How Carnegie Mellon Boosted Alumni Responses 170 Percent With Text

Download the Full Case Study

In 2024, Carnegie Mellon University texted its alumni a single question: “What do you want this year’s first-year students to know about what it means to be a Tartan?” Anyone who answered could win one of four CMU t-shirts. The campaign drew 492 responses.

CMU, a global research university in Pittsburgh, has used Mongoose in Advancement since October 2023. Four teams, including alumni relations and annual giving, use it, and Meagen Fekos, Senior Director of Advancement Communications & Marketing, leads most of the messaging with images, GIFs, competitions, and creative prompts.

Why CMU Had to Rebuild Trust in Texting

CMU’s previous texting platform caused repeated technical problems: inaccurate data, duplicate messages, and a hard-to-use interface. Confidence in texting dropped, and Meagen described it as the odd one out in CMU’s communication strategy.

Her team needed a platform that would restore trust, simplify the work, and scale across teams with minimal training.

How CMU Made Texting Part of Alumni Engagement Again

CMU chose Mongoose for its easy-to-use design and strong support. Smart Messages, shared inboxes, and live typing indicators keep teams in sync during big campaigns, and picture messages with class-year graphics and GIFs grab attention.

“My absolute favorite feature is seeing who’s typing. It’s been instrumental in helping multiple people respond without stepping on each other’s toes.”

Meagen Fekos, Senior Director, Advancement Communications & Marketing, Carnegie Mellon University

Campaign Spotlight: Orientation Messages

The 2024 campaign welcomed the incoming Class of 2028 while re-engaging alumni, especially 2025 Reunion celebrants. It was also part of a bigger push to make the Alumni Association visible to students from day one instead of waiting until graduation.

“We want to show students that the CMU community isn’t just your classroom; it’s global. And we want alumni to know they’re still part of that growing community.”

Meagen Fekos

Mongoose delivered the prompts with Smart Messages, picture messages, shared inboxes, and Max Speed sending, paired with personalized class-year graphics.

The Results

• 492 responses from 9,739 texts sent, a 4.8 percent engagement rate.
• 170 percent more responses than CMU’s previous Commencement campaign, which drew 182.
• 8,344 Instagram impressions, up 178 percent from that campaign’s 3,000.
• 156 link clicks.

The responses didn’t stay in the inbox. They became an Instagram Reel, a story on the alumni website, a feature in the online Alumni Community, and slides shown during in-person orientation.

A Low-Cost, High-Impact Win

Four t-shirts were the campaign’s only cost. It more than doubled the response and reach of CMU’s prior effort, set a new internal benchmark for alumni engagement, and will become an annual tradition.

A More Agile Advancement Program

Automation and Segments save CMU’s team time and let it reuse content across channels, tying texting into email, social, and print.

“Even when our team is offline, Mongoose is still working for us. We’re all running at full speed during events; Mongoose gives us the support we need to keep things moving without manual effort.”

Meagen Fekos

What Other Advancement Teams Can Take From CMU

Not every alumni text needs to be an ask. A question alumni want to answer, a small prize, and a plan to share the answers publicly can do more for engagement than another appeal. Tie the campaign to a moment students already care about, like orientation, which we’ve called the first retention strategy. Then look past opens to the engagement signals that matter, like replies and shares, and see these FAQs and best practices for advancement teams for more.

Other advancement teams have seen strong results too. The University of North Florida finished its Giving Day with 5,884 donors, more than 1,000 over its goal, and St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute lifted alumni event attendance 50 percent with personal invitations by text.

Looking Ahead

CMU has already brought the idea to Commencement, asking milestone-year alumni to share life advice with new graduates. The team is also testing event signage that invites alumni to opt back in to texting, a tactic it hopes to use at more campus events.

“If you’re looking for a texting tool that offers both technical and personal support, and texting is critical to your strategy, Mongoose is a great partner. The support we’ve received has made all the difference.”

Meagen Fekos

Download the Full Case Study

For a two-page summary of CMU’s results to share with your advancement team, download the Carnegie Mellon case study (PDF).

Want to see what creative texting could do for your alumni engagement? Book a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can colleges increase alumni engagement by text?

Ask alumni something they want to answer, not only for a gift. Carnegie Mellon texted alumni a question about what new students should know about being a Tartan and got 492 responses, up 170 percent from its previous campaign.

What did CMU’s Orientation Messages campaign cost?

Four CMU t-shirts were the only cost. The campaign more than doubled the response and reach of CMU’s prior effort and will become an annual tradition.

How did CMU reuse alumni responses?

Responses became an Instagram Reel, a story on the alumni website, a feature in the online Alumni Community, and slides shown during in-person orientation. Instagram impressions rose 178 percent over the prior campaign.

How do several advancement teams text from one platform without overlapping?

CMU’s four advancement teams use shared inboxes and live typing indicators. Meagen Fekos says seeing who’s typing helps multiple people respond without stepping on each other’s toes.

What should we look for in a texting partner?

Meagen Fekos advises looking for both technical and personal support if texting is critical to your strategy, and says the support CMU has received made all the difference.