Recently on one of the listservs (an online discussion group) to which I subscribe several questions were asked about recruiting class agents.  Class agents are one or two volunteers that represent each class, serving as liaisons between the class and the school.   Three schools provided answers, all of which I thought were worth sharing.  While your individual needs for class agents may be different, you’re sure to find a generous amount of information to help nonetheless.

How do you recruit alumni class agents?  What training or direction do you give them? How long do you ask them to serve?  What do you do to thank them while they are in the role and/or when they step down?

From Meighan Corbett, Director of the Annual Fund, Windward School:

“I got anyone I could to say yes. Thanking them is key to retaining them. Little things and certainly recognition, any way you can do it, are helpful (in your alumni magazine or at your reunion event, for example).”

From Christen Hazel, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Outreach, The Pike School (a PreK-9th grade school):

“This is what we do to recruit new class agents for the graduating class (in 8th grade):

A month before graduation, I start the process for recruiting 2 class agents. I make announcements at their weekly assemblies, ask them to fill out an “application” (attached), and also ask teachers to encourage kids to apply. While I’ve never had more than 6 (and sometimes only 2) applications for any given year, I’ve been pleased with the kids who elect themselves to serve. When chosen, I take them to lunch and explain the position. I give them a “pike logo” gift of some sort at the lunch.

In their class agent role (during secondary school and beyond if they are still engaged) we ask them to:

• Gather email addresses for their classmates
• Send out email blasts about upcoming events, class notes, and other announcements
• In some cases, we ask them to sign an Annual Fund appeal letter to their classmates (asking for $5 for every year since graduation)
• Offer suggestions about the alumni program . . . how to jazz up events, etc.

As class agents, they are automatically placed on our Alumni Council that meets 4 times a year. However, due to work loads, etc. our alums in secondary school are rarely able to come to those meetings.”

From Alan Guma, Alumni Director, Collegiate School:

“The issue you raise is a good one, and I think too many schools get this all wrong. Building a structure of effective class agents, just as building an effective alumni council or board, is tough work, but the payoff is real. I know that the success we have experienced (increasing alumni participation in annual giving in the past eight years from 19% to 32%) is the result of our work with our agents and our council.

There is no question that the work is slow and not as much fun as putting on events. But personal solicitations from a classmate are more effective than anything coming from an alumni office.

We start with a simple mission: “To keep alumni connected to each other and to the school.” Our agents make this happen. In addition to soliciting for the annual fund, they are critical in helping us improve our alumni database (we now have less than 9% Lost graduates), they collect class news for the magazine, and they are equally critical in planning good class reunions.

We (and I mean our office with the executive committee of our alumni council) spent almost two years defining the role and responsibilities of agents which we include in our Class Agents Guide. We review performance annually, and we send a “fish or cut bait” letter from the association president to any who are not performing.

We define the role as being the “leader” of their class. As “leader” they are not expected to do all the work, but are responsible and accountable for seeing that it is done. We strongly encourage agents to create a Class Committee to assist in the work (soliciting, gathering news, planning reunion). Having such a committee not only relieves the burden from the agent, but does two other important things: by assigning every member of the committee to specific classmates, it enables very personal contact to take place; and it also builds our volunteer base. So, if and when an agent does resign (or needs to be replaced), we have a pool to go to.

As we think about naming a class agent from our senior class, I confer with key faculty and finally invite one person to serve, laying out the role and responsibilities and making sure they are willing to take this on. The critical factors are that they: enjoy staying connected to their classmates; are the “glue” in their class; are reliable.

We have no specific “term of service,” and many of our agents have served for many years.
Most of our classes have a single agent; a few have co-agents. My experience is that having multiple agents is not effective.

We give our agents lots of information each year to help them: updated class directories and a detailed report of their class giving. I send them bi-monthly emails to help focus their work during the year, and I send them notices throughout the year as gifts from classmates are received. I also send a quarterly Report to Alumni Leaders to all agents and current and former members of our Alumni Council to keep them well-informed both about school news and alumni association activities.

While we do not have a “prize” for best performance, we do encourage some competition among the classes, primarily in terms of participation percentages, but also in dollars. This is highlighted in our Annual Report, and is also highlighted at our annual Alumni Volunteer Luncheon in January.

Building such an organization and nurturing it require a lot of my time, but the results make it worthwhile. My view is that if you want engaged alumni, you have to really engage them, not just throw parties.

I know that many, perhaps most, schools struggle with the issues you raise and would like to find a “silver bullet” to help them. If such a bullet exists, I haven’t found it. It’s just hard work.”

CASE Listservs

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