The Ultimate Alumni Outreach Email Template for High Schools

Summary:

• Building relationships with high school alumni can help give former students a reason to stay involved after graduation. An effective email can help convince alumni to take action or support your fundraising campaigns.
• A strong subject line helps guarantee that alumni will open your email. Personalized greetings make people feel like more than just a number or source of support.
• Sharing stories about your past success builds confidence in your school’s ability to succeed. This can help motivate alumni to get more involved.
• When it’s time to ask for help, be direct—but do it in a way that feels inspiring, rather than pushy. Give clear instructions on how to take the next step, or multiple options to choose from, so they can contribute comfortably.
• Encourage alumni to stay connected, regardless of whether they donate. Include a telephone number or direct email address in case they have any questions.

Alumni outreach messages can help your school build lifelong relationships with former students after they graduate. Getting regular updates lets alumni feel like they still play a role in your school’s ongoing success story and make a difference in the lives of your students.

Email is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reach out to alumni when you need their help. When you include the right messaging, a well-written email can help drive more donations to your fundraising campaigns.

In this guide, our team at FutureFund will walk you through writing your first alumni outreach email. You’ll learn how to write subject lines that convince people to open your email, what to include to get results, and how to give alumni the gentle push they need to take action.

Tips for writing your alumni outreach emails

You’ve got the template above, but how should you fill it out to make the biggest possible impact on your audience? Here are some tips for completing each section, along with examples of what works.

Draw alumni in with a strong subject line

Think of your subject line like a greeter at an in-person event—there’s a lot going on at once in the average recipient’s inbox, so it has to compete for attention. If it isn’t unique enough or doesn’t speak to your audience, they may never open your email.

That makes the rest of your messaging moot!

Personalization and urgency are the keys to writing a great subject line. Your goal is to draw alumni in and convince them to click in just a few short words. Exactly how much a recipient will see depends on their email provider, but under 80 characters is best.

Example of a Strong Alumni Outreach Email Subject Line

• Example: We Can’t Do It Without You—Support [Fundraiser Name] Today!
• Why It Works: It’s just vague enough to inspire curiosity without giving everything away at once. Plus, we’re making alumni feel special and important by telling them the results just won’t be the same if they don’t take part.

Every new outreach email should have a different subject line. You can learn more about testing subject lines in our alumni newsletter guide.

Make every greeting personal

A strong subject line will convince alums to open your email, but a personal greeting will hook them and keep reading through to the end. Once again, this is about making former students feel special—like they’re more than just an email address on a list.

To personalize your email, call recipients by their first and/or last name at the start.

How to write strong alumni outreach greetings

• Dear [Recipient’s Name],
• Hi [Recipient Name],
• Hello [First Name],
• [Recipient’s Name,]

If you don’t have access to names, or don’t have time to customize each message, try to at least mention their role as a former student instead. Saying “Hello, Alumni!” is still stronger than just including a standard “Hi” or “Hello!”

Keep people reading with stories about your success

Your opening paragraph should draw people in without making any direct requests. Use the first few sentences to create a positive emotional connection that details an achievement or milestone you’re proud of—like the results of last year’s campaign.

How to write a strong opening paragraph

• First sentence: Last year, [School Name] celebrated [brief overview of one or two recent milestones—e.g., a championship win, facility upgrade, or scholarship program].

Next, follow up by detailing the impact—how did the milestone or achievement help or contribute to life at your school? 

• Second Sentence: Achievements like these help students [how they help—e.g., develop the skills they need to succeed when they graduate and go out into the world].

In just two short sentences, you’ve given alumni powerful proof that your school knows how to make efforts like these successful. It’s a subtle way to tell them that if they get involved, they’ll be directly contributing to your success in some way.

Connect past milestones to future initiatives

In the next 1-2 paragraphs, focus on creating a clear connection between the previous milestone and your current fundraising campaign. Tell people what it is you’re doing and what you hope to achieve—then ask for their help.

How to connect past milestones to future initiatives

• Make the link: This year, we’re launching a new fundraising initiative focused on [brief description of your goal—e.g., facility upgrades, student support programs, or lab equipment ]. 
• Explain the impact: With your support, [explain the impact on students or your school].

It’s important to be clear about the fundraiser’s purpose and impact. Don’t just tell people you’re running a fundraiser or ask for their money—explain why, and help them visualize their impact if they take part. 

Here’s the concept in action:

This year, we’re launching a new fundraiser to help restock our library with new books. Having access to new material helps our high schoolers complete school projects, expand their literacy skills, and develop a lifelong love for reading.

With your support, we can buy more books and ensure that teens have what they need to keep learning—and enjoy a great story or two along the way. 

By now, your recipients get it—they’re confident that your school knows how to raise money and get results, and they understand how they can help. That means it’s time to start honing in on the point: taking action.

Ask alumni to take action

There are several ways to approach this section of your letter. Depending on your goals, you can either include a direct call-to-action (CTA) or give alumni a few different options for showing their support. 

A CTA is just your pitch—a direct appeal for donations or some other form of support. It should feel persuasive and give people clear instructions for how they can help.

Start with a question: will the recipient help?

• Will you help us reach our goals by making a contribution?

Next, include a strong call to action with a clickable link:

• Click Here to Donate $50

Alternatively, you can also give people options for showing their support:

• Join our Alumni Support Club to pledge your ongoing support for [School Name] fundraising initiatives year-round.

OR,

• Make a one-time donation to make an immediate impact on the lives of our students by supporting our [Fundraiser Name] campaign.

Giving people options like these can help reduce the number of people who close your email without taking some kind of action.

Encourage alumni to stay connected (regardless of whether they donate)

End your alumni outreach email in a way that helps foster long-term relationships. Even if alumni can’t donate now, they still have a connection to your school, so you should honor that by telling them how to stay involved and informed.

How to build your alumni network

• There are other ways to get involved in life at [School Name]. Sign up for our Alumni Newsletter to learn more or visit our school at [School Website URL].

If you don’t have an alumni newsletter yet, we strongly recommend creating one. Sending out a monthly or quarterly update filled with exciting news and information is a great way to grow your alumni network—or drive more donations to your campaigns.

Say thank you and include your contact details 

Wrap up your alumni outreach email by showing that you’re grateful for their time and appreciate their consideration. This shouldn’t be overly complicated—all you really need to do is say thank you!

• Example: Thank you for considering our request!

Next, encourage former students to make contact if they have any questions. Include your contact details—a telephone number or direct email is best.

• Example: If you have any questions or want to discuss this opportunity, please feel free to contact me at [Phone Number] or reply to this email.

Leave your name, role, and campaign page URL at the bottom of the email next. Format it just like a formal cover or business letter for best results:

Warm regards,

[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[School/Organization Name]

Closing with contact details helps catch any missed opportunities for connection and can make your fundraiser more successful. Sometimes, people want to call and verify the information or donate their time instead—this will keep you from missing out.

Make alumni networking easier with FutureFund

Building an alumni support network for high schools doesn’t need to be time-consuming or complicated. With FutureFund’s tools, it’s easy to communicate with former students, parents, and other people who have a shared connection to your school. 

Ready to kickstart your alumni networks into action? Get started with FutureFund to send out alumni outreach emails, manage support club memberships, and accept membership fees online. Keep 100% of the money every time.