Kerrie HollandAlumni Volunteer Manager

Older and Wiser – Using Alumni to Benefit Students, Employability and the Wider

Institution

Alumni Volunteering the Birmingham Way

180,000 Alumni across 180 countries Established Development and Alumni

Relations Office Alumni Volunteer Manager and College

Alumni Relations Managers in post 621 Alumni volunteered 3,260 hours in

2011/12

Benefits of Alumni Volunteering

Increases alumni affinity and propensity to give Enables the University to achieve the ‘nice-to-

haves’ Access to expertise, networks and

opportunities Enriches student experience Impact on employability

Volunteering at UoB

Two Strand Volunteering Programme:– ‘Mass’ Volunteering – range of

opportunities for which alumni can self-identify

– ‘Bespoke’ Volunteering – high profile opportunities for which we select and approach specific alumni

‘Mass’ volunteering Mixture of activities to have broad appeal e.g.

internship leads, mentoring, translations, conservation, international recruitment, careers event speakers.

Non-campus based ‘remote’ opportunities Mass promotion to alumni

– Alumni publications– Linked In/facebook groups– Specific e-mail comms

‘Bespoke’ volunteering

Finding a specific person for a specific role Finding a specific role for a specific person

we are keen to engage Guest lectures (MBA Leadership

Programme), Leadership Mentoring, Advocacy, Event Hosting, Interviewees, Panel Members, Advisory Boards..

Case Study - Careers UoB Careers Network had substantial investment in 2011 Targets set for Alumni Relations include:

– Mentoring (3 schemes) Leadership Alumni Mentoring Scheme Targeted programmes for employability concern

areas – Internships– Work Experience– Advertising Vacancies

Volunteering Opportunities Sometimes harder to find volunteering opportunities

than to find alumni volunteers! Potential areas:

– Careers– Schools/Faculties/Individual academics– International recruitment– Research and Commercial Services– Special Collections– Student Societies– Research Institutes e.g. Ironbridge/Shakespeare Institute– Recruitment panels, philanthropic funding distribution, internal awards judging– Marketing and Communications– Sport

Group Discussion

How could alumni volunteers support your institution/function?

Managing a Volunteer Programme

Strategy and programme design Finding alumni Identifying opportunities for volunteers Defining role requirements Promotion Stewardship Measuring impact

Pitfalls!

Needs to be a genuine opportunity, and can be harder than you think to engage academics

‘End user’ needs to take ownership Tact and diplomacy is essential

Group Discussion

What do you need to consider to a) support and b) measure the impact of alumni volunteering effectively in your institution/function?

Summary

Alumni volunteering is mutually beneficial Be creative Promotion is key – internally and externally Decide how to measure impact before you

start Make sure you can manage your programme Look after your volunteers!

Thank You

Any Questions?