How do you get Alumni involved

meheron · #1 12-11-2002, 10:51 PM

Im trying to start an Alumni chapter in our area. I sent 70 letters out (on my own and out of my own money) to alumni in the area. 6 women and my roomate showed up. Our Alumni chapter was really strong between 1970-1995 but it is no longer. Any ideas?

xp2k · #2 12-12-2002, 12:31 AM

That surprising.

Since Kappa Alpha Theta was founded at Depauw, you'd think that they would have a stronger presence in central Indiana.

Why dont you try asking for help from the alumni associations at (relatively) nearby schools like IU, Purdue, Depauw, etc.

I know the IU chapter has strong alumni support.

SATX*APhi · #3 12-12-2002, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by meheron
Im trying to start an Alumni chapter in our area. I sent 70 letters out (on my own and out of my own money) to alumni in the area. 6 women and my roomate showed up. Our Alumni chapter was really strong between 1970-1995 but it is no longer. Any ideas?

I feel you! I sent out 60 letters for our first event that is going to be held tomorrow. Only 8 people RSVP'd.

Ahh, What to do?

DaffyKD · #4 12-12-2002, 03:22 AM

When I lived in Albuquerque, I worked to have the Alumnae Association rechartered. I sent out a lot of invites. I had been told if I had one person show up for every 10 invites I sent out, I could consider myself to be very successful. There are a lot of members who 1) had some bad experience while in college and want to forget about it now, 2) are very old and unable to participate, 3) have just started families and don't have time to participate {studies show that most people do not participate in any type of Alumni activity whether school or organizations for at least 10-15 years after graduation, 4) have someone at the address "forget" to give the invite to the person, 5) just don't join ANYTHING

DaffyKD

swede · #5 12-12-2002, 03:48 AM

I would say you got a good response so far. I think the post before mine sums it up great. My chapter sends out 200+ invites for semseterly formal and we get 20-40 alumni show up and we have a blast and it is a great turn out for us.

meheron · #6 12-12-2002, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SATX*APhi

I feel you! I sent out 60 letters for our first event that is going to be held tomorrow. Only 8 people RSVP'd. Ahh, What to do?

Let me know how it turns out. The small group of us decided to have another meeting after our local chapters founders day celebration. We considered the fact that a lot of area alumni would be there. I think a big thing is that a lot of the younger members don't understand what an alumni chapter does since we have not had one in our area for so many years. Also the Indianaplis Alumni chapter is like 800 strong from what I have heard so alot of people just drive the 45 min to go to that alumni chapter meeting.

Kevin · #7 12-12-2002, 07:09 PM

Alumni Clubs (if you have them) might be an option as well. They generally focus on servicing a certain geographical area. They are not chapter specific.

SilverTurtle · #8 12-12-2002, 07:41 PM

Alumni chapters/clubs/associations vary by GLO. In Phi Beta, chapters aren't specific to undergrad chapters, although there are areas where the interaction is vital to the chapters (alumni & collegiate) and others where there is one type of chapter but not the other!

We actually have a process we have to go through to be an officially recognized alumni chapter. So our nationals has a kind of plan for us to follow. You might see if yours does as well.

Phone calls are very effective, alhtough you're obviously not going to call 200 people! The mailing "statistics" sound about right. Keep at it, and good luck!

Tom Earp · #9 12-12-2002, 10:22 PM

Really, is that so surprising?

If something was strong and fell by the way side, then it is twice as hard to revamp it!

Now, down to the nitty gritty, work your ass off! Plain and simple!!!!!!

I know how hard it is so do not give up!

Make it easy for them to do or come to a meeting! Make it social and mellow!

Get the group you have and have them contact via phone to just chat and see what is going on with the person and pass on information from the chapter and what y ou as a group are trying to do! Ask them if they can be of help as you dont know all of the Alums and they might give you some names, phones and address #! Do not foget e-m addresses where you can sed info out to peek the interest!

I started with 10 and have over 200!

I did a lot of phone calling to get this info! Thank god fot the Long Distance Phone Cards that I sell at my shop or my LD phone bill would be HUGE!

