A discussion of financial audits for alumni associations encourages their use as a means of checking the organization's financial systems, and gives suggestions for finding an auditor, keeping costs down, and preparing for the audit. (MSE)

This article examines the philosophy behind alumni merchandising programs used by several colleges and universities, focusing on how alumni association directors determine which products best suit their mission and their audiences. It discusses techniques and products used by associations at Boston College and the Universities of New Hampshire,…

Whether facing budget and staff cuts or event logistics, alumni associations can make good use of volunteers. Three important rules for volunteer program management include maintaining good volunteer relationships, knowing when to ask for help, and recruiting good veteran, novice, and even nonalumni volunteers. (MSE)

This article maintains that the best alumni magazines present lively campus topics on the cover and at the core of the feature section, arguing that too many alumni periodicals seek to be clones of general-interest commercial magazines. Examples from various alumni magazines are presented. (MDM)

Discusses the need for alumni directors to have a good working relationship with their college or university chief executive officer (CEO). Alumni directors need to increase their visibility, meet with the CEO on a regular basis, show results, plan around the CEO's schedule, and mediate conflicts between alumni and the CEO. (MDM)

The Postal Service is auditing and trying to collect back postage from nonprofit organizations, including alumni associations. Although the post office initially accepted the materials in question for mailing, it now says alumni associations illegally loaned their permits to commercial firms such as travel agencies. (MSE)

The reasons that the Internal Revenue Service often audits alumni associations are cited, and specific procedures and considerations in preparing for and conducting the audit are given. (MSE)

Five strategies for recruiting and motivating college alumni club leaders are outlined, including focusing on collaboration among volunteers as much as on leader qualities, recruiting volunteers to support leaders, allowing key volunteers to make contributions that don't require much of their time, maintaining continuity of policy and practice,…

Advice is offered on promoting diversity within the college alumni association, based on the University of Kansas Alumni Association's experience. Suggestions include providing offerings that appeal to everyone; challenging alumni to participate in reaching out to others; and inviting alumni involvement when dissatisfied. (MSE)

This article presents five basic guidelines for initiating a successful alumni merchandising program: (1) shop around for the best vendor; (2) decide what to sell; (3) manage merchandise properly; (4) watch out for risky business; and (5) get what you pay for. (MDM)

This article reviews the tax implications of alumni association merchandising programs, focusing on unrelated business income tax (UBIT) that nonprofit organizations, such as alumni associations, must pay on income derived from a trade or business not substantially related to their tax-exempt status. It also discusses postal regulations that…

Graphic design expert Jan White presents five principles to make alumni magazines more dynamic and more relevant to readers: (1) reach the reader; (2) write better captions; (3) pack photographs with power; (4) keep the design consistent; and (5) effectively integrate visual material and text. (MDM)

A number of factors keep college alumni staff and development officers from forging cooperative relationships, and campus and graduates suffer as a result. These factors include competition for resources and professional opportunities and stereotypes of administrator roles and characteristics. Successful partnerships require shared values and…

It is important for alumni associations to project a consistent image. This can be accomplished in part by adopting a logo, either similar to or different from the institution's, or by instituting a visual identity program that conveys the association's personality and suits its marketing purposes. (MSE)

Regardless of who publishes it, the campus or alumni magazine belongs to alumni. Specific alumni information can be included as either a separate piece, association agendas, reports of gatherings, class notes, personality profiles, celebrity features, or as an expanded alumni section. Examples from alumni magazines across the country illustrate…