually.

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Hold an annual gathering of alumni class agents.

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Invite all key alumni volunteers to the annual Volunteer Appreciation event.

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Invite all leadership level alumni donors to the annual St. Francis Xavier Society dinner and recognize them in the Annual Report on Giving.

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Brand and market the 1958 Legacy Society to recognize alumni who have named Good Counsel as a beneficiary of his or her estate or through a planned gift during his or her lifetime.

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Celebrate our Golden Falcons with key recognition events throughout the year.

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Strategic Pathway:

CONTRIBUTE —

Provide opportunities for alumni volunteers to engage and lead to strengthen connections, community, and philanthropy

GOALS

•

Build a culture of volunteerism through training, recognition and engagement opportunities.

•

Identify and promote spiritual and service orientated programs to the

•

Engage with students through advisory to deliver messaging of lifelong

alumni community. engagement and build a Forever a Falcon identity.

•

Consistently support a culture of philanthropy through all forms of alumni outreach.

STRATEGIES

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Launch a senior class gift program.

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Normalize the data capture process of graduating senior classes.

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Maintain annual spreadsheet tracking alumni engagement activities.

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Track alumni volunteerism in the advancement database.

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Establish the Good Counsel Alumni Engagement key performance

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Develop a robust Class Agent program to identify and recruit two to

indicators (KPI) following emerging CASE industry standards. three volunteer leaders per class to help engage fellow class members, ensure class contact information remains updated, and reach out to class to inform of key events and initiatives.

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Launch an Alumni Association to perpetuate fellowship among alumni and unite all alumni in supporting Good Counsel by promoting its mission, encouraging participation, and sustaining connections.

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Implement methods to mobilize and train Class Agents and alumni volunteers.

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Launch an Alumni Association Council as the working group to manage the Alumni Association and identify candidates for participation on the Council with leadership potential and proven involvement in volunteer roles.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

| FOREVER A FALCON

| 2020–25

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OUR PROMISE —

By fulfilling our strategic plan, the Office of Advancement will: Encourage alumni to build meaningful and relevant lifelong connections with Good Counsel; Contribute to the personal and professional growth of our graduates; Add significant value to the advancement of Good Counsel and to its brand; Represent a professional and motivated infrastructure of staff, board members and volunteers dedicated to serving the needs of Good Counsel.

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QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND IDEAS ARE WELCOME — CONTACT CATIE BROWN '13 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT — CBROWN@OLGCHS.ORG 240.283.3214

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

| FOREVER A FALCON

| 2020–25

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WE INSPIRE OUR STUDENTS TO EXCEL, SERVE, AND LOVE.

17301 OLD VIC BLVD., OLNEY, MD 20832 P: 240.283.3200 | F: 240.283.3390 | OLGCHS.ORG

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