The Kentucky 4-H Foundation is on the leading edge in the efforts to reconnect 4-H alumni. During my time as executive director, my colleagues in the other state foundations and the National 4-H Council (Council) have spent a great deal of time focusing on 4-H alumni: who are they, how do we identify them, how do we reconnect them to 4-H, and why? I have encouraged the Council to bring the states together and develop a strategy targeting 4-H alumni and have asked for the Council to provide the national leadership to marshal the resources needed to develop a successful strategy. My dream of participating in a national team and developing a national strategy with experts to reconnect 4-H alumni became a reality.
This week I participated in the Alumni Engagement Strategy Kick-off meeting at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, MD, near Washington, D.C. Kentucky was selected as one of only ten states, along with California, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, and Vermont, to be invited to participate in a pilot program. The goal of the pilot is to create and test customized strategies for national, state, and local 4-H programs that will substantially increase the number of alumni who volunteer, advocate, and donate to 4-H at all levels. From the pilot, we hope to benefit from the strategic and technical expertise of the consultants and partners that Council has brought to the table, as well as the experience of what state foundations like us have tried.
This is the first national effort to reconnect with alumni that has had the resources and willingness to be successful in a comprehensive, broad strategy. Estimates show there are 60 million 4-H alumni in the U.S., but the 4-H structure does not offer an organized, cohesive way to keep up with alumni. Some states like Kentucky have tried various things with different degrees of success.
The Kentucky 4-H Foundation has been serious about outreach to 4-H alumni for the past two years. Here are a few highlights:
- State 4-H Officer Campaign: We have identified and located two-thirds of the past officers since 1950.
- Looking to the Future Campaign: We are meeting with County 4-H Councils to identify and locate 4-H alumni, especially those involved in state level activities.
- Kentucky 4-H Homecoming: In 2011, we launched this annual event to reconnect and re-engage alumni.
- Marketing and Public Relations: Launched this year, we created an initiative to update our website, engage alumni in social media and earned media, and more.
I still believe in the 4-H values of Head, Heart, Hands, and Health and that 4-H is still as relevant today as it was when I was a 4-H member. 4-H alumni will be the key to keeping Kentucky 4-H going strong, and the Foundation is dedicated to making that happen. Please continue to visit our website to obtain updates on this national effort, and be sure to like our Facebook page to keep current!
In the coming weeks, we’ll launch our alumni forum where you’ll be able to reconnect with other Kentucky 4-H alumni right here on our website. Join our revolution and keep our Kentucky 4-H program strong by giving to today’s youth, who will soon become tomorrow’s alumni!
