1. Engaging Diverse Alumni: Case Study of Rutgers Club of Raleigh-Durham Presenter: John Hiel, RC ‘88 Rutgers Club of Raleigh-Durham Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010

2. The Raleigh-Durham, NC area is known for many things….. Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010

3. Raleigh-Durham is also home to more than 2,300 Rutgers alumni! Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010

4. Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010 1.Set date & location for club formation meeting 2.Sent e-mail blast to local alums via RUAA 3.Held club formation meeting and had 30 attendees Gained input on purpose and direction of Club Gathered ideas for events to organize over next 6 months 4.Officers named & organization was officially chartered What We Did: Launching a Club in Four Easy Steps

5. Priority #1: Build Momentum and Keep Our Alumni Engaged Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010 Surveyed Population for Interests Used paper-based surveys and free, e-mail-based services such as Survey Monkey and Zoomerang What were they looking for in a Regional Club and willing to pay for? “Socializing” and “Staying connected to Rutgers” were top responses People attend free or low cost (<$10/person) events Survey results led us to develop a range of programming options such as: Game watch, cultural events, volunteer/community service projects Employed a variety of tools to notify, inform, communicate and share information before and after each event E-mail blasts, website (created by our Vice President), Facebook and LinkedIn, word-of-mouth, etc.

6. Some of our events... Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010 Football game watches Wine tasting social Networking meetings Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic volunteers

7. Some more of our events... Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010 “Brews Cruise” pub crawl Durham Bulls ballgame & stadium tour Freshman Send Off Rutgers Against Hunger

8. Results Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010 Dynamic, active, engaged and self-funded organization 200+ active members and growing Conducted 23 events in 27 months Avg 25 – 30 attendees/event Had 85 people at Durham Bulls game and stadium tour in May Website averages 85 unique visitors and 179 total visitors / month 76 fans and 103 group members Entirely self-funded Most events FREE & RUAA supports us with giveaways/raffle items Minimal costs to run the Club (i.e. web hosting fees) covered by adding event fees ($1.00 or $2.00) to price for special events Ballgame, wine tasting social, etc.

9. Summary Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010 The alumni demographics in Raleigh-Durham are probably similar to most metropolitan areas in the USA Diversity in grad years, schools and majors Common thread = Pride in Rutgers Do NOT attempt a “one size fits all” approach Survey, Listen, Experiment, Ask for Feedback, Adjust as Needed Take advantage of the breadth of experience, interests and passions among alumni Give others the opportunity to lead Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

10. Thanks y’all! Questions? Alumni Leaders Conference October 22 & 23, 2010 John Hiel, RC ‘88 Rutgers Club of Raleigh-Durham Phone: +1-919-753-4541 E-Mail: JohnHiel@gmail.com