Adding current students to Raiser's Edge

Billy Jo Jayne

I would like to know what the best practise is for adding students to the Raiser's Edge - timing? Our current practise is that when a student becomes and alumn or they withdraw (depending on credits/semesters attended) we add the student from their parents relationship record (parent record is loaded when the student is a freshmen.) Our college runs two systems one from students and one for alumn and they are not connected.


 

Amy Dana

Billy Jo Jayne:

I would like to know what the best practise is for adding students to the Raiser's Edge - timing? Our current practise is that when a student becomes and alumn or they withdraw (depending on credits/semesters attended) we add the student from their parents relationship record (parent record is loaded when the student is a freshmen.) Our college runs two systems one from students and one for alumn and they are not connected.


 

We put all our students into RE as their own constituent record. That way we can track their involvement while they are here (like club involvement, Dean's List, etc). We also track students who receive scholarships and any donations they give while in school. Once they graduate we can use this for targeted communications, like a recent happy hour for former student leadership. 

Christine Cooke 2

Billy Jo Jayne:

I would like to know what the best practise is for adding students to the Raiser's Edge - timing? Our current practise is that when a student becomes and alumn or they withdraw (depending on credits/semesters attended) we add the student from their parents relationship record (parent record is loaded when the student is a freshmen.) Our college runs two systems one from students and one for alumn and they are not connected.


 

Every school I have worked in/for (I'm on my 4th) have entered current students when they enroll.  Then, throughout their tenure we track their involvement, and we can also link all members of a legacy family that way (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc. that have attended the school).  We also track their involvement while they are a student (which is then utilized when they are an alum) i.e., athletics teams, clubs, special awards, internships and so on.


There is no fear of including them in fundraising activities too soon because they have their own constituent code that is excluded from everything.  And, when they graduate, their constit code is changed to Alum and done!