OATdb Archive - Sam Houston State University

OATdb Archive

2012 - 2013

Alumni Relations

Goal

Secure Private Support For The University

Secure Private Support for the University

Objective

Meet Gifts Goal (non-dues Income) From President's Performance Indicator Report For FY '13

Meet Gifts Goal (non-dues Income) From President's Performance Indicator Report For FY '13 through event sponsorships, scholarships, and donations.

KPI

Meet Gifts Goal (non-dues Income) From President's Performance Indicator Report For FY '13

Utilize Razor's Edge, SamMenu (Alumni Revenue accounts), and daily alumni deposit membership and gift reporting spreadsheet to monitor progress towards goal. Our goal for FY'13 is $125,000.

Result

Non-Dues Income

Contributions for non-dues income through August 31, 2013 is $182,110.

Action

Future For Non-dues Income

The goal for non-dues related income to the SHSU Alumni Association has been exceeded. We will continue to accentuate efforts to identify constituents that are capable of sponsoring alumni events and contributing to the alumni operating and scholarship endowments.

Objective

Increase Total Membership In The Alumni Association

Increase membership (Annual, Life, and Complimentary Members) in the alumni association, in order to reach the goal stated for FY 13 in the President's Performance Indicator Report. Membership will be increased through mass mailings to non active alumni, monthly email renewal reminders, and 30, 60, 90 renewal notices to lapsing members in addition to numerous membership appeals throughout the year.

KPI

Increase Membership

Track membership in Razor's Edge (query RE). Our goal for FY'13 is 10,075 members.

Result

Membership

The goal for alumni membership in the Alumni Association has been exceeded. Overall membership in the alumni association through August 31, 2013 is 11,316.

Action

Future Of Alumni Membership

The goal for overall alumni membership has been exceeded. We will continue to accentuate efforts to identify and engage alumni, students, parents, and friends of the university to become members of the alumni association. Through increased marketing efforts to alumni, developing a strong retention initiative, and continuing to strengthen our alumni club program we will continue to increase our membership numbers.

Goal

Enhance The Image Of The University

Enhance the Image of the University

Objective

Increase The Number Of Meetings, Events And Attendance

Increase the number of meetings and events, as well as the overall attendance at these meetings and events. Alumni Relations will increase contact and stewardship in regions with concentrations of significant alumni populations, host meetings and events in regions with concentrations of significant alumni populations, and mail invitations to events to all alumni in regional areas, whether active or not.

KPI

Increase The Number Of Meetings, Events, And Attendance

Utilize the meetings, events, and attendance report as updated monthly on the Performance Measures report. Our goal for FY'13 is 200 meetings/events with 30,000 total in attendance.

Result

Meetings/Events And Attendance

The number of meetings/events have exceeded our goal with 242 through August 31, 2013. The overall event attendance is down and we will not reach our goal. Event attendance through August 31, 2013 is 23,949. The drop in attendance is due in part to hosting only 4 football games in the Fall of 2012, whereas the previous year we hosted 8 football games. This cut our pre-game tailgating attendance drastically. In addition, we have combined our annual Service Awards Luncheon with our Distinguished Alumni Gala, and therefore did not host the Service Awards Luncheon in the Spring of 2013.

Action

Meetings/Events And Attendance

Alumni Relations will continue to increase contact and stewardship in regions with concentrations of significant alumni populations, host meetings and events in regions with concentrations of significant alumni populations, and mail invitations to events to all alumni in regional areas, whether active or not.

Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement The alumni association increased its sponsorship levels in the Fall of 2012 for the annual Distinguished Alumni Gala to $5,000 (Platinum), $2,500 (Gold), and $1,500 (Silver). This increase in sponsorships allowed us to bring in record sponsorship revenue for the annual Alumni Gala event. In addition, in January 2013 Willie Fritz, Head Football Coach for SHSU, won the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Awardand. As part of this award the SHSU alumni association received $20,000 for its scholarship fund (Alumni Legacy Scholarship). This scholarship award helped us to exceed The Alumni Relations goal of $125,000 in gifts (non-dues income).

The alumni office continues to place a priority on event sponsorships to assist in offsetting our expenses. The University also migrated to the new TouchNet online purchasing system which allowed to provide easy access to sponsor events and purchase event tickets online.

Although Alumni Relations hosted more meetings and events than the previous year our attendance was down due in large part to hosting four less pre-game football tailgate parties and to not hosting a Service Awards luncheon in the Spring of 2013.

In the summer of 2013 the alumni association entered into an agreement with PCI to do an alumni print directory. This has provided a new avenue to generate new membership to the alumni association and allowed us to easily exceed our membership goal. This print directory process is only done once every 5 to 7 years and is a way to connect with alumni and obtain current and vaild information on alumni that is updated in the alumni database (Raiser's Edge).

Plan for continuous improvement 2012-2013 was another good year for the alumni association. Membership and revenues were all up. The one area that we fell short was in attendance for alumni events. The reason for this shortfall was explained above.

In order to keep growing and increase membership it is important that we place an emphasis on membership retention. We plan to increase marketing efforts and provide more meaningful engagement to our membership in order to promote membership renewals. Also, we have put together an annual alumni calendar for 2014 that we will provide as a Christmas gift to all active members to encourage membership renewal.

Also, the Alumni Staff now has a weekly staff meeting to discuss membership and event strategies to engage alumni and make interaction with alumni more meaningful.