Alumnae Relations Committee: Market Research Assistance for Clubs, Classes

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Alumnae Relations Committee Market Research
Assistance for Clubs, Classes Affiliate
Groupsalumnaesurvey_at_mtholyoke.edu
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How Can the ARC Help?

• Provide historical information
• Maximize timing
• Estimate costs resource needs
• Provide templates training materials
• Provide free or inexpensive survey tools
• Review survey questions
• Help you take action from results of survey

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Before Conducting Alumnae Market Research

• Be clear on
• What you wish to learn from the research
• Why the information is important
• How the information will be used

Market research is a means to an end Not the
end itself
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6 Tips for Great Market Research

• Make sure the information you need is not already
  available to you
• Clearly define the goal of your research
• Designate a primary decision-maker
• Plan project and dedicate resources
• Ask questions with actionable answers
• Involve the ARC

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Online Survey
Quantitative

• Inexpensive
• Can do yourself
• Better response rates
• No data entry
• Helps avoid bias

• Email can be viewed as Spam
• Missed demographics
• Potential for ambiguous responses
• Does not reach disenfranchised alumnae

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Mail Survey
Quantitative

• Often less expensive than in-person or telephone
• Helps avoid bias

• Relatively expensive and time consuming
• Lower response rates
• Respondents may skip questions
• Does not reach disenfranchised alumnae

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Focus Groups Interviews
Qualitative

• Can gather nuances, and ask follow-up questions
• Can be good for getting at why alumnae are not
  engaged

• Can be expensive and time consuming
• Use of volunteers increases likelihood of bias

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Phone Survey
Quantitative

• Improved response rate
• Able to probe open-ended questions
• Able to clarify questions

• Can be expensive and time consuming
• Use of volunteers increases likelihood of bias
• Need to data-enter responses

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Once You Have the Data

• Send the ARC a copy of questionnaire
• and results
• Share the results with your alumnae

• Act on the results!

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How to Contact Us

• alumnaesurvey_at_mtholyoke.edu
• or call
• 413.538.2300
• and ask for ARC staff or members