Reunion Affinity Volunteer Handbook
Tips and tactics for a successful event!
We hope you’ll find these tips helpful as you plan a reunion event for your affinity. Please contact Tracy Gagnier with suggested edits, additions, and questions (effective September 2024).
- Resources and forms
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How to become a Reunion volunteer:
- Complete the Reunion Volunteer Interest Form linked on the Reunion home page by the deadline listed.
- After an Alumni Relations staff liaison confirms you as a volunteer, complete the Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement [VCA] to receive access to your chapter’s database for individual outreach.
General tips for working with your chapter database:
- Set up a free Google account (email address) before completing the VCA. Your chapter’s database will be shared via Google Sheets and having a Google account will simplify the process for you.
- Review SUNY Geneseo's Volunteer Information Sharing Guidelines prior to working with your chapter database. In order to protect alumni data, volunteers are not permitted to share access, change or delete any information, download, print, or copy lists. Lists should be used for individual outreach only and not for mass communications. Mass communications will be sent from the Office of Alumni Relations.
- If you find an alumni record that needs to be updated, please reach out to that individual and ask them to update their information via this link: go.geneseo.edu/alumniinfo. We cannot accept third-party data updates. If you discover that an alum is listed on your chapter database in error or is deceased but not marked, please reach out to your Alumni Relations staff liaison.
Bookmark the following websites for easy access:
- Alumni Chapters, specifically the Chapter Guidelines section.
- Reunion, see the left navigation bar for information about affinity programming, schedule of events, on-campus housing, links to registration, and more.
- If you build it, they will come (right?)
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Your enthusiasm, chapter knowledge, and personal connections make affinity reunions successful! Engaged and passionate volunteers are a key part of the planning process and help encourage attendance.
In addition to planning event logistics, we ask volunteers to:
- Personally reach out to chapter members (by email, phone, postcard, in-person, social media) and encourage them to register and attend your event.
- Update social media pages and/or groups with chapter event details, nostalgic posts, reunion links, and registration deadlines.
- Recruit additional volunteers to assist with outreach if needed. Think about enlisting decade reps, former officers or captains, and volunteers who are connected to other alums.
- Be the first to register for your event! This sounds silly, but it's true. Many alums are hesitant to be the first to sign up, and seeing that others are already planning to attend will encourage more to join you.
- Less is more (it's true)
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You may be tempted to create a robust weekend full of affinity-specific programming, but experience shows that organizing one main event for your chapter is the way to go. One official event helps optimize attendance and ensure as many chapter alums as possible can reconnect and celebrate together.
We encourage you to incorporate all-alumni events taking place during Reunion Weekend into your chapter's itinerary. These all-alumni events are well-attended and provide an informal setting for your chapter alumni to connect and to socialize with old and new friends outside your chapter.
The "less is more" mentality is also applicable when organizing your chapter celebration. Decorations, PowerPoint presentations, keepsakes, and formal program remarks can be a nice touch, but most alums who attend will remember the connections they made and time they spent with one another.
- Data, addresses, and emails...oh my!
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When you start working with your Alumni Relations liaison, one of the first items you'll review is your chapter's database. Your database will include:
- All living and deceased members. Deceased members are included so you know records aren't missing, and you can include these names in an "In Memoriam" tribute as part of your chapter programming.
- Alums with an address will receive a Reunion postcard, listing your chapter celebration.
- Alums with an email will receive several email communications about your chapter celebration, including a "save the date," invitation, and reminders about Reunion.
- "Alums with an email" is the number we use to estimate attendance and assist in the planning process. At SUNY Geneseo we consider a 10% attendance rate very successful. We use this calculation and previous attendance to project an estimated attendance figure for Reunion events.
- For example: Alpha Beta Fraternity has a database that includes 450 living alums, 381 with an email address. At their last Reunion event, Alpha Beta had 60 alums attend. Based on 10% of 381 (38) and last event attendance (60), we can project attendance for the next event will be between 38-70.
- Why do we estimate projected attendance?
- This helps volunteers and staff find a venue appropriately sized for the group.
- In the excitement of planning a Reunion event, volunteers sometimes over-estimate expected attendance. Using industry standards to project attendance, we aim to minimize volunteer frustration and disappointment.
What if your affinity chapter does not have a database? Learn more about Creating an Affinity Chapter Database.
- All living and deceased members. Deceased members are included so you know records aren't missing, and you can include these names in an "In Memoriam" tribute as part of your chapter programming.
- Why and how to stay out of the t-shirt business
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Many affinity chapter alums no longer have chapter clothing to wear at Reunion, so this is a great opportunity to give them the option to update their wardrobe and show off their chapter pride!
To help maximize the time you spend connecting with your chapter during the weekend, we have partnered with an apparel vendor in Geneseo to help facilitate the ordering and distribution of merchandise. Special Tees allows chapter volunteers to design or select a variety of chapter-specific apparel and other merchandise and creates an online webstore for each chapter. The Office of Alumni Relations shares the link to your store with all your chapter alumni via Reunion email communications and our Reunion website. Alums can order merchandise for pick up during Reunion Weekend or shipping after the weekend.
Vendor contact information:
Special Tees, 57 Main Street, Geneseo, NY 14454
Attn: Victor VanVliet '91
Email: victor@specialtees1.com
Phone: (O) 585-243-1314 | (C) 585-615-3210General timeline:
- December 1 (six months before Reunion): Volunteers should connect with Special Tees, submit designs, and select items to be included in your chapter's webstore.
