AFLV Presentation Building strong Alumni

Involvement and Alumni Advisors

Mary Kate LoboughSigma Sigma Sigma, Eastern Illinois University

Courtney StoneSigma Sigma Sigma, Eastern Illinois University

The Presenters

Mary Kate is currently completing her masters degree in College Student Affairs. She formally served as a Panhellenic Advisor, working for the Greek Life and Housing Departments at Eastern Illinois University. Currently she works with SureSister.com as an Ambassador working with prospective sorority members and Panhellenic recruitment. She also serves as a Membership Development Advisor. Previous presentation experience includes Pathway and Hot Topic presentations at MGCA, including presentations on membership development.

Courtney is a former traveling consultant for Sigma Sigma Sigma. She is also a National Officer, currently serving as the Convention Planner. She has worked closely with Tri Sigma's extension planning and has extensive experience with sorority recruitment. She is also currently serving as an Alumnae Recruitment Advisor.

Courtney and Mary Kate are both involved in Alumnae Chapters in the Chicagoland area. In addition, Mary Kate currently represents Tri Sigma in the Chicago Northwest Suburban Alumnae Panhellenic.

Overview

Alumni involvement can be a struggle. It can be hard to create strong alumni programs yet alone recruit and retain strong alumni advisors.

However, a strong alumni program and involved advisors creates many

opportunities for a chapter to grow and have additional resources. We will discuss how to grow alumni involvement and the resources we can provide alumni so they stay involved in a chapter.

Chapters Councils Inter/national organization

Whether you want to improve your alumni involvement in your own chapter, all of the chapters on your campus or your national organization we will provide resources for you

Recognizing the responsibility of each of these constituents and the resources they each offer, too

In this presentation . . .

How to recruit strong alumni to get involved

How to train and educate alumni so they can support a chapter and help develop strong members and programs

How to create relationships and friendships among the alumni, collegians and advisors so they can work well together and aid each other

What do you want to accomplish?

Clear goals for your Alumni program

What are your goals? Are you looking for engaged Alumni? Alumni attendance? Volunteers for events? Volunteers committed to advising? Donations?

Set expectations

Set expectations for your volunteers - be clear on what you are asking from your Alumni

Having clear goals will help you communicate better

And often times do not want to "step on toes They had their undergraduate experience, they

should not be reliving their undergraduate experience b

WHO?

RECRUITING ADVISORS Don't always assumes it will be a past leader in

the chapter

Be selective - be sure HQ or at least current advisory board, Greek Life Office, whoever you can turn to help you select advisors Self appointed advisors can spell disaster

WHO?

Need to keep Alumni databases – again go to your HQ They should be a part of this process, especially

choosing advisors

Need to start keeping your database up to date now!

And how about identifying future advisors now?

WHO?

Look outside the box

Recruiting non members

Faculty

Parents

Univ Staff

Non members?!?Discuss Alumni Initiates

Potential alumni initiates include: Campus administrators, faculty and staff

members Friends and relatives Personal mentors Community leaders, volunteers and noteworthy

citizens Former collegians who pledged a collegiate

chapter, but were not initiated Men/women interested in a social, service and/or

mentorship experience Men/women who have given their time and

talents to a collegiate or alumnae chapter

Benefits for Alumni

Networking Interaction and support from a national network of men

Social engagement Alumnae chapter membership Social engagement and service learning opportunities through membership in an

alumni chapter. Mentorship

An opportunity to serve as a mentor to collegians, one on one or through a Chapter Advisory Board opportunities

Opportunities to find your own mentors Inter/National volunteer

An opportunity to utilize your time and talents as a national volunteer through ongoing committee work, special projects and/or advisory roles.

Professional development Leadership and skill development opportunities at Conventions and Regional

Conferences Even more conference opportunities within Greater Fraternity & Sorority Life

Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors North American Interfraternity Conference National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. National Panhellenic Conference National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations MANY opportunities to volunteer, network and for professional development

Benefits for Alumni

Organizations resources Magazines Articles on website and in other resources Online networking and other databases

Service and philanthropy An opportunity to participate in service learning projects in the local

community Scholarships/grants

An opportunity to receive scholarships for continued education Civic involvement

An opportunity to participate in congressional lobbying in Washington, DC.

How How do I reach my Alumni?

E-Newsletters Blogs – have students blog their experience Resources page – website

Events! Dates, info Social networking Audio – podcasts, mp3 Share videos – sites like YouTube/Vimeo On campus workshops/training Offer Webinars Choose Key Alumni plan events in major

cities Work with your Campus Alumni Association and

Foundation

How do I reach my Alumni? Social network

Yes, social networking is great BUT you need to be able to reach your

audience! So I suggest linked in, too And some Alumni will still want to receive

snail mail Mailings can be expensive but may be a good

way to collect information – ask Alumni to respond to share how they would like to be contacted

Event/Program Ideas

Networking events Golf Outings Pair with Parent/Family weekends/events Money an issue? It’s okay, Alumni don’t always

base their decisions on which meeting is going to offer free pizza, ok some do. Having events that cost some money can still draw a

crowd Ask restaurants for deals – Hello, GROUPON!

Scheduling/Planning Weekends – be mindful of planning on certain holidays,

etc.

Event/Program Ideas

Events that will help Alumni

Career Services - work with career services on your campus Career mentoring for your members, for Young Alumni Internships, etc.

Council's Role Appoint someone to your governing board to

communicate with Alumni, Advisors, Alumni chairs and help set up these programs

Advising

What interests the Alumnus? What fits their experience? For example, you are in desperate need of a

financial advisor but find the right fit

Developing/Training Advisors

Offering opportunity for advisors on you campus and in your organization to meet and share ideas

Including you advisors in your chapter training

Offering training that advisors can use in their daily life Resources

www.strengthsquest.com www.truecolorscareer.com – this one is free!

How to create a successful advisory board

Retention of advisors Out experience with building a successful

advisory board

Back to communication Communication is key Avoid frustration and frustrated advisors

Building Relationships

Expectations of advisors and alumni in general Friendship is a two way street Respecting that alumni and advisors sometimes

have to be the disciplinarian and hold the chapter accountable

Appreciation of alumni Thank you goes a long way

Mentoring Program

Mentoring programs Engages member and alumni member

Mentoring should start now This idea should be engrained in your members

from day one with their big sis,big bro, new member educator - they should be taught from the beginning theyare a mentor

Final Notes . . .

Again, building a strong Alumni program can begin with the collegians now

Burn out - if you are burning your members out now they aren't going to wantto even attend their local monthly alumni meeting, no matter how fun we tellthem it is

Your turn.

Why do your current programs struggle?

What are your current goals?

What do you find successful?

Passing it on . . . Letter

We want them to . . . Know they made an impact Update their information To go to website and share their resources Pass it on

Conclusion/Wrap Up

We have hopefully equipped you to . . .

Recruit strong alumni to get involved

How to train and educate alumni so they can support a chapter and help develop strong members and programs

How to create relationships and friendships among the alumni, collegians and advisors so they can work well together and aid each other

Let us help you

Share your stories of reconnecting and getting Alumni involved Share ideas at this conference!

www.alumhub.webs.com

http://www.facebook.com/Building Strong Alumni Involvement

Questions?

Contact us.