CHERRY HILL, N.J. – Alumni Channel, a web provider of online alumni communities for schools and other non-profit organizations, announced today that Mater Dei Catholic High School of Breese, Illinois, is relying on the company’s online community solution to develop closer relationships with its alumni.
Fr. Chuck Tuttle, Development Director, and Kathy Huelsman, Coordinator of Public & Alumni Relations, made a commitment to begin implementation of the Alumni Channel for their online alumni community. Mater Dei Catholic High School alumni represent an alliance of thousands of MD graduates across the United States and worldwide. With a growing base of graduates, the high school wanted to cultivate stronger bonds with and among alumni that would lay the foundation for fundraising in support of critical programs such as scholarships and the endowment. MD needed a technology solution that would enrich its existing Web site while reducing costs associated with direct mailings. This would enable the school to provide an interactive, customized experience for each visitor, including opportunities to connect with each other, view school and class events, and eventually make online donations.
To this end, MD deployed the services of Alumni Channel for online community building. The school now has a single point of entry that allows alumni to self-maintain their profile information which can then be used to update the master donor database.
“Schools face a real challenge in keeping connected with alumni who, after graduation, scatter throughout the world,” said Chris Gehringer, president of Alumni Channel. “MD is taking a leadership position in how it uses technology to give its alumni – regardless of whether they live in the area or the Far East – an easy way to stay involved. Having a professional appearance to your alumni organization is just one more step in building lasting relationships with alumni/donors.”
Empowering Graduates through Alumni Channel
With Alumni Channel, MD High School will be able to replace a static Web site with an interactive online community and enhanced electronic communications. Like most other organizations launching a new Web site, getting people to visit the site is a key step. With only a few email addresses on file for its alumni, the school will embark on an integrated marketing campaign to increase awareness and introduce the benefits of registering on the new site. Included in MD’s service is a new web site address that can be used on all marketing to promote use of the site. Through this effort, the number of contacts will increase over time.
To visit the Mater Dei Catholic High School’s Alumni Channel, go to MaterDeiAlumni.org.
About Mater Dei Catholic High School
Mater Dei High School is a Catholic, co-educational high school in Breese, Illinois in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville. It was founded in 1954 through the merger of St. Dominic’s High School in Breese and St. Mary’s High School in Carlyle, Illinois. The academic program is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and holds a Certificate of Recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education. Recent developments at Mater Dei include the construction of a new east wing, and expanding facilities by adding a new band room, weight room, and gym.
About Alumni Channel
The Alumni Channel online alumni system is designed to increase alumni connections through a secure online alumni directory that will help connect an organization’s entire membership. Alumni Channel offers alumni a community of their own to contact each other, plan reunions, share stories and photos, and it enables the parent organization/school to maintain and build an alumni database providing with valuable alumni contact information. Schools have the ability to not only announce upcoming events and campaigns on the site itself, but also customize and send mass e-mails, run reports, export data and distribute surveys. Founded in 1998, Alumni Channel is headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.alumnichannel.com.