- February 1 (4 months before Reunion): Volunteers should finalize their webstore, and the Office of Alumni Relations and chapter volunteers can share and post links to order.
- Mid-April (6-7 weeks before Reunion): Online sales close.
- Reunion Weekend: Pick up orders at Special Tees on Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. or Saturday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Post-Reunion: Orders selected for shipment will ship the week after Reunion. The webstore can be reopened for additional "shipment only" orders if there is alumni interest.
Chapter volunteers are discouraged from taking on the work of creating and distributing merchandise themselves. Working with Special Tees allows you to spend more time with your fellow alums without the hassle of distributing orders.
- Timing is everything
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- Event timing
- Affinity programming will be scheduled around the master Reunion schedule and will not conflict with any all-alumni events.
- The ideal time for most affinity programs is the Saturday night of Reunion Weekend. Most alums are affiliated with only one major affinity during Reunion Weekend, allowing affinity events to run simultaneously that evening.
- Exceptions to this rule can be made when appropriate and with permission from your Alumni Relations staff liaison. Exceptions typically include non-Greek affinity programs.
- Official group picture
- Each chapter should work with their staff liaison to identify and publicize a date, time, and location for your official group picture. Identifying a time for this photo is important so all of your alumni can be included in this special photo opportunity.
- The full schedule of affinity events needs to be considered when selecting the date, time, and location for your chapter photos as staff photography resources are limited. Volunteers will work closely with their staff liaison to identify what will work best for each chapter.
- Each chapter should work with their staff liaison to identify and publicize a date, time, and location for your official group picture. Identifying a time for this photo is important so all of your alumni can be included in this special photo opportunity.
- General Reunion timeline
- June/July (11 months before Reunion): All alumni with an email address receive a recap of that June's Reunion, a save the date for next Reunion (along with a listing of possible affinity anniversaries based on founding dates), and a call for volunteers.
- August (10 months before): Affinity chapter volunteers are recruited for their upcoming chapter anniversary.
- September/October (8-9 months before): Affinity chapter planning meetings are held (typically over Zoom), with follow-up meetings every few weeks as needed.
- January/February (4-5 months before): Affinity chapter program details are finalized.
- March (3 months before): Reunion registration opens, volunteers receive periodic registration updates for their affinity. Volunteers shift their focus from planning to encouraging attendance!
- Mid-April (6-7 weeks before): On-campus housing registration closes.
- Mid-May (3-4 weeks before): Reunion registration closes.
- June (first full weekend in June (when both Friday and Saturday are June dates): Reunion Weekend!
- Event timing
- Connecting to your Chapter's Collegiate Roots
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- Extend a special invitation to recent grads (graduating in May), especially officers who can share chapter updates with alumni (total current members, philanthropy projects, etc.):
- The alumni office will offer recent grads a reduced rate to register for Reunion.
- Adding a small amount to the adult registration fee for your chapter specific program can allow recent grads to attend the chapter event at no charge.
- This is a generous offer and will hopefully get these new alums thinking about what it means to be part of the greater SUNY Geneseo alumni family and more specifically an alum of your organization.
- Other ways collegiate members can participate:
- Share updated family trees with alumni volunteers to display at Reunion.
- Assist with special anniversary t-shirt design.
- Extend a special invitation to recent grads (graduating in May), especially officers who can share chapter updates with alumni (total current members, philanthropy projects, etc.):
- Social Media Tips
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- Identify your chapter's "alumni focused" social media page(s). If this page is not very active, you may want to use the chapter's primary page(s) (college and alumni) to share news about your chapter's upcoming reunion.
- Suggested first post (in conjunction with the official save the date email, November-December):
- SUNY Geneseo's Office of Alumni Relations recently sent an email announcement about Reunion XXXX, included in this message was an announcement about our chapter's upcoming milestone reunion. If you did not receive this email, please check your spam folder and update your settings so you receive future emails about Reunion, or update your contact information with SUNY Geneseo's Office of Alumni Relations: bit.ly/GSUalumniinfo.
- Follow up posts (December-February):
- Repeat links and other important information from the first email to keep your members up-to-date and how to seek additional information. These posts will also hopefully spark conversations about returning to Geneseo for Reunion:
- Reunion Website - www.geneseo.edu/reunion
- On-Campus House Waiting List - bit.ly/reunionochwaitlist
- Reunion Lodging - www.geneseo.edu/reunion/lodging
- Look for "Local Hotels" section
- Feel free to share any other links from the first communication.
- Repeat links and other important information from the first email to keep your members up-to-date and how to seek additional information. These posts will also hopefully spark conversations about returning to Geneseo for Reunion:
- Other social media post suggestions to build momentum and excitement as your reunion approaches and after registration opens (March-June):
- Reminders to register by the deadline!
- Note - the deadline to reserve on-campus house is earlier than other reunion deadlines.
- #TraditionsTuesday - highlight a chapter tradition, or pictures of the crest, shield, or chapter house.
- #ThrowbackThursday - feature a "throwback" photo, clothing item, anything from your founding, past reunions, etc.
- Fun polls or surveys - alumni superlatives, best family line, favorite Geneseo locations or traditions.
- Reminders to register by the deadline!