Sarah Hagerty ’13 has a confession to make: She originally began volunteering for Carleton just to join the fun of the Carleton Alumni Volunteer Experience, better known as CAVE.
“I leave CAVE feeling even more inspired, energized, and ready for a dedicated year of volunteering,” says Hagerty, an Alumni Annual Fund class agent.
CAVE is the college’s best-known volunteer training event, says Maggie Patrick, director of the Alumni Annual Fund. Held over one August weekend each year, CAVE features presentations by senior administrators, strategy workshops, and breakout sessions for Alumni Annual Fund, Reunion, and occasionally club volunteers.
Since volunteers are the “heart and soul” of the annual fund and Reunion, Patrick says, Carleton is dedicated to helping them succeed. CAVE offers in-person training, expert staff support, and toolkits and handbooks that explain how to reconnect with classmates, ask for donations, and coordinate awareness campaigns around events such as Give Day.
Sarah Forster ’93, director of alumni relations, adds that the college also supports volunteers by connecting them with the information they’re seeking—whether historical details from the Carleton archives or online handbooks and templates. Staff members also help with social media communications and talking points on major issues. “We know our volunteers hear questions from their classmates about the Carleton of today, and we want to put them in the best position to answer,” Forster says.
There’s also the volunteer portal. Recognizing the advanced needs of its volunteers, Carleton developed an online tool to help volunteers sort and analyze robust data, track progress, and capture and share notes among volunteers and staff.
“None of the tools available on the market could ever keep up with our volunteers — they’re far too savvy,” Patrick says. “They could be professionals.” Carleton is the first school in the country, she says, to have built such an extensive, customized tool to make its volunteers’ work easier.
As a volunteer, Hagerty says the college and the portal give her everything she needs to get the work done. There are also 20 volunteer group meetings on campus every year, with staff members assisting every step of the way.
“All I have to do is focus on what makes Carleton great,” she says. “By far, my favorite part of volunteering for Carleton is having a reason to reach out to my classmates and stay connected.”