DONT GIVE UP! I got depressed many times but sucked it up and kept going! Please do the same, it will pay off in the end!

Trust me, you will enjoy the rewards!

SATX*APhi · #10 12-12-2002, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by meheron
Let me know how it turns out.

There were 6, plus myself. I had a great time getting to know them all. We set a meeting for next month and I have a lot of contacting to do before then. Things look like they are going well. I wish you success in your quest.

meheron · #11 12-13-2002, 12:31 AM

The women who came to my meeting were the original ladies who helped establish my chapter and they were the original members of the alumni group. I had two younger members show up and that is it. I like the idea of seeing if they can make some phone calls, I might try that. Im just affraid that the older women will get burnt out again. Something else that was unusual, non of the women that showed up were from my chapter. All of them were went to colleges far away from Muncie IN but for some reason or another they were brought to this town. They were really disappointed that the only people that actually went to school in muncie were myself and my roomate. I really didn't know how to answer them but to say that the people that are on my list might use their parents address still.

I do have a nice list of all the registered alumni in muncie but few email addresses. Kappa Alpha Theta this past year also stopped Alumni clubs. We only have Alumni chapters which is really different for the ladies who attended my event. I have decided that I made the time in my life (as a graduate student) to do the whole mailing by myself and come to the meeting that I am not giving up. But the other problem is I don't want to be in charge.

Greekgrrl · #12 12-13-2002, 11:26 AM

The Year of Alumnae stuff that Theta headquarters has going right now would probabaly be a big help. I know there's some stuff online about Founders' Day (in the Thetas Online section) and website procedures.

Call HQ and see if they can send you any information on how to kickstart an alumnae chapter; the people I've talked to there in the past have been incredibly helpful.

Talk to your handful of people that have showed up and see what the feasibility of putting together a Founders' Day tea is. Teas are super-easy and usually not terribly expensive, plus you've got over a month to plan.

Putting together a website might also help. I know I wish my alumnae chapter had one!

Good luck!

Greekgrrl

SmartBlondeGPhB · #13 12-13-2002, 01:09 PM

My alumnae chapter (3 years old) is pretty much made up of people who came from collegiate chapters out of state and moved to Washington state, we have very few women from either of the collegiate chapters close by us.

While we help out the collegiate chapter (formed the House Corp, provided some advisors, help with recruitment) it isn't our focus and that's what most of our members want. A lot of the women who have contacted us over the three years have said they want the social stuff with other alums and don't want to be there just for the collegiate chapter.

You should try some events that have nothing to do with the collegiates and see what kind of turn out you get.

But, you have to just keep working and keep up the persistence. Each time you invite them, you should get more people. Nothing's going to happen quickly.

Gamma Phi has an "Alumnae Chapter Development Team" made up of a couplf of women who assist both new alumnae chapters as well as struggling alumnae chapter. Your organization might have the same thing. I found our Team member to be invaluable during the first year we were forming.

Melanie

pinkyphimu · #14 12-14-2002, 12:56 PM

i have been a member of an alum chapter for the past 3 years.... in the first two years, i was able to attend 2 events. it was not because i didn't want to go!! i honestly had plans out of town every weekend that an event was held. it was the weirdest thing!!! i didn't have any plans the other weekends, lol....but anyway! this year, i have a new job, and i was already able to attend 2 events!

plan a variety of events for the upcoming months. keep sending info to people, unless they have said, don't contact me. i know more people come out to philanthropy events. last year we had a potluck dinner and each person brought pajammas for a woman and a child. we donated the pjs to a women's shelter! see what people want to do...meet for a movie night or to go see a play. don't rule out bringing a non-member friend or a hubby. sometimes it is easier for people to show up to an event if they don't know anyone if they can bring someone they do know.

good lucK!!

AOX81 · #15 01-29-2003, 10:57 AM

We just started an Alumnae Association back in October and we held our first event January 18th. We planned a dinner at a local restaurant and we had 22 girls show up. I think it turned out pretty good.

Right now we are working on getting all the older alumnae reconnected with each other and then we are going to try to start drawing them to events with the active members.