Affinities 101: Building A Successful Affinity Networking Program

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Affinities 101 Building A Successful Affinity
Networking Program

• Paul M. Cashman
• VP/Affinity Programs,
• Class of 73
• Lawrence R. Taylor
• VP/Membership,
• Class of 73

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Why Reach Out Through Affinities?

• Most classmates were affiliated as undergrads
• 2,110 members of Class of 73 were in affinities
  (89 of mailable addresses for entire class)
• On average, each classmate was in 2 affinities
• They were tight-knit groups
• 113 affinities (85) had 25 members or fewer
• People respond to invitations from people they
  know

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Class of 73 Participation Message Was
Deceptively Simple

• Come back (to Reunion)
• Give back (by donating to the Cornell Annual
  Fund)

Why deceptively simple? Unites two usually
separate threads
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Six Steps To Success

• Start early and organize
• Recruit a cadre of Affinity Group Leaders
  (AGL)Cadre A tightly knit group of zealots
  active in advancing the interests of a
  revolutionary party (American Heritage
  Dictionary)
• Give AGLs a program and tools to succeed
• Manage AGLs via frequent communications
• Have fun at Reunion
• Follow up after Reunion

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Start Early and Organize

• Set participation goals February of the year
  before Reunion (year 4)
• Have Participation co-chairs in place by February
  or March of that same year
• Useful Participation co-chair skills
• Detail-oriented, strong follow-through
• Excellent communications, especially written
• Good Excel skills (lots of list management)

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Recruit Cadre of AGLs Identifying Potential
AGLs

• Look at last Reunions attendees
• Ask class officers to recruit friends
• Ask for volunteers
• Use class data available from AAD
• Class affinities spreadsheet
• Join it with Reunion attendance data

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Recruit Cadre of AGLs Signing Them Up

• Email or call them and explain
• What youre asking them to do
• How much time they will spend, and when
• What youll do to support them
• Whether explicit fundraising is expected
• Whether other people are being recruited for a
  large group

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Recruit Cadre of AGLs Recruiting Planning
Timeline
Mail letter to AGLs
Compile list of potential AGLs
Email non-responders
Jan-Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Aug
Sep
Jul
Oct
(1) Define content of AGL kit (2) Come back and
give back defined
Mail kits to AGLs
Develop and produce AGL kit materials
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Give AGLs a Program To Succeed
Reunion packets mailed and online registration
goes live
AGLs send postcards to members
Apr
Nov
Dec
Feb
May
Oct
Jan 2008
Mar
June
AGLs send e-postcards to members
AGLs receive their kits
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Give AGLs Tools To Succeed Participation Kit

• Welcome letter to the AGL
• Hard-copy list of AG members
• Reunion postcards, stamps, and preprinted address
  labels for AG members
• Talking points about importance of come
  back/give back
• Sample flyer for AG-specific Reunion
  get-togethers
• Directions on sending e-postcards and posting
  events to class web site

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Give AGLs Tools To Succeed AG Web Page

• Linked from Class Reunion page
• Lists all AGLs with email addresses
• Lists AG-specific activities at Reunion
• Will link to AG pictures from Reunion
  (participation tool for the next Reunion)

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Class of 1973 35th Reunion Postcard
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Blank Postcards Available from Alumni Affairs
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Manage AGLs Via Frequent Communication
Best practices update
Post-holiday update
Registration progress update
Kits go out
Jan
Nov
Dec
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Oct
Hows it going?
Call for AG fund-raising volunteers
Registration call to action
Dont you forget to come back give back
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Have Fun At Reunion

• Reward successful affinity groups
• Identify/expand AGs and recruit new AGLs
• Encourage contact with absent classmates
• Capture AG moments on film for later use
• Listen to the stories, relax, and bask in success!

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Have Fun At Reunion Affinity Group Awards

• We gave awards for
• Most members registered for Reunion
• Greatest percentage of members registered for
  Reunion
• Greatest percentage of members donating to
  Cornell Annual Fund
• Patches were prizes
• 16 different affinitieswon prizes

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Have Fun At Reunion Identify/Expand AGs and
Recruit New AGLs
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Have Fun At Reunion Encourage Contact With
Classmates Unable to Attend
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Have Fun At Reunion Capture Affinity Group
Moments

• Hire a photographer to be at Reunion events, HQ,
  etc.

Use pictures on class website linked to the
affinitygroups page.
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Have Fun At Reunion Listen to the Stories,
Relax, and Bask in Success

• 816 Cornell Annual Fund donors as of 6/6/08 (35th
  Reunion record) -- most donors of any class in
  2008
• 177 attendees -- an increase over our 30th, plus
  bucking a downward trend in recent 35th Reunions,
  plus bucking lower attendance overall in 2008

L to R Vicki Simons, Pam Meyers, Wayne
Merkelson, Debra Rothman, David Cohen, Abby
Joseph Cohen. The women are all from Delta Phi
Epsilon and are all first-time Reuners. D Phi E
placed secondin percentage of members returning
for Reunion (Pam was the AGL).
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Follow Up After Reunion

• Make sure all members of winning affinities get
  their prizes
• Thank the AGLs get their help to identify
  pictures of their groups get pictures on web
  site
• Send letter/email to all Reunion attendees asking
  if anyone wants to form a new AG. It doesnt
  have to be one the University tracks -- theyll
  add it for you
• Figure out how to top this next time

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Give Our Regards To...

• Marty Sherman, President, Class of 73
• Tina Gourley and Debra Earl, Alumni Affairs
• Sarah Burton and Liz Kirk, Cornell Annual Fund
• Jane Cashman and Kathleen Shaul

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We Can Help You Get Going

• AGL recruiting letter
• AGL kit
• Advice on using the Affinities spreadsheet
• Advice on tracking participation
• Excel nerds only!

LarryTaylor_at_aziotics.com
PC232_at_cornell.edu