In the world of institutional advancement, the introduction of email contact to alumni has added a new dimension to what it means to become a member of an association, or a donor to a cause. Yet unfortunately, the busy lives that many alumni have chosen after graduation with careers, family and the bombardment of information leaves a very small window for building new relationships of any kind, including alma mader.

Yes, we all have to compete for each others attention. The same can be said for development professionals who must get in the game and provide their institution with the absolute best chance of building and maintaining a strong, supportive alumni base. Email appeals may be considered a bold move, but no one can argue that it has helped to alleviate mounting pressures that place some campus programs at risk.

The value in creating on-line relationships is one that cannot be overlooked. Clearly, the affordability of email marketing opens up the potential to make inroads where none existed. And the payoff, though sometimes dificult to attribute to any specific appeal, can be tremendous when wrapped into a multi-channel approach of direct mail and telemarketing.

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of email marketing is the absence of incremental delivery costs. You can reach 1,000 alums at practically no more cost than reaching 50,000. How nice is that on the budget?