Start a Chapter

Organizing a regional chapter of the IU Alumni Association can be a fun and rewarding experience! It’s a great way to stay connected to Indiana University; give back to your local community; develop a network of fellow Hoosiers in your area; and support the IU Alumni Association. Regional alumni chapters are directly affiliated with the Indiana University Alumni Association, and thus, receive annual funds from IUAA to support local chapter events and activities. Consequently, the amount of funding received by a particular chapter is contingent on the number of IU Alumni Association members in the chapter area. The more IUAA members a chapter has, the more funding it receives for chapter sponsored events and activities.

In order to help you start an official chapter of the IU Alumni Association, we’ve outlined some simple steps to organizing an alumni chapter in your area. Again, leading an alumni chapter can be one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences you have as an IU graduate. It’s a great way to stay connected to fellow alumni, and a marvelous opportunity to serve your alma mater! Throughout the process, the staff of the IU Alumni Association will assist you and your fellow volunteers in starting the new alumni chapter.

How Many IU Alumni Live in My Area? Step 1 of 11

Are there enough IU Alumni Association members in your area to support a chapter? Staff members assigned to your region of the country can assist you in answering this question, and identifying other IU Alumni Association members (potential volunteers) who live in your part of the world. If there are enough IU Alumni Association members in your area to support an active alumni chapter, our staff can assist you with contacting these individuals to start an official group.

Contact Fellow IU Alumni Step 2 of 11

After we determine there are enough IU Alumni Association members in your area to support an active chapter, our staff will assist you in developing a mailing to solicit alumni interest in organizing an official chapter of the IU Alumni Association. The Alumni Association will coordinate and send the mailing for you. Responses to the mailing will come back to you locally as the organizer of the alumni chapter.

A corresponding e-mail should be sent to Alumni Association members in your area as a way to reinforce the message being sent in the interest mailing. In some cases, individuals will receive both communications about starting an active alumni chapter. Alumni will respond via mail, phone, or e-mail depending on the options made available to them in the interest mailing and e-mail.

Here are some sample chapter interest mailings.
Lexington Mailing
Nashville Mailing

Organize Initial Chapter Meeting Step 3 of 11

After the interest mailing is sent and responses are received by the local organizer, an initial meeting of potential alumni volunteers should be held. This meeting will serve as an opportunity for alumni to meet one another; generate ideas for future chapter activities; solicit additional volunteers to help with specific chapter sponsored events or projects; and in general provide a sense of overall direction for the new chapter. These should be the primary goals of the meeting.

Most organizational meetings are held at a convenient location (a popular restaurant with private meeting space, conference room in an office building, or in some cases the home of the local organizer). Although the event should be a fun gathering, it also needs to be well organized to maximize time and take into account everyone’s busy schedules. Be sure you have a clear agenda planned for the initial meeting – this will help everyone understand what is needed from potential volunteers, and where the new alumni chapter is headed in the future.

Here are some sample chapter meeting agendas.
Organizational Meeting Agenda
Board Meeting Agenda

Appoint Chapter Leadership Step 4 of 11

In order to be formally recognized as a chapter of the IU Alumni Association, officers must be appointed to lead the group. All regional chapters of the IU Alumni Association are required to have officers and board members to help guide the chapters through their activities and events each year. Officer names and contact information should be forwarded to your IUAA staff liaison shortly after the new chapter begins.

Most chapters have the following officer or board member structure:

• President
• Vice President (President Elect)
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Past President
• Committee or Event Chairs
• Board Members

Some alumni chapters have leadership boards which number 15-30 volunteers (large chapters). Others number only 10-15 (small and medium sized chapters). Again, all chapters have officers and committee or event chairs.

Most alumni chapters have the following committee or event structure:

• Community Service
• Scholarships and Awards
• Communications
• Social
• Student Recruiting
• Hoosiers for Higher Education (HHE)
• Continuing Education
• Indiana Day
• Sports

Create Chapter Bylaws and Mission Statement Step 5 of 11

All chapters of the IU Alumni Association must have a set of bylaws to help guide their volunteer leadership. Regardless of where the alumni chapter is located, most chapter bylaws follow a similar format and structure. Similarly, most alumni chapters adopt a mission statement which reflects the goals and overall vision of the Indiana University Alumni Association – Connecting Alumni. Serving IU.

