California Alumni Association
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"We learned many lessons in our search for online outreach tools: Find a provider with superior customer service; give your vendor regular feedback; and make the end-user experience as simple as possible. Convio is an excellent fit for us."
- Christy Hopeman, director, web & information technology California Alumni Association, UC Berkeley |
About the California Alumni Association
Founded in 1872, the California Alumni Association (CAA) of the University of California, Berkeley, is one of the largest dues-paying associations of alumni in the world, boasting more than 95,000 members. CAA's mission is to serve the community of UC Berkeley alumni and students by providing lifelong connections to each other and to the university. CAA program highlights include the Alumni Scholarship program, the award-winning California magazine, the Lair of the Golden Bear family camp, mentorship and career services, alumni groups, and the Cal Discoveries educational travel program.
- Staff had access to a limited and unsophisticated tool for sending emails to members, registering new members online, and raising funds for scholarships and other programs; data could not be shared among the different functions
- Online forms did not allow for a customized look and feel that was consistent with CAA's brand and image
- Could not access integrated reporting across e-communications, online donations, and member registration systems, despite each communicating with the same constituents
- Lacked a system to manage member data, from personal information to donations to membership status and history
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- Selected Convio for email marketing, constituent management, fundraising, and advocacy
- Sends a variety of member communications, including the Cal Connection newsletter (more than 130,000 subscribers), the Bear Treks Travel newsletter (38,000 subscribers), and other emails as needed
- Uses Convio Fundraising to launch and manage multiple live campaigns, with as many as ten member registration forms and donation forms active at any one time
- Generates and easily customizes donations reports which enable CAA staff to manage the data of more than 130,000 online alumni, friends, members, and donors
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- Sent nearly 5.9 million emails between 2003 and the end of 2006, with an average open rate of 27%, and clickthrough rates of 6%
- Generated approximately $1.3 million in membership dues and donations between October 2003 and December 2006
- Managed more than 135 paid and unpaid events online, with registrations topping 31,000 thus far; the 2004 Holiday Bowl tailgate alone brought in more than 4,500 registrants and Spring Commencement over 3,800
- Delivered nearly 140,000 letters to elected officials, including 125,000 emails to legislators within a three day period in opposition to an amendment of a state bill; the results pressured officials to withdraw the Amendment
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