CampusESP

For five years running this has been our most-attended webinar — and 2026 is shaping up to be the biggest yet.

CampusESP now supports **5 million parents and family members every year across 450+ institutions**, giving us an unmatched view into what families open, click, read, ignore, obsess over, and ask for next. And for our **2026 Top Trends in Family Engagement** report, we're pulling back the curtain on the patterns and benchmarks every campus needs to know.

Join us for the parent engagement insights that *actually* matter — and the trends that will shape your strategy in the year ahead.


Top Trends in Family Engagement for 2026

When three quarters of families consider financial aid packages a top factor in their student's enrollment decision and only 1 in 4 find financial aid information easy to understand, communication isn’t optional — it’s make-or-break. Join CampusESP and Liaison to explore how coordinated outreach to families, not just students, moves the yield needle.

You’ll see how:

*   Tailored financial aid communications get parents’ attention (and action)
*   Consistent, transparent updates through a parent portal build trust
*   Tracking engagement gives teams a measurable edge during the decision window


Win Yield Through Family Confidence: Communicating Financial Aid and ROI Effectively

Families aren’t just along for the ride — they’re often the deciding factor in where students apply, enroll, and persist. Join CampusESP, Encoura, and the University of Kansas for an inside look at new research on how families shape the enrollment journey, paired with a real-world example of family engagement in action.

You’ll hear fresh data on parents’ and guardians’ concerns, communication preferences, and decision-making influence. Then, KU will share how they’ve strategically engaged families to improve outcomes, from boosting applications to strengthening yield.

Whether you’re refining your parent outreach strategy or building one from scratch, this session will provide the research, insights, and institutional perspective you need to make family engagement a driver of enrollment success.


From Parent Interest into Enrollment Impact: Research & Lessons from the University of Kansas

Join Flagler College and Miami University (Ohio) for a look at how they transformed their family communication strategies into powerful drivers of engagement and giving.

You’ll walk away with actionable insights to:

*   Build trust with families through transparent, personalized communication
*   Align marketing and advancement to move from connection to contribution
*   Identify high-affinity families using engagement data
*   Create stories and campaigns that turn family pride into philanthropic impact


Why engaged families give more: How connected families drive giving

Families can be powerful drivers of Giving Day success, not just as donors, but as advocates and amplifiers. In this session, **Molloy Universit**y shares how a family-focused communication strategy helped power a record-setting Giving Day.

You’ll hear how they positioned Giving Day messaging for parents, segmented and personalized outreach, and identified the channels that delivered the strongest engagement. 

The conversation will explore how connecting appeals to family affinity and impact — along with a few small but intentional changes can lead to measurable gains in participation and dollars raised.

Walk away with practical ideas you can apply to your next Giving Day.


Record-Setting Giving Days Start with Families

Speakers

Angela Zimmerman

Director of Development & Alumni Relations | Molloy University

Molly Pancratz

Account Manager | CampusESP

Replays

Top Trends in Family Engagement for 2026

Win Yield Through Family Confidence: Communicating Financial Aid and ROI Effectively