The University of Notre Dame Alumni Association recently unveiled an online engagement center with social-networking capabilities fit to engage — and elicit gifts from — even the feistiest of the Fighting Irish alums.

By Abny Santicola

The most significant portion of gifts to the university comes from alumni, so the last thing the alumni association wanted to be perceived as was “behind.” Last year, Notre Dame had record participation among undergraduate alumni at 54.3 percent, roughly the same number that contributed to the university last year — showing the link between involvement and giving. The massive involvement of alumni is a testament to the power of the “Notre Dame experience.”