Tech That Keeps Wildcats Connected
Many people think alumni engagement is only about keeping graduates informed. At the University of Arizona, it’s about building lifelong relationships, and increasingly, technology is helping make those connections more personalized, strategic, and scalable than ever before.
As universities navigate changing communication habits and growing digital expectations, the partnership between advancement teams and technology professionals has become critical. For the Foundation and Arizona Alumni, that work touches everything from communications platforms and analytics to engagement strategy and digital communities.
Helping lead that effort is Jonelle Vold, Sr. Vice President of Alumni Engagement and Prospect Development, whose work focuses on strengthening connections between the university and its alumni community through engagement strategy, communications, fundraising, and relationship-building initiatives. In a landscape increasingly shaped by digital communication and evolving audience expectations, Vold said technology has become foundational to how those relationships are maintained and scaled.
“Technology allows us to track and personalize offerings to alumni in a manner that I hope feels authentic, curated, and reflects that we are paying attention to our alumni as unique individuals with varying needs and desires,” said Jonelle Vold.
That personalization matters when engaging a global network of more than 300,000 Wildcat alumni. Whether through email campaigns, social media, text messaging, digital communities, or events, the Foundation is continuously adapting how it communicates with alumni based on evolving behaviors and expectations.
“We are seeing a lot of great activity across social platforms as people engage with content that speaks to them,” Vold said. “We are also having good results with texting information.”
At the same time, digital engagement comes with new challenges. Vold noted that email deliverability has become increasingly difficult, while alumni are also becoming more selective about the digital platforms they use.
“What we are seeing is that people don't want another app, another password, or more noise,” she said.
That insight is helping shape how the Foundation approaches digital communities and engagement platforms moving forward. Rather than creating broad, one-size-fits-all online spaces, the strategy is becoming more intentional and purpose-driven, focused on creating value and meaningful connection for specific alumni groups and communities.
Behind much of that strategy is data.
“It is all informed by data,” Vold said. “We are tracking all of our activities and using data analytics to help us determine if we are doing the right things at the right times and in the right ways.”
As alumni engagement has become more sophisticated, analytics and reporting tools now play a major role in helping advancement teams measure impact, understand engagement patterns, and refine outreach strategies. Technology infrastructure and partnerships with IT teams support nearly every aspect of that work.
“IT is a critical part of everything we do,” Vold said. “From the technology tools that we use to the ability to capture activity and report on ROI.”
That collaboration extends beyond systems management. According to Vold, aligning technology tools with organizational strategy is an ongoing process that requires close partnership between advancement and IT professionals.
“I spend a large amount of my day talking to my colleagues in IT making sure that our tools are aligned with our strategies and needs,” she said.
Looking ahead, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are expected to continue shaping the future of alumni engagement and advancement work across higher education.
“My sense is that AI is everywhere and alumni engagement is no different,” Vold said. “AI may give us the ability to minimize some of the routine work and spend more time interacting with alumni and building the relationships we are striving for.”
As alumni expectations continue to evolve, technology will remain central to how the Foundation scales engagement, strengthens relationships, and keeps Wildcats connected to the university, and each other, for life.