Mahinda College, Sri Lanka, has raised funds through simple yet effective alumni engagement ideas like selling exclusive merchandise like t-shirts and badges and hosting various alumni events. With Vaave’s support, Mahinda College set up a dedicated merchandise page on the alumni portal, making it easy to manage and sell goodies within a week and reach more alumni. This helped the association raise funds while giving alumni a reason to feel connected to their alma mater again.
Background & Challenges
The Mahinda College Old Boys’ Association (MCOBA) has always been proactive in engaging its alumni. Known for consistently staying connected with its vibrant alumni network through alumni events, the association has explored several innovative ways to strengthen these bonds while raising funds to support its initiatives.
One such idea was to offer exclusive alumni merchandise, including various branded t-shirts and a unique set of e-badges. These digital badges offer different alumni benefits, with the highest level providing premium perks.
However, while the vision was clear, execution proved to be a challenge. The association needed a platform that could simplify the process, one where they could manage, promote, and sell merchandise without operational roadblocks. They also required support in organizing alumni events more seamlessly, without the hassle of juggling multiple tools or manual coordination.
Solution Offered: A Customized Merchandise Page
When the association shared their alumni engagement strategy with our team, we suggested a dedicated merchandise page within the alumni portal. The idea was to create a simple, streamlined way for the Mahinda College Old Boys’ Association (MCOBA) to manage merchandise sales while encouraging alumni participation.
Vaave developed a customized merchandise page with an integrated payment gateway, allowing alumni to browse and purchase souvenirs like t-shirts and digital badges directly from the portal. To make access effortless, the page was added to the website’s main navigation bar. Alumni could simply click, explore the offerings, and complete their purchase in just a few steps.
On the backend, the alumni portal’s admin panel made it easy for the association to track transactions, manage orders, and oversee the entire process all from one place. What was once a logistical challenge became a smooth and scalable system for driving engagement and fundraising.
Impact & Results
Swift Fundraising Through Merchandise
With the customized merchandise page set up on the alumni portal, MCOBA successfully mobilized its engaged alumni base to purchase exclusive souvenirs. 102 branded t-shirts and 62 e-badges were sold like hotcakes with stock running out in just a week. The quick sell-out brought in funds and reflected how strong the emotional bond remains between the alumni and their alma mater.
Seamless Event Management
As a regular alumni event organizer, MCOBA found Vaave’s event management module a perfect fit. Whether it was reunions, cricket tournaments, or musical nights, everything was planned and executed through the alumni portal. It streamlined coordination, boosted participation, and made event management easier than ever.
MCOBA has conducted a wide variety of events:
Conclusion
Mahinda College Old Boys’ Association has shown that when vision meets the right platform, great things follow. By setting up a dedicated merchandise page and streamlining event management through Vaave, the association raised funds and rekindled alumni pride and participation. What once felt like a logistical hurdle became a smooth process, proving that engaging alumni meaningfully doesn’t always need big budgets, just the right intent and execution.