How to Write Emails Alumni Actually Want to Open (Even in the Age of AI)

Pretty much all of us start our workday the same way: with an inbox staring into our soul. Overnight, it has filled itself with meeting reminders, receipts, newsletters, sales emails, notifications you forgot to turn off, and a dozen other things competing for your attention. Before you've even finished your first sip of coffee, you're making split-second decisions. Open. Skip. Delete. Maybe later.

Most emails never get a second chance! 📩

Now imagine you're an alum.

Your institution's email lands in that same crowded inbox, competing for just a few seconds of attention. And today, the challenge is even bigger. Anyone can use AI to write a perfectly decent email in seconds. So if everyone has the same tools, what makes someone stop, open, and actually want to read yours?

That's exactly what we'll explore with Ashley Budd, nonprofit consultant, former Marketing Director at Cornell University, and author of Mailed It! 🔥

Ashley has spent years helping advancement teams write emails that don't just get opened, but build trust, inspire action, and strengthen relationships. Together, we'll unpack what great email writing requires from human expertise and where AI genuinely makes advancement communications better, when it can make your emails worse, and how to use it as a creative partner.

💡You'll learn:

• Why people open, ignore, or click an email
• The psychology behind emails that earn attention
• Where AI helps with drafting, personalization, and segmentation, and where human judgment matters most
• Practical techniques you can apply to your next alumni or donor campaign

If your goal is to create emails that stand out instead of becoming part of the scroll, this conversation is for you.

Bonus: We'll also be giving away a few copies of Ashley's book, "Mailed It", to 5 lucky attendees during the webinar. 📕