Fraternities and sororities often treat printed magazines and recruitment pieces as brand expenses. However, the ROI of print can be measured like any other channel when the project is built around specific actions and a clean attribution plan. Keep reading to learn more about how alumni associations and fraternal organizations can get a better understanding of how their publications are performing and how the right print partner can make print materials feel like an investment, rather than an expense.
Start With the Right Definition of ROI
For fraternal publications, we must look past revenue and consider the breadth of value they offer through engagement. In this case, value can include attributable gifts, sponsorship revenue, event registrations, mentor or volunteer sign-ups, updated contact records and reactivated alumni who become easier to reach in future campaigns.
While it can be difficult to measure return on non-monetary wins, it’s important to remember that engagement is often the first step in securing long-term donations. CASE offers a useful model for measuring alumni engagement that includes results across communication, experiential, philanthropic and volunteering modes, not just fundraising totals.
That broader view is important because alumni relations teams are facing a real connection problem. RNL’s 2024 National Alumni Survey, based on 20,314 alumni from 15 institutions, found that a 15% decline in college-bound students has been matched by a 30% decline in alumni donor counts. The same report found that 68% of respondents gave to some nonprofit and 51% volunteered, but only 27% of those who donated gave to their alma mater.
More than half of alumni who never gave to their alma mater said they still actively support other causes. That means the issue is not whether alumni care; it is whether your organization is staying connected enough to earn attention and action.
How to Measure Your Publication’s ROI
If your publication is supposed to drive engagement, treat it like a campaign, not a standalone publication. Set one primary outcome and a few secondary ones before the issue goes to press. Your primary goal might be gifts, event registration or profile updates. Secondary goals might include volunteer interest, internship participation, story submissions or traffic to alumni pages.
Then build tracking into the piece itself. Use unique QR codes, short vanity URLs, segmented landing pages and response devices that tell you which cover story, region or class-year version drove action.
Analyzing the Results
To judge performance honestly, compare mailed recipients against a holdout group or against past cohorts that received digital-only communication. Match back every gift, RSVP, inquiry or profile update that lands within a defined window, often 30 to 90 days.
CASE’s 2024 takeaways show the average percentage of alumni engaged in at least one way held between 19% and 20% from 2022 through 2024, and communication represented 57.5% of total engagement distribution. That is a strong reminder that communication vehicles such as magazines should not be treated solely as expenses. They are often the front door to broader engagement.
A quick hypothetical makes the math clearer. If a magazine issue costs $18,000 to print and mail, brings in $5,000 in ad revenue, drives $9,000 in attributable gifts and produces 75 event registrations worth $40 each, the direct value is $17,000 before you count volunteer sign-ups, mentor matches or future donor reactivation. The next issue only needs modest improvement to become positive, and minor tweaks like smarter segmentation or a better call to action can get it there.
How to Measure Recruitment Material ROI
Recruitment materials work differently, but the math is just as real. For fraternities and sororities, the value of one incremental member can include first-year dues, housing costs, event fees, merch sales and long-term alumni value. The scale also makes measurement worth the effort. On the sorority side alone, NPC’s 2024-25 annual survey reported 375,592 undergraduate members and 134,872 new members initiated. That is a large, competitive pipeline, and strong print pieces can help chapters stand out.
Start by calculating the average first-year value of a new member. Then compare that figure to the cost per qualified prospect reached and the cost per initiated member. Print can play an important role in moving prospects from interest to action.
Engaging Students in the Digital Age
In USPS generational research, 38% of Gen Z consumers said they went to a brand’s website after receiving relevant direct mail. That is not the same as fraternity or sorority recruitment, but it is a useful benchmark for what relevant print can do with a younger audience. Pair a lookbook, postcard or recruitment booklet with a simple landing page, QR code and trackable RSVP or interest form.
Parents matter, too. A printed piece that clearly explains academics, philanthropy, service, leadership and alumni support can shorten the trust gap for families who influence the decision.
Why Choosing the Right Print Partner Matters
A strong print partner affects ROI in two directions. First, your printer can improve response by helping you choose the right format, trim size, paper and binding method, to name a few. For segmented fraternity and sorority recruitment runs, it is often smart to evaluate variable data digital printing for relevance.
For larger magazine circulations, it is also worth evaluating offset production for economy and image quality. When your printer understands production, mailing and measurement, the project stops being just ink on paper and starts acting more like a true performance channel.
Invest in Your Organization With Walsworth
Printed magazines and recruitment materials do not belong in the “nice to have” bucket. They can generate measurable returns when you define the right outcomes, build in tracking and judge results across both direct revenue and long-term engagement. For fraternities and sororities, that means magazines that deepen alumni connection and recruitment pieces that help bring in members who stay involved for years.
When projects are planned with the right metrics and produced by an experienced partner like Walsworth, print can absolutely deliver a respectable ROI and a visible lift in engagement and recruitment.Ready to learn more about what Walsworth can do for your alumni outreach? Get in touch with one of our experts today.
* This article was developed with assistance from OpenAI’s GPT 5.4 Pro Deep Research large language AI model.
