THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
On behalf of the Boston College Alumni Association, thank you for taking on the important role as a volunteer leader of your regional chapter. Your involvement is vital to our efforts to provide meaningful opportunities for alumni to connect or reconnect with the mission of Boston College. As a chapter volunteer, you will help Boston College better serve our growing number of alumni and will help sustain enthusiasm for the University throughout the country.
The role of the Boston College Alumni Association is to cultivate relationships with alumni and provide leadership opportunities for alumni to engage, in and support the work of, our University. Regional chapters, along with classes and affinity programs, are the building blocks of the association, offering alumni various points of connection with Boston College, no matter their geographic location, year of graduation, or professional affiliation.
Through the chapter program, alumni can engage with Boston College in their own backyard, by interacting with fellow graduates in their community around common interests. The resources included in this handbook will help you to plan, implement, and evaluate activities that strengthen the relationship between alumni and alma mater.
If you have any suggestions for additional resources that would be helpful to you, please contact the appropriate member of the chapter staff. Thank you for your volunteer support of Boston College.
Sincerely,
Thomas F. Flannery ’81
President, Boston College Alumni Association
Organizing Your Chapter
Leading Your Chapter
Planning Chapter Events
Managing Chapter Finances
Communicating with Local Alumni
Contact Information
Forms and Worksheets
A strong chapter program:
• Brings BC to our alumni wherever they live
• Engages alumni in their local area and/or interest
• Builds support and connections among alumni
• Improves services and benefits to alumni
• Provides assistance to the University
The Star Chapter Model
Reflecting the geographic diversity of Boston College alumni, regional chapters vary in size and structure, as well as in the number and type of events held each year. In order to help you become a “star” chapter, the Alumni Association has developed the following formats and will help you determine which format best suits the unique characteristics of your region:
1. A chapter leader oversees local alumni programming and organizes at least one event each year.
2. More than one chapter leader oversees local alumni programming and organizes two events each year, one of which is not sports related.
3. More than one chapter leader oversees local alumni programming and organizes two events each year, one of which is not a purely socialgathering.
4. A steering committee oversees local alumni programming and organizes at least three events each year, from three different event categories.
5. A steering committee oversees local alumni programming and organizes at least one event each year from each event category.
Adopting one of these formats will enable you to focus on alumni needs, provide well-rounded programming to local alumni, build volunteer support and engagement, justify funding, and quantify your successes.
In relation to one another, the formats are like the points on a star: all are the same distance from the center. What distinguishes the formats is the level of organization and activity in your region, as well as the size of the alumni population.
Event Categories
Opportunities to connect or reconnect with the mission of Boston College after graduation are as varied as the programs offered to students while on campus. The following categories reflect the most popular events held by regional chapters.
| Life Networking -Career programming -Life enhancement -Lifelong learning |
Resource Development -Increasing alumni participation -BC Fund/Capital Giving partnership -Identification & information |
| Social Connections -Social gatherings -Sports-related & cultural events -GOLD events |
Mission & Ministry -Service projects -Spiritual activities -Student connections |
Life Networking
Events in this category include:
• Resume workshops
• Panel discussions by alumni in a specific field (e.g., technology, media and entertainment, the arts) followed by networking receptions
• Lifelong learning courses
• Seminars on buying a home or managing personal finances
Resource Development
These events bring Boston College administrators, faculty, and/or members of the Jesuit community to your region for conversations with local alumni.Social Connections
Events in this category include:
• Attending special exhibits at museums, an evening at the theater, or a night at the symphony
• Hosting faculty lectures in conjunction with an art exhibit or on a topic of particular relevance to alumni in your community
• Gathering to socialize at holiday parties, summer picnics, or at regularly scheduled intervals throughout the year
• Cheering on the Eagles or your local team at game watches, tailgates, or local sporting eventsMission & Ministry
These types of events provide opportunities for alumni to experience spiritual growth and to reconnect with the Jesuit ideal of being “men and women for others.” Examples include organizing a retreat for spiritual reflection, celebrating a Mass, and hosting a discussion on contemporary issues facing people of faith. Community service events include volunteering at community food banks or soup kitchens and participating in clothing drives or toy drives. The Alumni National Day of Service, held in April each year, might provide the perfect opportunity for your chapter to organize a community service event, since other regional chapters will be engaged in service activities on that day as well.
