Rekindling Alumni Relationships: How Autonomous Fundraising Reaches the Unreachable

Supporters don’t always disengage because they’ve stopped caring. Sometimes, life simply moves fast. Emails go unopened. Invitations are missed. Years pass, and even alumni with deep affinity feel disconnected. For advancement teams, the question isn’t whether these individuals still matter—it’s how to reach them in a way that feels personal, relevant, and worth responding to.

That’s where a Virtual Engagement Officer (VEO) comes in.

When fundraising teams want to reignite relationships with alumni who haven’t engaged in years, VEOs have proven that they can lead the way—opening warm, one-to-one conversations with donors who’ve gone quiet. Through personalized, timely outreach, a VEO can reintroduce these supporters to the mission, rekindle pride, and invite them back into the community in ways that feel natural.

A Real-World Example: Texas State University

Texas State University recently embraced this approach by launching Emma, their first Virtual Engagement Officer, with a specific goal: reconnect with previously unengaged alumni. Her portfolio focused on “cold” alumni—those with little or no history of interaction or giving.

Instead of leading with a donation ask, Emma’s early outreach focused on building relationships. Over the course of several months, she sent nearly 10,000 personalized messages via SMS and email. Each message was designed to meet alumni where they were—with invitations to events like tailgates and regional gatherings, updates on what’s happening on campus, and even questions about what inspires their connection to the university.

A New Chapter of Connection

Emma’s impact was immediate. Nearly 200 alumni who had not previously engaged responded to her outreach, and she helped drive more than $5,000 in giving. During the university’s Step Up for State campaign, 85% of the giving attributed to her portfolio came directly after her outreach—making Emma a valuable  member of the advancement team that day.

With momentum building, Texas State University is preparing to launch a second VEO portfolio—this time focusing on mid-level donor engagement and deeper segmentation strategies. By expanding Emma’s reach, the team is continuing to explore how trusted digital labor can increase capacity without sacrificing personal connection.

And that’s the point. Re-engaging supporters isn’t just about hitting numbers—it’s about creating space for people to come back to a place they once called home and share their story.

A VEO That Builds Community, Not Complexity

By reengaging previously inactive donors and supporters and creating warm, meaningful entry points for future cultivation, VEOs empower nonprofit organizations to foster deeper connections and generosity — enhancing the work of advancement teams and amplifying their impact through every personalized conversation.

This is what a great digital partner does: expands a team’s fundraising capacity without adding complexity, turning outreach into meaningful steps forward—for both the donor and the mission they care about.

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Whether you're looking to reactivate unresponsive donors, deepen mid-level relationships, or simply reach more supporters without overwhelming your team, this use case is a powerful place to start. With a VEO, you don’t just scale outreach—you scale meaningful connection.

Schedule your demo now.