SDSU Alumni

What SDSU Alumni does

SDSU Alumni is the official nonprofit alumni engagement organization for San Diego State University, operating as part of the California State University system. It serves a 500,000+ alumni community with lifetime membership programs priced at $500 (single) and $650 (dual), regional chapters across the US and internationally, mentorship through the Aztec Mentor Program, career services via Aztecs Hiring Aztecs, three annual $7,500 scholarships, and major events such as Homecoming and Awards of Distinction. The organization also operates the 30,000-square-foot Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, offering venue rentals including the Fowler Family Ballroom (capacity up to 320) to alumni and the broader community.

The underlying technology platform is iModules Software, a licensed third-party system that powers the sdsualumni.org website, member profiles, event registration, and donation processing. The organization runs on a community-led and event-driven go-to-market motion, relying on the pre-acquired SDSU graduation funnel, regional chapter activations, and high-profile events for engagement and acquisition. Strategic partnerships include Bartell Hotels (alumni discounts with donation back to the Internship Fund), Artiste Wine Collection (Alumni Wine Club), AHI Travel (alumni travel program), and SDSU Catering (exclusive food and beverage at the alumni center).

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: one-time lifetime membership fees (with 10% tax-deductible), donations and fundraising (including Day of Giving and crowdfunding), affinity partnership royalties (insurance products shared with the university), and event venue rental at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. The organization is led by Executive Director Stephanie Dathe ('95) and operates with a 56-person staff. As a nonprofit affiliated with a public university, SDSU Alumni is not an independent commercial enterprise and does not have disclosed financials, investor backing, or equity structure.

Name

SDSU Alumni

Legal name

San Diego State University Alumni

Website

https://sdsualumni.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SDSU Alumni is the official nonprofit alumni engagement organization for San Diego State University, serving 500,000+ alumni and 13,000+ lifetime members through membership programs, regional chapters, scholarships, mentorship, career services, events, and venue rentals at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alumni Engagement Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Alumni Relations & Alumni Engagement Programs (EDALAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alumni Benefits, Membership & Affinity Programs (EDALAOAM), Alumni Career Networking & Mentorship Programs (EDALAOAL), Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC), Alumni Events, Reunions & Regional Chapters (EDALAOAG), Student & Alumni Communities (BPAMABAK)

Keywords

• Alumni engagement services
• Alumni networking platform
• Career mentoring programs
• Scholarship fund management
• Event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Lifetime Membership Fees: One-time lifetime membership fees providing alumni with benefits including event invitations, exclusive access, and scholarship support. Single membership $500, Dual membership $650 with payment plan options.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Donations supporting SDSU Alumni Scholarship Program, Lifetime Member Endowment, Day of Giving, crowdfunding campaigns, and various university programs. 10% of membership fees are tax-deductible donations.
3. Affinity Partnerships: Royalties from affinity partners including insurance products (auto, homeowners, health) shared with the university. Alumni can opt out of information sharing with affinity partners.
4. Event Venue Rental: Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center generates revenue through rental of event spaces including the Fowler Family Ballroom (up to 320 capacity), Allan Bailey Library, and meeting rooms to alumni and community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SDSU Alumni is the official alumni association of San Diego State University, providing lifetime membership, networking events, career services, student scholarships, alumni travel programs, and event venue rental to more than 500,000 SDSU alumni. Core offerings center on engaging alumni as paying lifetime members, connecting them with current students and fellow graduates, and raising scholarship funds for SDSU students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aztec for Life: The guiding principle of SDSU Alumni - to celebrate alumni achievements and inspire loyalty to the university
• Aztec Mentor Program (AMP)