Measuring Success
When planning your chapter's level of activity, it is important to consider how you will determine the success of your efforts. While event attendance and the scope of events offered are obvious indicators of success, it is also important to bear in mind the level of institutional support and your chapter's fundraising success (i.e., participation rate). The ease of program management, the quality of leadership, and alumni response and enthusiasm are important factors as well.
Alumni Association Support
To assist you in organizing your chapter and in planning and implementing chapter activities, the Alumni Association will:
• Provide staff support for planning and evaluating events, and for identifying and contacting University speakers (e.g., administrators, faculty)
• Plan visits by a regional chapter staff member according to your chapter’s needs
• Provide an online leadership handbook outlining pertinent chapter information
• Host an annual Volunteer Summit at Boston College to train volunteer leaders and provide updates on key University priorities
• Provide updated alumni contact lists
• Serve as a liaison between the chapter and other University departments
Because communications are central to the success of your events, the Alumni Association will help you reach out to local alumni in the following ways:
• Sending postcards, event invitations, and newsletters
• Hosting and maintaining a Web page for your chapter, which includes upcoming event listings, recaps of past events, and photo galleries
• Sending broadcast e-mails periodically throughout the year
Note: Please see the Communications section of this handbook for more information.
Click here for a map of Boston College Alumni chapters.
The leadership structure of your chapter will depend on the specific format best suited to your region. This section describes the roles and expectations for the chapter leader and key steering committee members.
In addition to the roles described below, you may want to appoint chapter members to assist with coordinating specific event categories or in developing programming to appeal to specific groups of local alumni, such as Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) or young alumni (11-20 years out). You may also choose to identify chapter members responsible for collaborating with the Boston College Development Office on fundraising initiatives in your region.
Leadership Roles and Expectations
Chapter Leader
• Is an alum of Boston College
• Serves a three-year term, with consecutive terms permitted upon review
• Plans and presides at chapter meetings
• Oversees local alumni programming sponsored by the chapter
• Attends the annual Volunteer Summit or designates a representative
• Maintains primary contact with Alumni Association staff
• Identifies and recruits steering committee members and future chapter leaders
• Coordinates all communication efforts, including invitations, e-mails, and Web site updates
• Represents the needs and interests of the Boston College alumni community in his/her region
• Collaborates with Alumni Association staff to identify local opportunities to promote the mission and key priorities of Boston College
• Works closely with the Alumni Association to adhere to best practices with regards to financial matters, including chapter dues
• Is a current-year donor to Boston College at any level
Vice Chair
• Is an alum of Boston College
• Serves a three-year term, with consecutive terms permitted upon review
• Performs the duties of the chapter leader in his/her absence
• Stays informed of chapter programming and current University priorities and initiatives
• Is a current-year donor to Boston College at any level
Secretary
• Is an alum of Boston College
• Serves a three-year term, with consecutive terms permitted upon review
• Collaborates with Chapter Leader on preparing agendas and minutes of chapter meetings
• Assists with communication efforts, including invitations, e-mails, and Web site updates
• Is a current-year donor to Boston College at any level
A key responsibility of the chapter leader and steering committee members is determining the types and frequency of events most likely to appeal to alumni in your region. Planning meetings, which can be open to all alumni or just to steering committee members, provide a forum for brainstorming ideas for future events, outlining an event schedule, and deciding which communications vehicles will be most effective in promoting events.
Planning meetings can be held annually, quarterly, or even monthly, depending on your chapter’s level of activity. All chapters are encouraged to begin planning for upcoming events as far in advance as possible, in order to allow enough time for event logistics and communications to be completed in a timely manner.
