The webinar on alumni associations is for alumni association leaders, regional Rotary Foundation coordinators, assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinators, district alumni subcommittee chairs, district Rotary Foundation chairs, and district grant subcommittee chairs. During the webinar the following learning goals are addressed:
• Alumni association basics
• Tips on engaging alumni and strengthening associations
• Questions and answers
5. How to Participate Today
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Q&A addressed at the end of today’s
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6. Learning Goals
1. Provide Alumni association basics.
2. Share tips on engaging alumni and strengthening
alumni associations.
3. Discuss specific questions about associations.
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8. What is an alumni association?
Part of the Rotary Foundation Alumni Network
Group based on district or region
Officially chartered by Rotary
Group of alumni that meet regularly
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9. Purpose of alumni associations
Establish and maintain a common bond among Rotary
alumni
Enable alumni to network with one another and with
Rotarians
Provide alumni opportunities for involvement in Rotary
service
Facilitate alumni membership in Rotary and Rotaract
clubs, including e-clubs
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10. Why establish an alumni association?
Connects alumni to Rotary
Possible source of donations and members
Support RI and TRF programs
Support Rotary’s service efforts
Positive public relations
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13. Minimum Requirements
A group of interested alumni
Two alumni officers
Constitution
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14. Finding Interested Alumni
What are the steps?
Identify local alumni
Hold events
Identify leaders
Charter group
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15. Alumni Association Resource
FAQ on Rotary Alumni Associations
Sample constitution
Excel spreadsheet for members
Contact information
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16. Poll Question 2
How can you strengthen Rotary alumni
associations?
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18. Tips for Strengthening Your Alumni Association
Local service projects
Organize international service projects
Volunteer for local Rotary club projects
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19. Rotary Foundation Alumni Association of District 4920
Pre-orientation for program participants
Attendance at district seminars and district
conferences
Combination of e-meetings and in-person meetings
Facebook page
Bulletin
Fundraising
Photography contest
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20. Rotary Engagement Projects
Mentoring
End Polio Now – Make History Today
Alumni Association Survey
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21. Alumni Association Survey Results
91% of associations have Rotarians
75% of respondents have former youth program
participants
88% meet in person
33% meet online
70% work with Rotary clubs or districts
62% rank social/professional networking as most
frequent activity
58% ranked fundraising as least common activity
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DianeMy name is Diane Lopez. I am an alumni relations coordinator here at Rotary, and I will be moderating the Webinar today. We’re going to start with some brief introductions.
DianeJoining us today as a presenter is Jorge Moroni, of the Rotary Foundation Alumni Association of District 4920 in La Pampa and Buenos Aires, Argentina and a member of the Bolivar Rotary club. Thank you for joining us today, Jorge. Would you like to say hello?[Jorge to comment]
DianeWe also have alumni relations specialist Kendall Abbey sharing information today. Kendall, would you like to make a comment?[Kendall to comment]
DianeIntroBefore we get started, I want to review a few housekeeping items and let you know how you can participate in today’s Web event. We’re looking at an example of the GoToWebinar Attendee Control Panel. Lets take a moment to further explore this control panel. (Clicks 1, 2, 3, 4)[CLICK1] By clicking the orange arrow, [CLICK2] you can open [CLICK3] and close your control Panel [CLICK4].(Clicks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)[CLICK5] If you prefer, you can join the audio [CLICK6]via telephone by selecting Use Telephone [CLICK7]. The dial-in information [CLICK8] will be displayed, including an Audio PIN [CLICK9]. Click 10Both during and at the end of today’s presentation, you have the ability to send questions to our Webinar staff through the Questions pane. Simply type in your question and click send. At the end of the presentation we will have time for question and answer and will get through as many questions as we can. Click 11 As a final reminder, today’s Webinar is being recorded and we will be sending you a link for your reference. To test the Question pane, please take a moment to enter where you are and how the weather is there. Great, we will now move on with the webinar. We would first like to review our learning goals for today.
DianeToday’s webinar will focus on the following learning goals: First, establish an awareness of alumni association basics.Second, share tips on engaging alumni and strengthening associations.Discuss specific questions about associations.
DianeWe will move on to our first section, the basics of alumni associations. In this section we will talk about the fundamentals of a functioning association. Now I am going to pass it on to Kendall.
