VOLUNTEERISM
If you’re not sure where to begin, here are a few simple ways to utilize your alumni!
P.S. Keep In Touch! From Passion to Action:
Engaging Alumni by Annie Reisener
W
hen we speak to our alumni, we consistently find that they aren’t interested in sharing stories of their competitive successes but of the skills they built and the friendships they made in the activity. Time and time again, we are told that their speech and debate team was like a family, that it was the place in their school to which they felt the strongest sense of belonging. Your alumni may graduate and move away, but many of them are still deeply tied to your program and can play a crucial role in your team’s success. The first step to taking full advantage of what alumni have to offer is deciding how you will keep track of them. Many students have school email accounts or will create new addresses after graduation, so we encourage you to create an Alumni Facebook page or LinkedIn Group and connect with your students there. Posting judging opportunities, big tournament updates, fundraising requests, or upcoming public events on the page once a month or so throughout the competitive season is a light and fairly easy way to keep your alumni connected to the program and with each other. To turn your alumni into volunteers and donors, focus on tapping into intrinsic passion. The students whom you’ve coached for years care deeply about this activity. (They must to have spent their free time preparing speeches and 1
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their weekends getting up early, riding buses, wearing suits, and working on their skills!) This activity meant something to them, and you can use that commitment to help your program continue to thrive. Five-year data from ACHIEVE 1 found that intrinsic passion for a cause is what inspires millennials to act charitably. When you draft messages or requests to alumni, pay careful attention to language and focus on the passion they have for the activity. For example, if your goal is to get alumni to donate to help with tournament travel expenses, your messaging might be: “Your support is crucial to securing Amy and Ryan’s life changing opportunity to build their skills and compete against the best of the best [in the state/region/nation]. If you are able, please consider pitching in to help provide them with this experience.” When you ask your alumni to volunteer, remember that your former students aren’t necessarily interested in what they get out of giving back, but what their contribution can do for the current students at the program. Focus on the value of their experience and express that their background is vital to the team’s success, thus you need them to stay involved. In a survey of millenials, ACHIEVE found “77% would be more likely to volunteer if they could use their specific skills or expertise to benefit a cause.” Be specific about the skills and what they bring to the table. Do you need them to watch practice rounds of their former event (in person or on video) and give feedback? Do you need their help cutting cards before a big tournament? If you’re having trouble recruiting students to your team, ask your alumni for testimonials to persuade students. If you’re struggling to persuade a student to try a new event, think about reaching out to set up a call with an alum who was successful in that event! Consider whether your alumni have backgrounds that could help your team train for competition from an
Research by ACHIEVE, “The Millennial Impact Report Retrospective: Five Years of Trends,” November, 2016. Retrieved from http:// fi.fudwaca.com/mi/files/2016/11/FiveYearRecap_MIR_Achieve.pdf
Training Sessions – Invite alumni to do some coaching at your annual camp or pre-season training. This is great for folks who may be off at college and are only available to you during the summer months. Tournament Staffing – If you have alumni in the area, ask them to help staff your next tournament. The more hands you can have on deck, the better! Be sure to ask as soon as you know your tournament dates to avoid conflicts. Volunteer Judging – Provide
opportunities for volunteer judging when you’re in need. Recent graduates especially may relish the chance to be the decision-maker in the round for a change! Even if they’ve moved away, by keeping track of alums in an Alumni Group, you can identify whether you have any former students living in the area where your tournament is being held.
expert’s point of view. For example, it may be helpful to reach out to an alum who works in the state department of education or a related field on the upcoming Policy Debate topic, “Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its funding and/or regulation of elementary and/or secondary education in the United States.” There are countless ways to use alumni to build your program. Keep in mind that millennials enjoy volunteering in groups and are more likely to get involved if asked by peers. Utilize current students to reach out to recent alumni and share photos of alumni giving back to tap into this peer-linked engagement. By staying connected, appealing to their first-hand experience with the value of speech and debate, and being specific about what their skills bring to your program, you can make the most of your alumni’s skillsets.
Annie Reisener serves as Operations Coordinator for the NSDA.