For more information about categories of events, please see Organizing Your Chapter.
Tips for Running an Effective Planning Meeting
1. Choose a convenient date, time, and location: Weeknights usually work best, and the venue should be conducive to open conversation.2. Prepare an agenda: Volunteers will be more likely to stay involved when they see that chapter meetings are well organized and an efficient use of their time.
3. Distribute a sign-in sheet: Meetings provide a good opportunity to make sure Boston College has updated contact information for local alumni.
4. Encourage discussion: In most cases, the chapter leader serves as the moderator for the meeting, keeping the conversation going, inviting participants to offer their opinions, and delegating follow-up tasks.
5. Identify next steps: Meeting participants should leave with a clear sense of what will happen as a result of the meeting (e.g., a draft event schedule will be circulated by e-mail, an event invitation will be sent out to local alumni) and any follow-up tasks for which they are responsible.
Following a planning meeting, chapter leaders are encouraged to check in with their chapter staff liaison to share updated contact information collected at the meeting, review decisions made regarding upcoming events, and identify support needed by the Alumni Association to execute the chapter’s plans for the future.
Chapter Dues
Chapters wishing to collect dues for their region may do so online. All chapter Web sites have been set up to accommodate online dues payment (by credit card only). If your chapter seeks to implement a dues program, please contact your staff liaison.
Recordkeeping
The Alumni Association will collect all revenue from dues drives and chapter events, track chapter account balances, and generate statements of account activity. By taking on this record keeping function for your chapter, the Alumni Association hopes to remove the burden of financial reporting and tax preparation as well as help protect chapters and chapter leaders from financial and legal liabilities. Any dues collected will be held in a Boston College campus account specifically for that chapter’s use.
The Alumni Association expects that all chapter events will be planned to break even, with expenses equaling revenue. In the event of a surplus or deficit of funds, the chapter account balance on file at the Alumni Association will be updated accordingly. If insufficient funds are available, other sources of chapter revenue must cover the deficit (e.g., current dues, future dues, future event surpluses). If a statement requires payment, please be prepared to remit payment within 30 days of receipt of the statement.
Check Requests
If your chapter requires a deposit in order to reserve a room for an event or to purchase food or supplies, please contact your staff liaison. Checks will be sent within 10 business days of receipt of all original paperwork necessary to process the check. Please be sure to request the check well in advance of the date it is due.
Reimbursements
Statements that need to be paid or expenses that need to be reimbursed should be sent to:
Boston College Alumni Association
Attn: Business Office
825 Centre Street
Newton, MA 02527
Original invoices and receipts are required for payment. Please note that payments for entertainers and other services that require income tax to be paid cannot be reimbursed to a third party. Checks must be made out to the person rendering the service.
Contracts
All contracts are subject to review by the Alumni Association. To avoid personal liability, chapter leaders should have all contracts issued to Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, and signed by the business manager of the Alumni Association; otherwise, insurance and liability concerns are the responsibility of the chapter leader signing the contract. Chapter leaders should make every attempt to obtain a competitive price for services or merchandise when working with new and established vendors alike.
Fundraising
All fundraising activities must be coordinated through the Boston College Development Office. Please contact your staff liaison, who will contact the appropriate staff person and help set up any necessary meetings.
COMMUNICATING WITH LOCAL ALUMNI
The effective use of communication tools helps convey the vitality of your local chapter and can be essential to your overall success. From event invitations to e-mails, the Alumni Association offers numerous ways for you to get your message out to alumni in your area. When using these communication tools, please remember the following:
• All communication vehicles require prior approval from the Alumni Association before being distributed. Please contact your staff liaison for further details.
• All marketing communications are to be produced in accordance with the Graphic Identity System and Graphic Standards Policy developed by the University to establish and maintain a consistent public image that reinforces the mission and vision of Boston College.