KendallThanks Diane.First, an alumni association is an integral part of the Rotary Foundation Alumni Network. The Rotary Foundation Alumni Network is the Foundation’s worldwide alumni association, which keeps all alumni connected to Rotary. Alumni associations make up this network. Second, alumni associations are usually based on a district or region.Third, associations are charted by Rotary. Fourth, it is a group of alumni that meet on a regular basis.This is a picture of members from the Rotary Foundation Alumni Association of District 4855, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, commemorating their fundraising efforts to eradicate polio.
KendallSo what is the purpose of an alumni association? First, an alumni association is a great way to maintain a bond with Rotary alumni.Second, it allows alumni to network with each other and Rotarians on a local and international level.Third, associations provide alumni opportunities to get involved in Rotary service.And fourth, associations give Rotary and Rotaract clubs a possible source of new members and contributors who already understand the values and mission of Rotary.
KendallWhy establish an alumni association? Here are a few reasons: First, it gives alumni pride and a connection to Rotary and their program participation.Second, they can support Rotary financially and with their expertise and possibly join a club.Third, alumni associations can support Rotary programs by providing a pool of individuals who can participate in orientations and programs as speakers, and as selection committee members.Fourth, alumni are extra hands for service projects. Finally, alumni associations are a great source of positive public relations for Rotary. This is a picture of the Rotary Alumni Association of New England’s recent charter ceremony.
DianeNow we have a poll question: How many alumni associations are there? The options are 75, 119, 163 and 294. Please select one of the options on the screen.Now we are going to launch our poll. Please select one of the options on the screen. Answers are starting to come in… Thank you for your answers. These are the results: _____________Here is the answer: Currently there are 119 active alumni associations. Jorge, would you care to tell us more about our alumni associations?
Jorge MoroniThanks Diane, I would be happy to share more details with everyone. As Diane said, there are currently 119 active alumni associations. These associations cover over 30 countries. Alumni associations are marked in blue on the map. The average alumni association has around 20-25 members. Here are some interesting facts about Rotary’s alumni associations: Rotary Foundation Alumni Deutschland is an alumni association that covers all of Germany. They were the first Alumni Association of Year award winners followed the alumni association of District 6560, Indiana, USA, who won in 2012-13.The Turkish Alumni Association participates in the “Blue PVC Bottle Lid” project. The association encourages members and Rotarians to collect lids and sell them to fund wheelchairs.The Rotary Foundation Alumni Association of District 3020, India, hosted a multi-zone Rotary Foundation alumni reunion in 2012.One of the newest associations, the Rotary Alumni Association of Greater New England meets online and covers all of New England.
Jorge MoroniBefore you can think about starting an alumni association in your district or region, you will need to know the basic requirements. You need a group of interested individuals. There is no minimum requirement but we have found that 15 members is a good starting point.Each association elects a president and secretary. Other positions include Rotarian advisor, treasurer and vice president. Every association needs a constitution. This covers criteria for membership, selection of leaders, bylaws, and other guidelines for the association. Once you have sent in the necessary information to alumni@rotary.org, Rotary will send the regional Rotary Foundation coordinator (as known as an RRFC) a signed charter. The RRFC can then present this charter at a time they find appropriate. The picture on the slide is an event held by Rotary Fellows Tokyo.Kendall, would you like to go over the specific steps needed to find a group of alumni interested in starting an association?
KendallYes, thank you Jorge. Identifying local alumni is the first step. On way to find local alumni is by asking for the list of alumni Rotary believes to be in a district by emailing alumni@rotary.org. Organizing events is a great way to bring alumni together and build interest. This could be a reception for alumni, part of a Rotary event, or a service opportunity. It is important to identify those who are interested and motivated to start an alumni association. They will become the leaders of the group. Once the leadership is established, they should complete the charter application. This form asks for a list of members and a constitution.This picture is of members from the Rotary Foundation Alumni Association of District 9110 in Nigeria, receiving their alumni pins. If you are interested in purchasing these pins you can find the order form on Rotary.org.
KendallIf you are interesting in starting an alumni association please contact us at alumni@rotary.org. We will send you some resources including a frequently asked questions document, a sample constitution, the charter application, and a spreadsheet for member names and contact information. This is for the association’s organizational use and alumni records. This picture is of alumni association members from District 4590 in Parana, Brazil.
