benefits to alumni
 

Something the National Alumni Association works very hard on is providing benefits to our alumni members. Some benefits that alumni receive are the newsletter, networking opportunities, staying in contact with sisters, and soon...travel opportunities with our sisters!!

I would like to hear from alumni (or collegiates) about other benefits they would like to see from the NAA.

Alison

P.S. If you are interested in helping with the Travel Club, let me know!!

I know you are currently working on this, but I would like to see a place where I can donate money and have a tax write off! I would be more than willing to donate more eucational dollars into Sigma Alpha if I knew in the end I could benefit as well. So would many universities!

I believe the tax write off stuff is something the NAA is working on. Carrie Sanders is a member of the NAA board and she is one of our Alum. I am almost sure they are figuring out what they have to do in order to provide this. On Federal taxes you can claim up to 400.00 without a receipt to non-profits. Don't quote me on that but I have done my taxes in the past and faintly remember that.

Alison

I would be interested in possibly helping over the summer. However when fall comes I go back to school and my job (teacher). I am starting a new position so I will not have extra time after August.

Let me know

Stacy's correct in that you can make smaller donations and apply them to your federal income tax deductions. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact amount either! If you do you own taxes w/ a program like Turbo Tax, it will walk you through the process. There are also rules governing whether or not multiple donations are to be added together or considered individually. Before making donations to any group, just consult w/ a tax professional for the rules.

The Sigma Alpha National Board and the National Alumni Board are working to set up the Sigma Alpha Educational Foundation. This has been a long term project, but we think we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Once the foundation status is achieved, individuals and corporations will be able to contribute much larger sums to the group. These funds will be used to sponsor a variety of scholarships and educational programs for Sigma Alpha!

1. I'd like to have an area on the website with professional resources that have been of use to other members- books, other websites, etc. I think this would benefit our active membership as well as the alumni membership.

2. I'd also like to see some professional development sessions that are useful to alumni at convention. For example, how can you effectively network, the top 10 mistakes women make in the workplace, or a conflict resolution workshop.

I know how hard everyone on NB and NAB works. Thanks for dedicating your time.

alumni benefits
 

I like the idea of adding more resources on the website. One of the goals for the alumni board is to enhance our website this year, so we'll try that.

Coincidentally, we are also looking at having more alumni specific events at convention. I think in the agricultural field, most of us are probably in the minority at work and we need to learn how we can get ahead and get recognized for our accomplishments.

Great ideas Robin! And congrats on your Innovative Dairy Research Award.

Portfolio Development
 

One thing at convention that could benefit Alumni is a workshop on developing your portfolio. How do you do it? What should it look like? What should go in it? Are their job specific ones? Alumni could bring some things they think should go in the portfolio and spend some time working on it. If the presenter sent out a list of supplies before convention that could help (bring a notebook, dividers, etc) Answering the above questions would help everyone, especially new alumni that are just starting their careers.