Managing Your Club

We recommend a few standard terms in order to make life easier in terms of logistics. Mirroring the University fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) is required and the same election cycle and membership year is highly recommended. Record keeping and financial compliance are a very important aspect of club logistics. Visit the Compliance section to learn more. Regular board meetings are strongly recommended in order to maintain momentum and optimize alumni engagement in your region.

All Alumni Club Officers shall be elected by local GUAA members in a fair, inclusive, and transparent process and should happen at least every 3 years. We ask that Club Officers terms be aligned to the club fiscal year of July 1 to June 30, with new officers officially transitioning on July 1 following their election. In order to promote fresh perspectives and leadership, an individual may serve no more than 6 consecutive years as a particular officer of the club. They can, however, however, roll off to become a non-officer member of the Board after that 6 year period.

Elections processes should be included in club bylaws and for alumni clubs in markets with greater than 2,000 alumni, Regional Engagement staff and the Board of Governors Alumni Clubs Committee can assist in the administration.

In the event of a vacancy in a mandatory officer position that occurs at least 6 months before a scheduled club election, the club president shall have the discretion to appoint a club member in good standing into the role for the remainder of the term. This shall not count as a full term for the appointee for the purposes of term limits.

1. Elections for alumni clubs with more than 2,000 alumni in their designated area can be administered centrally by the ACC or its designees (i.e. Regional Engagement Staff).
2. Elections for all other clubs will be self-administered; however, it will be mandatory for clubs to define that process in the club bylaws. Election processes are subject to review for fairness, transparency, and inclusivity by the Alumni Clubs Committee.
3. Clubs serving 2,000 or more constituents shall be required to have at least four club officers at all times. The suggested roles:
   • President (required)
   • President-Elect or Vice President
   • Events and Communications Chair
   • Treasurer
4. All other clubs shall be required to have at least three club officers. The following officer roles are recommended:
   • President
   • President-Elect or Vice President
   • Events Chair/Communications Chair
5. Any vacancy in a mandatory role must be filled within 60 days, either by appointment by the club president or by election.
   • If the position is filled via appointment, the appointed officer shall serve the remainder of the current term, but must be elected to a new term thereafter.
6. Clubs shall have discretion to create additional board roles in their by-laws, and may select whether those additional roles are appointed or elected. The Club may also choose whether or not to apply term limits to non-officer roles. These additional roles may not replace any mandatory officer position.

Most successful clubs will plan a range of events to engage alumni of all ages. We also encourage events that reflect the diversity of the Georgetown experience and mission. Popular types of events include: game watches and happy hours, community service projects, academic offerings like book clubs or lectures, and career development and networking events. Additionally, check out our best practices on event planning. There you can find general advice to make planning great club events as stress-free as possible as well as step-by-step guides and event templates. You may also reach out to other club leaders to learn from their expertise and experience directly or via the club leader Facebook group.

Spread the word about events on your club’s social media outlets (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.) and be sure to include the link to register. Many successful clubs send a monthly newsletter with updates from the University, information about upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved. You can also send specific invites for events; typically, we recommend sending one or two reminders for every event invite.

Use the list of program categories below to plan your calendar of events.

• Alumnae initiatives
• Athletic team support
• Career & professional development programming
• Community service opportunities
• Family events
• Intellectually stimulating content
• Philanthropic education and awareness
• Social activities and events
• Spiritual fulfillment
• Student programs
• Young alumni connections
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In order to best serve alumni in a market we ask that clubs comply with the following programming requirements:

• Clubs serving 1000 or fewer alumni must hold at least three programs covering three different programming areas (listed above)
• Clubs serving 1001 to 1999 alumni must hold at least four programs covering four different programming areas (listed above)
• Clubs serving 2000 or more alumni must hold at least five programs covering five programming areas each year.

An event may be counted for multiple program areas, if appropriate. However, the minimum number of programs for the market size must still be met.

In order to best tell the story of amazing clubs across the globe, we ask that programs be reported with registration and attendance data promptly as specified by the ACC or its designees.

There tends to be an annual cycle of events and deadlines you can expect as a club leader. Below please find some of the highlights.

You can use our WordPress system to maintain your event website, our iModules system for club membership, and Marketing Cloud to send broadcast emails to club members about events. Resources on these services can be found on the GOdesk website. If you need to create an iModules account or need help using the system, contact theGOdesk@georgetown.edu. If you are interested in obtaining a list of alumni in your area, email alumniclubs@georgetown.edu. The lists that the regional engagement staff will send you do not include emails for privacy and confidentiality reasons. However, if you use our Marketing Cloud system, it automatically syncs with our master database on a daily basis so you will always know that you’re emailing the most up-to-date list of alumni.

Domestic Georgetown Clubs may choose to charge dues or finance events on a pay-as-you go basis, determined by the clubs’ membership, programming goals, and financial resources. A statement regarding dues should be incorporated into the club bylaws. Some questions for club leaders to consider in deciding whether to charge dues include:

• Does the club hope to hold larger or more formal programs that may require advance contracts? (e.g. space rental for a holiday party? A catering contract for a career panel?)
• What are the characteristics of the alumni population in the area? (e.g. primarily young alumni?)
• How many events will the club hold each year?
• Are there particular events (i.e. a presidential reception) that the club would like to be able to underwrite for the alumni population?
• What benefits is the club prepared to offer for members that pay dues?

ALL eligible Georgetown alumni and constituents should have the opportunity to participate in club events, regardless of whether they have paid club dues but it is acceptable to offer preference in ticket sales or discounts to dues-paying members.

It is important that clubs keep accurate records of dues payments. Clubs can set up dues collection via the iModules System, which will automatically track payments and provides the opportunity for members to sign up for an auto-renewing club membership.

Please note that club dues are not tax deductible. It is best practice to standardize opportunities for alumni to pay annual dues and it is also typical for first year alumni to be given club membership free but receive all the benefits of dues-paying members. Generally, a scaled fee structure that offers reduced annual dues to younger alumni is encouraged. Most clubs charge annual dues ranging between $15 and $50 per year. It is also best practice for dues payment to garner some benefit to the alumnus, for example, priority ticket purchase for popular events, discounts on ticket prices, or an annual appreciation event.