DianeWe will move on to our second section, Strengthening your Alumni Association. In this section we will talk about how to keep a chartered alumni association going strong.Before Jorge shares some tips, we would like to ask your thoughts on ways to strengthen alumni associations. Choices include: host events with Rotarians and alumni, network with other alumni associations, organize community service projects, and balance in-person and online meetings or all of the above.Now we are going to launch our poll. Please select one of the options on the screen. Answers are starting to come in… Thank you for your answers. Here are your responses: _________________All of these answers are correct. When Rotarians and alumni work together, there is a sustainable result. We have also found that connecting with other alumni associations is a great learning opportunity. We also recognize that online meetings can be a great tool, depending on the breadth of the association and meeting the needs of members’ busy schedules. Now Jorge will share some tips with you about empowering your alumni association.
JorgeThere are many different ways to strengthen your alumni associations. On the next slide we have included some tips.
Jorge-Participate in local service projects, such as cleaning up a park or volunteering with an organization that benefits the local community. -Collaborate on international projectswith a Rotary group in another country.-Many Rotary clubs or districts have ongoing projects which may need volunteer support. This can be an easy way to get involved in a project without having to do too much planning.In 2009, three Rotary clubs founded by alumni in Japan, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, conducted a Matching Grant project together to provide clean water to a school in the Philippines.This picture shows members of the Rotary Foundation alumni association in France and scholars during a tour of the champagne region in France.
JorgeHere are some things that my alumni association in District 4920 does: We help with the selection process of candidates eligible for grants with our pre-orientation.Alumni members attend the annual district conference and the Rotary Foundation district seminar.We have monthly e-meetings and two in-person meetings twice a year.We have a Facebook page and a logo, which you see here.We send an e-bulletin twice a year that describes Foundation program news, alumni, fundraising, and includes interviews.We have been very involved in raising money for Polio eradication – a cause that unites all of us.We have also had a photography contest for alumni members.If you have any questions on strengthening your alumni association I suggest you reach out to other associations and collaborate on fun ways to engage alumni. Now back to Kendall.
KendallThank you Jorge for sharing that information with us. I also want to share several updates on projects that Rotary staff are working on. First is the mentoring project. This brings two alumni associations together in a partnership. They can create their own strategic plan, goals, events, and share advice and suggestions for engaging alumni. If you are interested in participating, please email us at alumni@rotary.org.The second is a fund raising project for End Polio Now – Make History Today. This project is great way to engage alumni and Rotarians on Rotary’s highest priority. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has promised to double every dollar Rotary commits – up to $35 million US dollars per year – for a total of $105 million US dollars – over the next three years. In support, we will have two contests among associations – one for the highest number of members participating and another for the most money raised. We will update our Facebook page on a regular basis with updates. I encourage each association to pick a liaison that I will work with to learn about each alumni association’s progress in this challenge. More details and materials will be sent to you shortly.
Kendall3) We recently conducted an alumni association survey to gage Rotary alumni association activities. Here are some of the results: -91% of associations have Rotarians as members.- 75% of respondents have formerRotary youth program participants as members.- 88% meet in person and 33% meet online using Facebook, Google Hangout. - 70% of associations work with Rotary clubs or districts.- 62% ranked social or professional networking as their most frequent activity and 58% ranked fundraising activities as the least common activity.We would love to hear if anyone has new ideas for engaging alumni associations. If you have any ideas please share them with us at alumni@rotary.org. Now we will move to our discussion portion of the presentation where Diane will moderate the discussion.
DianeGreat, thank you Kendall. Now we will address any questions that may have come up during the presentation. Please type any of your questions or comments into the questions pane and we will do our best to answer them. (Discussion)Thank you for your questions, now back to Kendall.
KendallThanks Diane and to all of you that participated in the discussion. I would like to thank Jorge again for his help and for sharing invaluable information about his exemplary alumni association. Thank you to everyone else joining us today. If you have any additional questions, or would like to request any materials, please contact us by e-mail at alumni@rotary.org. An email regarding a recording of this webinar will be sent to you in the coming days. Again, thank you, and have a good day or good evening.