Every Four Years

     This Marketing Matter comes from Donna Moss, principal at Cathedral School in Raleigh, North Carolina.  It's a way to build your grade school's alumni base NOW, rather than searching for old rosters and creating a huge database project of people that haven't been in contact with your school for quite some time.  Worse yet, perhaps your school is a merged school...two or three schools merged into one, and given a new name.  Indeed, "Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst" certainly holds true for Catholic school mergers, but if the new school contacts the alumni of the previous schools, there may be feelings of resentment or anger in those alumni that make your appeal letter land in a place along side the empty ranch dressing packet and credit card offers.

     Donna suggests holding a yearly event to honor your most recent alumni from every fourth previous year.  For instance, when the 8th grade of 07-08 graduate, have a Mass and celebration that honors not only your current eighth graders, but your eighth graders from four years ago (03-04) who will be graduating high school this year.  You can also invite your graduates from the class of 2000 since they'll be graduating college this year.  Think of it as a new type of commencement - not only are you celebrating the achievements of your most current graduates, you are commencing on a new way to maintain the relationship between your graduates and your school.  Not only does such an event build your potential donor base, it builds your school's commitment to community.

     Perhaps have one person from each class give a reflection on what their experience at your school meant to them, and recognize those who are graduating with academic honors, Catholic service commendations or other achievements and scholarships. And, most definitely, include their parents and guardians.

     Over the Christmas break, prayerfully consider this type of event for your school, and if you decide to move forward with it, it can be heralded during Catholic Schools Week next month!

     Keep waiting joyfully....

© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2007 (Original publication date: 20071217)

Back to Marketing Matters Index