Improving Communication Preferences and Mailing Accuracy: A Case Study at UC Berkeley's Rausser College

Introduction

Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful fundraising and alumni engagement efforts. This is particularly true for institutions like UC Berkeley's Rausser College of Natural Resources, which serves a diverse audience of alumni, parents, and friends. These stakeholders span multiple generations and hold varied preferences for how they wish to engage with the college. Recognizing the importance of tailoring communications to align with audience expectations, the college undertook a comprehensive communication preferences survey in November 2024. The survey aimed to address two critical challenges: ensuring the accuracy of contact information and understanding the preferred communication channels for various audience segments.

The impetus for the survey arose from anecdotal feedback from fundraisers who identified outdated contact information as a recurring issue, particularly among recent graduates. The initiative sought to correct these inaccuracies, enhance the college’s outreach capabilities, and build a more engaged community by respecting individual preferences. The survey findings not only provided actionable insights but also reinforced the importance of data-driven strategies in alumni relations and donor engagement.

Methodology

The survey employed a targeted and systematic approach to gather accurate and meaningful data. Eight distinct audience segments were identified for the study: alumni grouped by graduation decade, international alumni, parents, and friends of the college. This segmentation was designed to account for the diverse demographics and life circumstances of the college’s supporters.

Surveys were distributed via email using mail merge techniques to personalize each message. Each email included the recipient’s contact information we had on file, such as mailing address and email address, and invited recipients to confirm or update this information. Google Forms was used as the primary data collection tool. Respondents were required to verify their details and indicate preferences for receiving communications, such as printed or digital formats of Breakthroughs, the college's flagship magazine. To enhance the accuracy of updates, email addresses served as unique identifiers, ensuring that responses could be matched to existing records in the college’s database.

Over 61,000 emails were sent as part of this initiative. The campaign employed a multi-touch approach, with follow-up reminders sent to non-respondents to encourage participation. The collected data was systematically reviewed, matched to database IDs, and updated in the system to reflect the new information. This process ensured that the college’s records were up-to-date and that future communications would be better aligned with audience preferences.

Results

The survey yielded several valuable insights into the preferences and needs of the college’s audience:

1. Address Accuracy
The survey revealed significant disparities in the accuracy of mailing addresses across different audience segments. Friends and parents had the highest rates of accurate addresses, with over 80% of respondents confirming the correctness of their contact information. By contrast, only 47.2% of international alumni reported having accurate addresses on file, with an equal proportion indicating that their listed addresses were outdated.

Among alumni, address accuracy correlated strongly with the length of time since graduation. Older alumni (graduates of 40+ years ago) reported the highest address accuracy, with 94.1% confirming the correctness of their records. Recent graduates, however, were more likely to report outdated or familial addresses, with 12.9% and 10.2% of respondents from the two most recent decades indicating that their listed addresses were familial. These findings underscore the need for targeted data verification efforts, particularly for recent graduates and international alumni.

2. Communication Preferences
The survey highlighted distinct preferences for communication methods among different audience segments. Older alumni demonstrated a stronger preference for printed materials, with 44.1% expressing a desire to receive Breakthroughs in print format. However, digital communication emerged as the preferred method across most segments, reflecting a broader trend toward digital engagement.

Interestingly, SMS communication was overwhelmingly rejected as a preferred channel. Between 65.4% and 77.6% of respondents across various segments indicated that they did not wish to receive text messages. Even among younger alumni, who are typically more receptive to digital modes of communication, 69.6% expressed a strong dislike for SMS.

3. Engagement Metrics
The survey achieved a 50.25% open rate and a 41.85% click-through rate, both of which exceeded industry benchmarks of 41.31% and 7.38%, respectively. These metrics indicate strong initial engagement with the survey invitation. However, only 2.7% of delivered emails resulted in completed surveys, yielding a total of 629 responses. This disparity suggests an opportunity to refine survey design and outreach strategies to improve response rates in future campaigns.

Recommendations

Based on the survey findings, the following recommendations are proposed to enhance the college’s communication strategies and improve engagement:

1. Refine Suppression Files
The college should move away from blanket suppression practices and adopt a more nuanced approach. By creating suppression files based on specific communication types (e.g., surveys, solicitations, and magazines), the college can better honor individual preferences and avoid unnecessarily disengaging its audience.

2. Prioritize Data Accuracy
Regular data cleaning and verification efforts should be institutionalized to ensure the accuracy of mailing and email addresses. This is particularly important for recent graduates and international alumni, who were identified as having higher rates of outdated information.

3. Tailor Mailing Lists
Future print mailings should prioritize older alumni cohorts, who demonstrated a stronger preference for printed materials and had higher rates of address accuracy. The order of priority for mailing lists should reflect these preferences, with international alumni placed lower on the list due to higher costs and lower address accuracy. For international alumni, alternative distribution methods, such as sending bulk magazines to regional alumni chapters, should be explored.

4. Reassess SMS Strategies
Given the strong dislike for SMS communication across all segments, significant investment in SMS platforms is not recommended. Future surveys should monitor potential shifts in sentiment, but any adoption of SMS should be approached cautiously and strategically.

5. Develop a Digital Engagement Strategy
A comprehensive digital engagement strategy should be developed to coordinate outreach efforts across email, social media, and other digital channels. This strategy should emphasize personalization and respect for audience preferences.

Conclusion

The survey results highlight the importance of understanding audience-specific preferences and maintaining accurate data for effective communication. By implementing these recommendations, we can foster deeper connections with our community and strengthen its engagement efforts and successes.