There's nothing like a worldwide financial meltdown to kick-start an alumni association's career networking offerings. In 2009, the Northwestern University alumni board provided clear direction to its regional affiliates and to the full-time staff working at the Evanston, Illinois, campus: Develop ways to purposefully connect alumni with each…

Congress passed legislation last week that would shield students and other consumers from sudden spikes in interest rates and fees, but that could make it harder for young people to access credit to pay for college. The legislation would extend broad new consumer protections to all credit-card holders, offering special protections to college…

A large sample of 33,000 university alumni records were cluster-analyzed to generate six groups relatively unique in their respective attribute values. The attributes used to cluster the former students included average gift to the university's foundation and to the alumni association for the same institution. Cluster detection is useful in this…

When the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) ended a $3-billion campaign in December, the effort was known as a success not only because of its large goal, but also because of the high participation by alumni. Three out of every 10 alumni made a donation, accounting for 22 percent of the total take. Now the institution faces the…

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,…

This article discusses the drawbacks of alumni merchandising, with alumni association directors voicing concerns about overloading alumni with solicitations and detracting from the associations' primary mission. It argues that if alumni associations must resort to merchandising, they should offer only high quality products. (MDM)

Affinity-group marketing--selling credit cards or insurance to people who have a lot in common, such as alumni--is booming. The IRS's case for taxing profits from credit card and insurance plans is discussed. The vehicle for collecting taxes would be the UBIT--the tax on unrelated business income. (MLW)

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…

Colleges and universities must develop complete and coherent marketing strategies that aim at communicating a solid, identifiable, and structured image and purpose to alumni and friends, and to their regional and national communities. Some examples of how a particular institution should structure its annual fund are provided. (MLW)

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…

A large part of any merchandising program is picking products that will sell. Sixty alumni professionals were asked about their ideas. Some of the winners included a watch with the institution's seal, a windsock, and athletic shoes. Some of the losers included a sweater and a commemorative plate. (MLW)

When nontraditional students become alumni, building loyalty takes creativity. For an urban campus and its alumni, it is important to clearly identify-and then offer programs to-specific constituencies within the alumni. The experiences of New York University are described. (MLW)

A 1989 centennial celebration at Thacher School in California prompted the college preparation boarding school to move from selling one item--the traditional striped school tie--to a range of products that matched their mission to celebrate their centennial and inspire alumni support. Thacher School found it is best to keep merchandise simple and…