Stop Alumni abuse and waste now! SAAWN

[James]

So you want an alumni program . . . Ok after you read this post pull out your word processor and draft the following:

A letter dated in October inviting alums back for homecoming and a special event you plan in conjunction with it.

A letter dated late fall inviting them to your semi-formal/formal.

A letter dated in the spring for your other formal-semi formal.

A letter inviting them to initiation.

A letter inviting them to whatever 13th annual something you hold.

A newsletter that informs about you but also targets alumni . . . have an alumni classified/updates section where they can write in to you and post updates, hello's etc. Make sure that at least 2 go out a semester. (one is better than none though)

Alum spotlight section . . .? It boggles the mind.

STOP always begging for money.

Do something sneaky and actually plan Alumni reunion day . . . people get nostalgic about reunions, especially around founder's day . . . or homecoming!

Ok a bit more in depth . . . Get a bloody web site! And put a secured section on it where you can post events, a discussion board, update addresses etc . . . and have it password protected . . or not if you don't have the cgi script.

Mention the web site, the alumni section, newsletter, and All upcoming events as far in the future as possible in all letters and newsletters. This way every letter is an advertisement about all upcoming events . . . it creates a stronger hold on the mind the more you hear about things.

Also begin every letter with sentences summarizing and thanking people for ALL the events that just went by. Even if few or none showed up.

For example . . .

To: Alumni

From: AC chapter of ABC

Re: Semi-formal and upcoming events.

I wanted to thank everyone that came out to the Haunted Trail this holloween we had a great time.

Also your participation in homecoming was a lot of help. Although will someone please tell John smith '77 not to fall off the float again?

Just wanted to invite you to the semi formal coming up December 12th . . . details follow.

Also keep these dates in mind:

Feb 5 founders day/Reunion day

March 6-12 Greek Week will we take the cup again?

April 7th formal . . .

Sincerely, blah.

What I find is that people complicate things when it comes to writing programs. Just systematically include alumni into larger chapter events. Keep them over-informed. Tell them you miss them. Guilt is good.

Instead of asking for blatant donations all the time, tax them a little. If you are having reunion day and expenses are 5 dollars a person charge 7 . . .

After you do this for a year make it part of your undergrad program to pay ten dollars a year to the chapter after you graduate. that way they expect it, and cite the cots of newsletters etc.

Waiting the first year or half a year will give your program credibility and then you can voluntarily ask alumni to contribute ten dollars a year. Have a table set up at events And give them a pen or something . . .freebies never hurt.

Seriously, take an hour or two and just draft letters and the format for a newsletter based on last years' activites. That way you'll have them on file (disk and notebook).

I would be interested to see how many people would actually start this. I am myself right now. Please say something here or email me privately if you do, or want to discuss more ideas.

However, if you are unwilling to sit down for a couple hours and game something out then you probably don't want to have an alumni program in a meaningful way.

Oh, and don't get frustrated if attendance is bad at first . . . Focus a lot on recent grads also . . . they still know and like you. If you can stop losing them in the beginning it will help.



[This message has been edited by James (edited February 26, 2001).]

[DeltAlum]

James,

Brilliant.

Thank you, James for providing your ideas. I hope that a lot of people will be able to strengthen collegian-alumni relations this way.

I am fortunate that my collegiate chapter has fabulous alumnae support. In fact, they have been a 5 five star chapter 5 years in a row!!! They absolutely love being included in our events (Rose Ball, fundraisers, etc.). At our last initiation last semester, one of our alumna actually cried because she hasn't seen an initiation for 17 years. Being a military wife she wasn't able to be a part of an alumnae chapter until she moved to Honolulu. The alums are also the ones who hydrate and feed us after a long day of washing cars. And they're also the ones helping 10 girls fundraise to go to Convention this year.

Because of moments like that, the alums mean so much to me, and I wish the best of luck to all of you.

[sigmagrrl]

I must also applaud your post! You should send that to your fraternity's national magazine!! May I borrow a few ideas??

[DeltAlum]

Undergrads...

Write those letters now. Avoid the rush later. Not pun intended.

DeltAlum

[Tom Earp]

What many of you do not realze, that without Alum/ Supprt chapters fail! How would you like a chapter that does't tell you Sh__! Then they complain that they have NO cooperation from the the Alumni? Well DA keep the the Alums informed. I got back in with both feet when We almost lost our charter! I still kept in touch. All I heard was the Alums don't come around, well why should we if you do not keep us informed! It is not tne alums fault if you F Upped. We all have lives to live. Remember, it is always a 2 way street! Do not cry little children! I hate to hear that they are just kids. Well Hell I was just a kid when I started the damn thing. 35 yr. later we are still going!!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

[James]

Thank you for the positive feedback! You'll turn my head with such flattery .

I believe that the basics of what I mentioned above provides the framework of an alumni program.

Now the trick would be if we could maybe brainstorm with eachother and add depth and breadth to that framework.

For example, creating (assuming you haven't already) an alumni mentoring program where an active/alum pair grouping is established.

This might work especially well with current officers/chairs and past officers/chairs (now alum). Why always reinvent the wheel, learn what they already know.

You could ask for volunteers generically through your letters and more specifically in letters from current officers directly to alum ones.

The relationship could be based primarily on emails, computer chat, and phone calls. Where you agree to converse a minumum of once a week at a set time.

