Univ. Pub. Corp.

EM1843 · #1 05-12-2003, 11:38 AM

Ok...have any of your chapters delt with University Publishing Corp.? They offer a free directory and newsletter. Since I know there's no free lunch, what's the catch? How was your experience with the company?

bruinaphi · #2 05-12-2003, 12:49 PM

I have dealt with them extensively and would be happy to talk to you about it on PM if you want.

madmax · #3 05-12-2003, 08:48 PM

I have never dealt with them. I think the catch will be that they list you for free but if you want a copy of the directory they will charge you.

bruinaphi · #4 05-13-2003, 10:57 PM

No, all alumnae receive a copy of the directory and the newsletter for free. The catch is that the chapters very rarely meet the targets set in the contracts and alums think they are giving back to the chapter when they really aren't. The other issue is quality of the publication.

OUlioness01 · #5 06-02-2003, 01:44 PM

they're ok. i'm in charge of dealing with them for my chapter and i recently ended our partnership with them, although not because of anything they did. the proofs nearly always have one typo/misprint in them but that's easy to fix. they pay for directories and newsletters through donations from alum, so it's a good possibility that alum think they are donating to the chapter when they are really donating to UPC.

bruinaphi · #6 06-02-2003, 02:22 PM

For the cost that UPC is charging/collecting you could do a nice two color newsletter with much better quality pix. It's a matter of putting time and effort into the product.

LD

EM1843 · #7 06-02-2003, 04:40 PM

you also have to consider the postage for such a newsletter. That is what makes it prohibitivly expensive for us. We have approximately 1500 living alumni which costs alot, especially when the alumni don't donate as much as you have spent. That's why I'm considering using them.

bruinaphi · #8 06-02-2003, 04:59 PM

We have approximately 1800 living alumnae (1300 mailable according to our Executive Office). We have drawn up a budget and are working with a graphic artist and with postage and production costs we expect everything to break even with alumnae contributions.

DGMarie · #9 06-02-2003, 05:11 PM

i.e. about your chapter etc? If so, we are producing a newlsetter from alumnae to alumnae. We normally send out over 700 of them twice a year but this is very expensive. This year we are producing them electronically and will email them out (I should clarify we are emailing a link, not the actual newsletter, because some email does not accept attachments). The newsletter will be on our website. You can download it or read it from the site. For those without email, they will get the actual copy this time, but from now on the plan is to send the vast majority electronically to save postage and paper costs. If we have a phone number but no email address in our DB, we are calling to get member's email addresses. It just doesn't make financial sense to spend all that money in printing and postage for the few (FEW) responses we get.

editied to add: we will use MS Word or MS Publisher to make the newsletters in house. They are both fine for our purposes.

bruinaphi · #10 06-02-2003, 05:26 PM

DGMarie, our alum groups use the method you discuss and have had a lot of success. We are talking about a newsletter that goes from collegiate chapters to alumnae of that chapter.

We have many older alumnae who enjoy getting the newsletter and do not have email. For them, the written newsletters and the Quarterly are their connection to Alpha Phi.

Tom Earp · #11 06-02-2003, 11:08 PM

How about Chapters send out the news letters through the Un. Bulk Mail system. Check with them and as long as you pay postage they may be willing and a heck of a lot cheaper than regular mail postage.

If you have a large enuff email listings, you can send letters out.

Matt, Check with Jono, they have Alum/Active server set up through FIT. They can do on line chat via talking through Computor! Chat room, and boards like GC!

Not sure how it works but give him a Shout!

DGMarie · #12 06-03-2003, 12:19 AM

Tom:
We do use bulk mail. Our Chicago Coordinating Committee bulk mails them. The process is rather complicated and you must be very accurate in how the items are sorted and rubber banded (even the rubber bands have to be done a certain way). It will save you money but it will consumer a lot of time. It takes 5 alumnae 4 hours to do 700 every time.

bruinaphi · #13 06-04-2003, 02:02 PM

We use bulk mail too. For alumnae chapters I am a firm believer that an email system is better. For collegiate chapters I am not convinced that an email system is a better tool. I think it depends upon your goal.

LD

dakareng · #14 06-28-2003, 06:19 PM

I've always been very suspicious of this company and doubt highly that the chapter ever gets a dime. If, however, I got a newsletter from my chapter directly, I would very happily 'subscribe' to it ... I don't send money now because the newsletter comes from UPC and they can't even spell my name right (not sure where they came up with the spelling either)

#15 06-28-2003, 06:47 PM

What besides the Quarterly is there a newsletter too? or is that a indiviual chapter thing?

laura