Print Mailings
The Alumni Association provides assistance with producing and sending postcards, invitations, and newsletters, depending on the needs of your chapter. The costs associated with invitations for visits by the University President and other administrators will be covered by the Alumni Association. Additional mailings will be produced and paid for by the Alumni Association as needed but will not exceed two full mailings per year. Given the cost-effectiveness of electronic communications, all proposed mailings will be evaluated against e-mails and Web site postings before they are produced and sent.
Mailings can take from two to four weeks to print, and all mailings are sent with third-class postage rates. Best practices suggest that event invitations should arrive in homes at least three weeks prior to the event. You should therefore request a mailing at least eight weeks in advance of the event(s) you seek to promote, to allow for the appropriate production and mailing time.
Please note that mailings will be sent to all graduates in your region and will not be restricted to dues-paying members only.
Broadcast E-mails
The Alumni Association can produce and send e-mails to alumni in your region to promote upcoming events or share information about new chapter initiatives (such as a service or networking opportunity). E-mails are an efficient, cost-effective tool for communicating with local alumni. To ensure this tool’s ongoing effectiveness, chapter leaders are encouraged to collect e-mail addresses as appropriate at events or chapter meetings, and to share the addresses with your staff liaison in a timely manner. You can also direct alumni to update their e-mail address and other contact information in the Alumni Online Community, available via the Alumni Association Web site.
Please allow a minimum of three business days from the receipt of an e-mail request by your staff liaison for the broadcast e-mail to be sent. During this time, the Alumni Association staff will request a list of e-mail addresses for alumni in your region, proofread the e-mail text, and format the e-mail for consistency with other University communications.
The frequency of broadcast e-mails is determined by the number of other e-mails (e.g., promoting Alumni Association or specific class events) already scheduled to be sent. Chapter e-mails are also scheduled so as not to overlap with the University’s periodic electronic publications (e.g., Alumni Connections, @BC) and fundraising appeals. The Alumni Association will make every effort to send your chapter’s broadcast e-mail in a timely manner.
Web sites
The Alumni Association maintains a Web site for each chapter. Your chapter is responsible for sending updated content for your Web site to your assigned chapter liaison. An up-to-date Web site is one of the best advertisements for your chapter, so we recommend that you review your Web site weekly and send new information on upcoming events (or recaps and/or photos from past events) as needed. Your Web site will be updated in a timely manner upon receipt of new information.
Please note that the Alumni Association reserves the right to post information about alumni news, events, or initiatives of potential interest or relevance to your chapter on your Web site. With regard to event photos, best practices dictate that photos of children under the age of 18 should not be posted online without prior written approval of parents. In addition, photos showing the consumption of alcoholic beverages should not be posted.
List Requests
The Alumni Association will provide the chapter leader with an updated list of all alumni in your area upon request. Please allow a minimum of five business days for the list request to be processed. This list is considered proprietary information and should only be used for official chapter business.
Boston College Alumni Association
825 Centre Street
Newton, MA 02458-2527
617-552-4700
800-669-8430
617-552-4626 (fax)
alumnichapters@bc.edu
www.bc.edu/alumniJenniffer Breer
Assistant Director
617-552-2471
breerj@bc.eduRonan Campbell
Assistant Director
617-552-8687
ronan.campbell@bc.eduNatalie Caruso
Administrative Assistant
617-552-8293
natalie.caruso@bc.eduTory Leeman
Senior Associate Director
617-552-6787
tory.leeman@bc.eduErin Melvin
Assistant Director
617-552-4008
erin.melvin@bc.edu
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Remember... Alumni chapters are vital to strengthening the relationship between the campus and former students. They serve as links to alumni, parents, and friends while providing role models in the community. |
FORMS AND WORKSHEETS
The following forms and worksheets will assist you in planning and implementing chapter activities.
Forms and Worksheets
Annual Report Form
Chapter Meeting Agenda Form
Chapter Minutes Form
Event Budget Worksheet Part A
Event Budget Worksheet Part B
Chapter List Request Form
Event Evaluation ReportEvent Planning Guides
Speaker/Social Events
Community Service Events
Spiritual Events
Athletic Events