Products and services

• Lifetime Membership A one-time-paid lifetime membership giving SDSU graduates access to alumni events, networking, communications, and member benefits for life.
• Alumni Networking Events Events such as reunions, mixers, and chapter gatherings that connect SDSU alumni with each other and with the university community.
• Career Services Career development resources for SDSU alumni, including mentoring, networking, and job-market support.
• Student Scholarships Funded scholarships awarded to current SDSU students using donations raised through the alumni association.
• Alumni Travel Programs Curated group travel experiences and trips offered to SDSU alumni members.
• Alumni Event Venue Rental Rental of the on-campus Alumni Center for events hosted by alumni, university groups, and external clients.
• Affinity Partnerships Partnerships with corporate brands offering discounted products and services to the SDSU alumni community, generating revenue for the association.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three annual $7,500 scholarships awarded to students through the SDSU Alumni Scholarship program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bartell HotelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership offering SDSU alumni, family and friends discounted room rates (15% off best available rate) at Bartell Hotels near SDSU, Snapdragon Stadium and major attractions. A percentage of room costs is donated back to SDSU Alumni Internship Fund.
• Artiste Wine CollectionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAztec-owned winery partnership for the SDSU Alumni Wine Club, offering alumni curated wine products.
• AHI (Travel)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel partner for alumni travel programs including Croatia and Dalmatian Coast cruise scheduled for September 2026.
• iModules SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationLicensed website and alumni community management platform powering the sdsualumni.org website, member profiles, event registration, and donation processing.
• SDSU CateringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive food and beverage provider for the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center events and venue operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UC San Diego Alumni: Official alumni association for the University of California, San Diego — a San Diego-area public research university. Highly comparable given shared San Diego geography, similar public-university donor base, lifetime membership model, chapter network, and student-career services.
• UC Berkeley Alumni Association: Cal Alumni Association serves UC Berkeley's 600,000+ alumni with chapters, lifelong membership programs, travel, and career networking. Comparable in scale, structure, and the Cal 'network-for-life' value proposition to SDSU Alumni.
• Texas A&M Association of Former Students: Alumni association for Texas A&M, one of the largest US alumni networks. Comparable in operating a robust chapter system, scholarships, career networking, and the 'Aggie Network' brand-equity-driven lifetime engagement model.
• UCLA Alumni Association: Alumni association for UCLA, the largest UC campus. Directly comparable as a large California public-university alumni body with regional chapters, lifetime membership tiers, mentor/networking programs, and affinity partnerships.
• USC Alumni Association: Alumni association of the University of Southern California, a major Los Angeles private university. Comparable in operating a multi-region chapter network, lifetime memberships, signature events (Homecoming/Troy Camp), and career/mentor services for a 400,000+ alumni base.
• Arizona State University Alumni Association: ASU Alumni Association is one of the largest US university alumni bodies. Comparable as a high-growth, large-scale public-university alumni association with chapters, scholarships, career services, and lifetime membership programs.

Emerging players

• LinkedIn (Alumni Tool / Alumni Finder): LinkedIn provides free alumni-networking tools, alumni search, and professional groups that functionally substitute for many paid alumni-association benefits. Relevant as the dominant competitive substitute threatening paid lifetime memberships.

Broad incumbents

• Stanford Alumni Association: Stanford's alumni association serves a high-resource, globally distributed alumni base with sophisticated programming. Comparable as a benchmark for elite-university alumni engagement, though Stanford's resources and donor profile far exceed SDSU's.
• Harvard Alumni Association: Harvard's global alumni association with shared-interest groups, clubs worldwide, and lifetime engagement. Comparable in mission and lifetime-engagement model, but operates at vastly greater scale, endowment, and brand prestige than SDSU Alumni.

Others

• San Diego State University Career Services: Internal SDSU partner organization that co-runs the Aztec Mentor Program with SDSU Alumni. While not a competitor, it is a directly adjacent entity shaping the career-services offering that anchors SDSU Alumni's member value proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sdsualumni
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCx_4IbRQhoDmBimQGQFwQTQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/SDSUAlumni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sdsu-alumni
• Instagraminstagram.com/sdsualumni

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SDSU Alumni