Universities and colleges often spend decades shaping the lives of their students. But after graduation, many of those student relationships fade. Staying connected to alumni matters — not just for tradition or nostalgia — but because alumni support drives fundraising, mentorship programs, event attendance, and institutional reputation. This is where personalized video becomes a powerful tool.
In this post, we’ll look at practical, creative, and data-backed ways for admissions teams, alumni relations offices, and university marketers to use video to strengthen alumni relationships and reignite school pride.
Video taps into one thing that most email newsletters, postcards, and mass mailings can’t deliver: human connection. Seeing a familiar face, hearing the school song, or watching highlights from a recent campus event — it triggers emotion and memories.
According to Wyzowl’s Video Marketing Survey, 73% of people say they’d rather learn about something by watching a video. That same principle applies when you’re trying to reach former students.
Alumni are busy. Many ignore long email updates or leaflets. A 30-second video message from the dean, a shoutout from a professor, or a montage of recent campus upgrades can draw them back in — emotionally and financially.
One of the fastest ways to build donor loyalty is to acknowledge gifts with authenticity. Donors who receive a short video thanking them personally for their contribution are more likely to give again — and at higher amounts. For example, using platforms like Sendspark, your development team can send branded thank-you messages with dynamic fields like the donor’s name, department, or donation amount.
Whether you’re inviting alumni to a virtual networking day or a 25-year reunion on campus, video invitations drive higher click-through and RSVP rates compared to static email. Add enthusiasm — and a human touch — by putting a familiar face (like a faculty member or student ambassador) on camera. It’s easy to scale personalized videos across different regions and graduation years.
Create videos that highlight what your alumni have achieved. These "alumni success" reels can inspire recent grads and prospective donors while also giving featured alumni a proud moment to share. Combine video clips, quotes, and background music for a polished production, or keep it real with authentic webcam testimonials.
On your annual Giving Day, video can do more than ask for money — it can remind alumni why they loved your institution in the first place. For example, the University of Washington saw record-breaking contributions during their giving campaign when they shared short-form student stories alongside donation calls-to-action.
Invite alumni back to “walk” through campus with a modern video tour. Incorporate drone footage, interviews with professors, or new buildings — all packed into 2–3 minute videos. It reminds your alumni of how much growth is happening and why their support matters.
Video is already engaging. But personalized video? That feels like a conversation.
Sendspark makes it frictionless to customize videos with the viewer’s first name, class year, donation amount, or past event attendance. Even better — you can record once and personalize at scale using automated workflows.
This wasn’t easy before. Personalizing messages used to require hours of manual editing or custom filming. But now, you can choose dynamic variables in a script and insert them automatically across tens, hundreds, or thousands of contacts.
Want even more polish? Use AI video introductions to generate branded beginnings for every alumni campaign, making each message sound tailor-made.
Getting started doesn’t require a film degree or a massive studio. Here’s what schools need:
And for internal training, look to this guide on how to record a great video of yourself — so anyone from interns to department heads can confidently represent the institution.
Alumni engagement leads to donations, period. According to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), engaged alumni are 4x more likely to donate — and 5x more likely to donate over multiple years.
Video helps seal this connection. Here’s how some universities have reported video success:
Video isn’t just another trend — it’s reshaping how schools sustain alumni relationships and long-term support.
Higher education marketing requires more than batch emails and glossy magazines. Relationships are built by conversations. Personal video opens the door to those conversations — with warmth, emotion, and scale.
Whether it's a simple thank-you, an invite to a scholarship gala, or a nostalgic rush of campus memories, investing in video pays off.
Teams don’t need big budgets or exhausting editing workflows. With a platform like Sendspark, universities can send hundreds of unique alumni videos in minutes — and automate future alumni journeys using smart workflows.
Want help setting up your alumni video campaign? Get started with Sendspark here.