As a side benefit I bet you guys become friends and they have a renewed interest in the chapter. And they are more likely to motivate other alum they know to help out. They will be involved without smothering you.

Important Fact: The greatest motivator for Alumni are other Alumni.

Side idea: Have an alum as a co-chair for the committee and ask them to establish an alumni committee (if only on paper) to help you out.

And have her/him sign off on your letters.

You can expand the program a bit if you like and have alum mentors to pledges/new members.

The mentoring thing may work out especially well because:

Past officers had a lot of ownership in the chapter.

Sometimes as people get older they have silly ideas like the chapter is to childish for them or inappropriate to be around. This gives them a mature relationship.

Another note: If you don't make a special effort to contact your chapter founders (the living ones) or perhaps the oldest surviving members you should be spanked

You owe them everything, and starting a chapter is such a labor of love.

Let me relate a story (stop reading here if you are bored).

There was a chapter of my fraternity started many years ago in Canada. The founding president went on to become a very important supreme court judge, but did he forget his chapter? No.

In every composite since the first one there are bright young faces . . . and his, slowly aging over the decades as he went back every year and helped nurture his chapter.

His face slowly aging in that composite every year of every decade until his death a couple years ago.

I believe that level of love and dedication probably exists in a number of our alumni, we just need to give them a meaningful way to express it.

This story was especially touching for me because I was the founding president of my chapter (colony and chapter).

So bring on the ideas .

[dzrose93]

Awesome ideas! I'm on the Alumnae Advisory Board for the DZ chapter at the University of Georgia. Our National Headquarters just made the Alumnae Relations chair an executive board position in an attempt to get more alums involved with collegiate affairs. I'm sending a copy of your note to the girl in charge of Alumnae Relations at UGA -- she's been asking for ideas and this will give her PLENTY to start working on! THANKS!!!

Carrie

[matthewg]

Here is one more James,

(by the way - good ideas, it is funny how that resembles current European fraternity structures)

Well, have a local alumni and possibly even chapter member as an alumni officer! He can also oversee things at the house and is often NOT overheard when there is a need for money for repairs in the house that are to expensive for the actives to pay.

cheers,
Matt

[Miami1839]

I love these ideas. Especially yours DeltAlum. James, that was a touching story. As I've said on another thread I'm about to get involved with the Beta Theta Pi DC Alumni Association. These ideas are a great help.

Kevin

[This message has been edited by Miami1839 (edited March 07, 2001).]

[SilverTurtle]

James,these are some incredibly awesome ideas! I would like to share them with our collegiate chapters, if you don't mind.



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SilverTurtle@greekchat.com

Phi Beta Fraternity
Phi chapter

[equeen]

James,

As a Chapter Founder and Alumnae Sister, I certainly appreciate what you're saying - not to mention they're just great ideas, period!

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@-->---
Pure as Silver, and True Blue!
Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

[Kapsig1]

I am a Kappa Sigma alumnus who is very involved in both my chapter's alumni assoc/house corp and also on a national level. I can tell you THE single most effective suggestion to improve alumni relations with the undergrad chapter:

Recruit 3 or 4 ALUMNI to direct, plan and implement the alumni relations program! Alumni want to hear about the chapter, sure, but they want to hear MORE about the guys they went to school with. Solid, consistent newsletters to alumni (3 or more per year) with 80% alumni/ 20% undergrad news is a must. Initiate a "Hall of Honor" to recognize those alums that have excelled in the community, business, fraternity, life, etc. When recognized and honored as the living, breathing example of what it means to be a "XYZ", these guys will (usually) become your biggest fans.....and CONTIBUTORS!

[MooseGirl]

I don't want to make excuses, but i guess the reason we fell out of contact with alum is that their contact info changes and they don't tell us or national...they just disappear. Fortunately an alum chapter has reactivated here and, as an alum now, I am working on tracking everyone down. We sent out an alum newsletter...I've received several returned, but at least now I know what addresses are wrong. And because I'm so nice, I'll share this info with the active chapter so they can start work on their own newsletters.


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Delta Epsilon -
Phi Sigma Sigma

[Tom Earp]

MooseGirl, I can totally relate! My Chapter sat on their hands and so did the Alums!
I had an incident at our Founders Day Dinner 3 years ago and got really incensend!
Got back in with 100 % of my self and was designated as the official locator! I guessed my voice would carry weight!
I contacted International and asked for the disc of my chapter and started there.
I already knew local Brothers and contacted them or their parents if that was all I had. I started out with 10 E-M and have built to @ 190. Because of the phone cards I sell in my store,I was able to contact Brothers all over the country and got updates from them. I used search engines looking for names. i found names and called them. A lot were wrong but I hit a Gem of one. Found the parents of # 8 and called him. It is a long hard struggle but at the last Founders Day which we used a hook as the 35 th Anniversay of the Founding of the local, we had 80 +.
I am now pointing to the Homecoming and then next Founders Day again to get even more back!
The Alums are the life blood of any chapter as they are the ones who will work with and go the extra mile! Not all of course!! We are looking to build a new house and we do not want to put the chapter in over their heads so we started a Building Drive!
It would behoove the chapters to stay in contact as there are some hard driving Alums such as my self who get others and who get others ETC. ETC> ETC!
I keep pushing the actives to keep the Alums informed of what is happening!
I dont know how many times I got E-M from Alums who say keep the info coming as like to see what is happening even though they cannot be there!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)