When it comes to alumni, most schools are focused on the current year. They’re sending out emails with updates about what’s happening now, and they’re updating their social media feeds to show off their latest successes. That is all well and good, but you need to know that there is more than one time in a year when an alumnus reaches out for information or support.

It is crucial to keep accurate alumni contact data for many reasons, both from the perspective of the college and from that of its alumni. Colleges benefit by staying in touch with their former students and providing them with valuable information about events happening on campus. Here is why it’s essential to keep accurate alumni contact data:

Keep alumni connected, engaged, and updated

Your school’s alumni may not be thinking about how much has changed since they graduated until something triggers them to relive their old school days. And when they do, they are more likely to provide support in the future. Therefore, including alumni in your email list for newsletters on announcements for fundraisers, networking events, job fairs, and reunions.

Having a clean physical and email addresses database means newsletters, announcements, and invitations are getting delivered. It also allows you to share the event’s success through announcements on how much funding was raised; you can also show transparency with updates on how funds will be used. It’s also how you can publicly thank alumni for their donations, motivating others to participate in future events.

Reconnect former classmates

Alumni can use this data to reconnect with other classmates or find out what has been going on at their alma mater since they graduated. It’s not uncommon for old classmates and friends that have fallen out of touch to reach out to the alumni department to ask for contact records for purposes such as reunions. With updated contact data, the alumni department can contact the person for permission to release their details.

Invitations to events

Once people have graduated from the institution, they will become members of various sectors and industries. Therefore, an updated alumni database contains a robust network of connections. You can leverage the list for recruitment fairs, fundraising events, galas, shows, and other networking opportunities.

Alumni who participate in job fairs can offer current students internship opportunities and exposure to other fields. Alumni also remain the biggest and best sources of funding. Therefore, reaching the exemplary alumni when there is a fundraising event could make an event or campaign to support the institution’s financial needs more successful.

At RunnerEDQ, we know how important it is for institutions to maintain accurate alumni contact data. Our solutions were designed to format, standardize, and verify addresses to ensure your alumni and donor records are always updated. We also enhance contact information to include email, phone, and social media handles. Because many of your alumni may have moved or work overseas, we also format and validate international addresses.