4 min read

Carnegie Mellon University Boosts Alumni Responses by 170% with Mongoose

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Case Studies

Overview

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a world-class research institution in Pittsburgh, has redefined alumni engagement through personalized, creative texting. Since October 2023, CMU’s Advancement division has used Mongoose exclusively to communicate with alumni in more dynamic, meaningful ways.

Four CMU teams working on advancement initiatives—including alumni relations and annual giving—leverage the platform, with messaging overseen by Meagen Fekos, Senior Director of Advancement Communications & Marketing. Meagen and her team bring energy and creativity to their communications, using images, GIFs, competitions, giveaways, and event-based prompts to build community and drive interaction.

The Challenge: A Communication Channel in Crisis

Before adopting Mongoose, CMU’s texting program faced technical issues and internal skepticism. Their previous platform lacked reliability, leading to data mishaps, duplicate sends, and general confusion. As Meagen described it, texting had become “the black sheep” of their communication strategy. The team needed a new tool that could be intuitive, dependable, and flexible enough to support multiple departments with minimal onboarding or troubleshooting.

The Solution: A More Personal and Scalable Platform

CMU selected Mongoose for its user-friendly design, powerful segmentation tools, and standout customer support. From real-time typing indicators to automated Smart Messages, Mongoose gave the team the flexibility to scale outreach without sacrificing personalization. Features like Shared Inboxes helped teams collaborate across departments, while MMS functionality allowed CMU to incorporate branded graphics and animations into their messages.

“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

Campaign Highlight: Orientation Messages

In 2024, CMU ran an alumni texting campaign to welcome the incoming Class of 2028+ and re-engage 2025 Reunion celebrants. Alumni were invited to respond to the prompt:

“What do you want this year’s first-year students to know about what it means to be a Tartan?”

The responses were part of a giveaway where four alumni won CMU t-shirts. Beyond the incentive, the goal was to reinforce the connection between alumni and students, making the Alumni Association more visible early in the student journey.

“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

CMU used Mongoose to deliver the campaign through segmented Smart Messages, each paired with MMS visuals customized by class year. The tone was authentic and celebratory—and the results reflected that.

Results

492 responses from 9,739 texts sent (4.8% engagement rate)
→ 170% increase over the previous campaign (182 responses)
8,344 Instagram impressions
→ 178% increase over prior campaign (3,000 impressions)
156 link clicks

The campaign’s impact extended well beyond the text inbox. Alumni responses were turned into:

An Instagram Reel
A web feature on the alumni site
A post in the online Alumni Community
Slides featured during in-person orientation programming

Why It Worked: The Mongoose Difference

MMS Messaging: Engaging visuals and class-year personalization
Smart Messages: Automation with a human touch
Shared Inboxes & Typing Indicators: Seamless cross-team collaboration
Segmentation: Tailored outreach by class year, college, and milestone

And best of all? The entire campaign cost just four t-shirts.

A Scalable, Low-Cost Engagement Model

With minimal spend and high ROI, CMU’s Orientation Messages campaign has now become an annual tradition. It demonstrated how thoughtful prompts, paired with smart technology, can build community, drive engagement, and deliver value far beyond the inbox.

Beyond the Campaign: Advancement-Wide Impact

Mongoose has empowered CMU’s Advancement team to streamline its messaging strategy and tie texting efforts into broader digital initiatives—supporting alumni engagement across social, email, and even printed materials.

“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’s Next

After the campaign’s success, CMU replicated the model for Commencement by inviting milestone-year alumni to share life advice with graduating students. They’re also experimenting with event signage to encourage alumni to opt back in to texting, with hopes of expanding this tactic across more campus events.

Conclusion

With Mongoose, CMU’s Advancement team has raised the bar on what alumni communication can look like: authentic, creative, and deeply human.

“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.”
Meagen Fekos