Triangle Alumni Chapter Alliance
Inaugural Meeting – May 12, 2007
Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Research Triangle Park, NC
10 a.m. - Noon
Attended: Russ Campbell, Kristen Fortney—
Penn State University; Alison Brevard—
Mt. Holyoke College; Bob Whyte—
Harvard; Kim Six—
Wisconsin; Kellye Kirkbride, Don Kritsch—
Indiana University; Rosemarie Kitchin—
Northwestern; Gracie Howell—
StanfordThe purpose of this meeting was to convene the various alumni groups in the Triangle-area to discuss issues that affect all of us. One of the most important issues is communication with alumni. Why do we communicate? What are our goals for communication?
MembershipAlumni chapters serve to create a bridge from the university campus to wherever the alumni ends up so there is never disconnect from the university. They also serve to connect alumni together. Many communication activities revolve around events and trying to increase attendance to hold a successful event.
Another issue is reaching out to young alumni. The consensus for young alumni ranges from 6-10 years after graduation. Most of this demographic is moving into the area with very little connection. This is an opportunity for the alumni chapter to reach out to make the connection. Several individuals around the table noted that they became involved with the alumni chapter through personal interaction with other chapter members. This demographic is also very challenging in the Triangle due to the number of universities as many of young alumni are graduate students and may not have the time to attend chapter events.
For young alumni, alumni chapters could communicate the opportunities they have available. Leadership opportunities to help build resumes are valuable.
Northwestern alumni chapter surveyed alumni in the area to find out what they wanted in the alumni chapter. The NU group did the survey themselves and distributed it with the help of their alumni association staff liaison. They wanted to know what attracted disparate age groups to events.
Alumni directories are valuable resources. Many are available with membership into the universities alumni association. Universities will provide alumni groups with their most recent contact lists to their universities. These lists are reasonably accurate. In some cases, the university alumni association will send out a blast email for the alumni chapter. Chapter's maintain their own homegrown lists as well.
What are the benefits of membership? Some chapters charge membership dues and some do not. All of the chapters present ask members to chip in for events to defray costs. If chapter's are not charging dues it's not much of an issues. But if a chapter is than what is the money going towards. In some chapter's a portion of the dues goes towards a scholarship fund. One chapter offers a membership directory of local alumni. It is challenging to constantly renewing membership. Are alumni more committed if they are paid members?
CommunicationsA portion of the chapters present use traditional newsletters. All use email to communicate to alumni. It's always an issue on how much is too much communication. Paper newsletters cost money. Emails are often ignored.
Alumni magazines offer a wider audience to pitch chapter stories, but it's not an easy sell to their editors.
Some alumni offices are standardizing alumni chapter websites by providing a template for localized content. Content is sent to the alumni office for posting on the site. Some alumni associations are offering electronic newsletters to local groups from the alumni association.
Alumni associations typically offer a link to the chapter's homepage.
Whether it is a website, email, or newsletter there is no answer when it comes to communication. There are a variety of audiences.
Wearing colors in the public, carrying business cards with the chapter's website. Keeping flyers in the car to stick on windshields.
Email works well to get people out to event, though sometimes an old-fashioned phone call may add a few to the event and also doubles as a reach out effort.
Timing is also difficult. Weekend or not weekends?
Evite works sometimes but has to be used judiciously.
Events are usually tailored around the board's interest. The people on your board needs to reflect your membership.
There is a need for an accurate list of local chapter's contact information.
Sign in sheets are important. Keeping a list of opportunities at events is also helpful. Some people tend to participate if they are asked.
Local newspapers are always looking for things for their local calendar sections. Media list for local area could also be helpful.
Events & CollaborationsThere are many events that are chapter-centric. But it's hard to argue against that collaborating on events can be a very good thing for both chapters.
For collaboration to work there needs to be equal parts of labor. Not only the pre-planning but also what happens when people arrive? The little things will make or break or events.
Areas where collaboration would work well: Social, sports, family, arts, service/volunteer, students, business-specific networks, academic. Also helpful to tie into events that are already happening like Taste of Durham, Durham Art Walk, NCMA Egyptian tombs, etc.
Scavenger hunts—there are outside groups that coordinate these and these can be a lot of fun. It's also a way to ensure that alumni from different chapters mingle.
Logistical issues like geography are also an issue in the Triangle. Traffic during the weekday leaving RTP is not a good thing.
Tag alongs work well provided that one chapter relinquishes planning control to the other chapter. Sometimes these may be more beneficial than trying to coordination planning issues.
Bulls games or other sporting events is a good opportunity to bring multiple chapters together. Hurricanes would also be nice if the club would help out.
Volunteer activities—Volunteer Center is a helpful resource; phone shifts at NPR.
Action ItemsTopics for discussion:
- Fundraising
- Planning events (A to Z)
- Motivating factor for people to get involved in the chapter
- Motivating participating in events
- Succession planning when people leave the board
- Record keeping
Target time period for next meeting: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