Click here for sample bylaws and mission statements.

Establish Local Bank Account Step 6 of 11

Each alumni chapter should set-up a local checking account to use when paying for events and programs, and to receive regular dues funding from the IU Alumni Association. A signature card for the checking account should be signed by the Chapter President and Treasurer as well as the Chief Financial Officer of the IU Alumni Association. Your IUAA staff liaison can help you obtain required signatures. The checking account and routing numbers should also be shared with IUAA staff so that dues allocations can be sent electronically to the chapter each year.

Complete Financial Reports Step 7 of 11

The alumni chapter should designate a Treasurer to manage all chapter finances (check writing and reporting), and to complete semi-annual chapter financial reports due to the IU Alumni Association. These reports are simple in nature, and are recorded during the IU Alumni Association’s year-end financial audit. The fiscal year for all IUAA affiliated chapters is the same as the IU Alumni Association and Indiana University – July 1 to June 30.

Funding Chapter Events Step 8 of 11

Chapters of the IU Alumni Association receive an annual dues allocation from IUAA to assist the chapter with events and activities. The allocation comes to the chapter in two separate payments (August and February of each year). The annual IUAA dues allocation to a particular chapter is based upon the number of IU Alumni Association members in the chapter area. The more members you have in a chapter area, the more funds the group receives for events. Remember, dues allocations from the IU Alumni Association are to be used for alumni chapter events and activities only. They are not to be used to fund annual chapter scholarship programs.

The annual dues allocation to each chapter is based upon the following formula:

• $4.00 per paid member up to 500 members
• $1.50 per paid member after 500 members

Chapter Fundraising Step 9 of 11

All alumni chapters can raise additional funds for events, activities, and scholarships. Most do this through event fees, sponsorships, and raffles. Some chapter events will require an admission fee while others will not. Chapter volunteers should consult their IUAA staff liaison to determine appropriate chapter event pricing. Chapters often raffle IU related prizes and gifts at some or all of their events, or offer a 50-50 raffle as another way of supplementing their annual budgets. Other chapters rely heavily upon annual sponsorship programs. These corporate sponsorship programs provide chapters additional funds to offer more events or to underwrite annual chapter scholarships.

Below are some examples of chapter sponsorship or fundraising programs.
Sample Corporate Sponsors
Sample Corporate/Annual Sponsorship Letter
Sample Sponsorship Letter
Sample Sponsor Contract

Establish Communication with Chapter Members Step 10 of 11

Regular communication with chapter members is likely the most important component to the overall success of an alumni chapter. Once the chapter has established its volunteer leadership, local bank account, and bylaws, the chapter should move quickly to create the following communication tools as well as a general communication plan:

• Alumni Chapter Website
• Alumni Chapter E-mail List
• Alumni Chapter Newsletter or Mailings
• Alumni Chapter Web Calendar

Alumni chapters should establish a website to share information about events and activities, scholarship applications, or volunteer opportunities. The IU Alumni Association can assist the chapter in establishing a website utilizing the IUAA server. More information about website options and fees.

Alumni chapters should also take steps to have the alumni chapter name added to the IUAA alumni chapter e-mail subscription page. This will allow alumni chapter members to sign up for regular e-mails from the chapter regarding upcoming activities and news. More information about e-mail options and fees.

Alumni chapters should attempt to send mailings regarding nearly all upcoming activities or publish a regular newsletter about upcoming events and past accomplishments. The Alumni Association can assist the chapter with all postal mailings. More information about chapter postal mailing examples and fees.

Host Local Chapter Event Step 11 of 11

Once the chapter leadership team is in place, your local bank account is established, and you’ve created a chapter website and e-mail list, you are finally ready to launch some fun IU events and activities for alumni in your area. With a little thought, the chapter can host a number of different kinds of programs each year. When creating a fun IU chapter event, be sure to utilize the unique surroundings you have in your local community, or work with fellow alumni volunteers to utilize their local business connections and network of friends. Remember – variety is the spice of life – and chapter events should reflect the large variety of alumni interests and tastes in your area.

Click here for chapter event ideas and projects.