Frequently Asked Questions
How do I measure the success of an event?
Success is not always measured in numbers. Have you ever heard of the phrase “quality, not quantity”? Success depends on the objectives you place on your events; what are you trying to achieve? Did you achieve them? Here are a few measures of successful alumni programming:
- Alumni attending an event for the first time
- New addresses and Emails collected
- Alumni comments about the event
- New career networks that were established
- Ability to attract target group (young alumni, seniors, attorneys, business owners, teachers, etc.)
- Number of alumni who signed up to be career mentors
- Prospective students who committed to attend Canisius
- High school seniors who applied to Canisius
Who funds the alumni events?
Leadership committees may fund events using the pay-as-you-go method meaning that guests pay a per person cost that covers the actual event cost. Committees may also use their budgets to partially or fully subsidize the cost of the event, or offer discounts to specific groups of alumni. The chapter must be careful and manage its budget wisely.
Who handles event RSVPs, payments, and nametags?
The Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) has the resources to collect names, deposit checks and handle transactions, and print and send nametags.
How are alumni encouraged to RSVP and make payment?
Alumni who RSVP may make their checks payable to
What do I do when I need to make deposit on facilities or pay for food and beverage costs for an event or meeting?
Each regional chapter will be assigned an OAR program coordinator who will process any payment and expenditures you need to make. Simply call them and they will take care of it.
Who do I contact to request materials for events and meetings?
For events, you may either use the request forms provided or call your chapter’s OAR program coordinator to send you a packet of materials. In most situations OAR staff will attend your events and provide materials upon arrival. For meeting materials, call the assistant director of Alumni Relations.
What steps can we take to keep chapter members active and involved?
Both regular chapter meetings and well-planned activities will go a long way in keeping members involved and enthused. Chapter leadership should strive to provide opportunities for committee member participation. This often means reaching out to many individuals to assume event-planning and other assignments, and not relying on the same core of volunteers.
Regular efforts to recognize committee member achievements are especially important as ways to ‘reward’ volunteers. These efforts can include: thank-you notes from the president and/or leadership committee; or acknowledging individual work at chapter meetings. In addition, chapters can contact the director of Alumni Relations at the college, who will provide official correspondence from the college that acknowledges individual contributions.
What should a chapter do about inactive committee members?
It’s not uncommon for volunteer leaders to start out being very active, but then lose interest. When this occurs, the chapter president should contact the committee member to learn what’s making participation difficult or impossible. The committee member may ask to resign or be reassigned to other less-demanding responsibilities. In a few cases, the committee member may be dissatisfied, and discussion with the president can lead to needed improvements.
However, if the committee member does not suggest a solution and continues to be inactive, the president must ask for his/her resignation and appoint a replacement. Ignoring inactivity will only overburden other volunteers and cause them to lose interest.
Why do chapters need to be in contact with the
The OAR provides essential support and assistance to the chapters. Chapters must remain in contact with the OAR so that the purposes of the chapters are defined and that the required assistance from the OAR is provided to the chapter. Chapters are an extension of
What is the privacy policy of the
The Canisius College Alumni Association values the privacy of its alumni. All names, addresses, phone numbers, graduation information and any other contact or alumni information can only be used by volunteers approved by the OAR staff members for official alumni association purposes.
How does a chapter know what constitutes an appropriate activity or event location?
A chapter should offer a diverse variety of events and activities that appeal to the educational, cultural, spiritual, volunteer or social interest of its local alumni and friends. A chapter’s events and activities represent
Who do I contact to submit chapter calendars, news, notes, and special developments?
You may submit all information to the Office of Alumni Relations via E mail, phone call, or snail mail. Contact information is as follows:
Office of Alumni Relations
2001
800-201-4952
716-888-2700
alumni@canisius.edu
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