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Alumni Club Toolkit

CONNECT. SERVE. INVEST. Through connections, service and investment, the MSU Alumni Office and our alumni clubs represent Michigan State University throughout the globe.

The alumni club toolkit is a compilation of resources that range from the essentials of basic alumni club administration to fundraising, plus tools for specific initiatives, including Give Green Day, Spartans Serve and Spartans Serve Week.

The contents of this toolkit are continuously evolving, and we want it to be of use to our alumni clubs. If you have a suggestion for a resource you'd like us to add to this toolkit, contact Meg Quine via email.

 

LEADERSHIP & FINANCIAL

LEADERSHIP

Ensure that alumni clubs are operating at the most effective level from a leadership standpoint and recruit and retain effective volunteers.

  • Brand Basics - Updated MSU and MSUA Brand information.
  • Alumni Club Bylaws Template - MS Word and PDF format.
  • The Club Admin Panel is the primary “database” of our alumni clubs. The information is used to communicate directly with club leaders, and on your club’s behalf. Forgot your club username and/or password? Refer to page 1 of How to Update Alumni Club Information in Club Admin The MSU Alumni Office does not maintain a master list of user names and passwords. You can update, add or delete an alumni club board member in the Club Admin Panel refer to How to Update Alumni Club Information in Club Admin to do so.
  • Volunteer Interest Survey - MS Word. Volunteer Interest Survey - fillable pdf. Users cannot fill out the form online. In order to use the survey as a fillable pdf, you will need to download the file to your desktop and then open it using Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat.
  • Athletic compliance - Alumni clubs, by NCAA definition, are a representative of MSU’s athletics interests and any inadvertent action could jeopardize the eligibility of current and prospective student-athletes. Ask before you act! Contact the Office of Compliance Services with any questions about NCAA, Big Ten or University rules.
  • Request donations/signed sports items from Spartan Athletics.
  • For alumni club events raising money for athletics, please direct inquiries for MSU coach(es) or athletics administrator(s) to Sarah Skilling, senior director of Special Events and Stewardship for Spartan Athletics via email or by calling (517) 355-7701. Clubs should not contact coaches, administrators or their staff directly.
FINANCIAL

  • Ensure that alumni clubs are operating at the most effective level from a financial standpoint.

    Alumni clubs shall not use Michigan State University’s non-profit status or tax exempt number for club business. The MSU Alumni Office cannot make recommendations or provide guidance on obtaining non-profit status.

    Alumni club activities are not covered under Michigan State University’s insurance. The MSU Alumni Office cannot make recommendations regarding liability insurance. It is suggested that alumni clubs seek the counsel of a local attorney and/or insurance professional who is experienced in working with volunteer organizations and who can best determine and explain a club’s options if an alumni club wished to obtain insurance to protect their assets.

GIVE GREEN DAY

The university-wide Day of Giving, Give Green Day, is an opportunity to give back and make a difference to impact current and future Spartans.

  • The Give Green Day toolkit is intended to provide alumni clubs with tips and tools to help you capitalize on this opportunity. You will find suggestions, samples, resources, timing and other information on how your alumni club can effectively leverage this national day of giving in support of your club’s scholarship.

SERVICE

Spartans Serve is a year-round initiative designed to show the world the extraordinary impact Spartans make through service. This organized, collaborative effort brings Spartans together to serve others in their communities while demonstrating the reach and power of the Spartan network.

All resources related to Spartans Serve and Spartans Serve Week are located in the Volunteer Tools section of the serve.msu.edu website. MSUAO has created a list of service project ideas including in-person, virtual and remote/hybrid projects for clubs.

Assets for supporting the Spartans Serve initiative including graphics, sample social media copy and more can be found in this assets folder.

SCHOLARSHIP

Increase awareness and value of giving to Michigan State University

  • Alumni club scholarships overview
    If your alumni club is interested in establishing a scholarship, contact Jennifer Bertram, Senior Director of Development for University Scholarships and Fellowships via email or by calling (517) 432-7330.

COMMUNICATION, EVENTS & VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

Amplify Michigan State University’s brand within the market, and inform alumni of opportunities to engage with Michigan State University.

COMMUNICATIONS/EVENTS
  • The Email Request Program was designed to decrease the time spent by leaders on the logistics of building and sending an email, freeing up more time to focus on the content of the email.
  • Need an update to your website built in iModules? Submit a website update request. 
  • MSU Alumni Club Brand Basics. For a general overview of alumni club wordmarks – refer to page 3. For suggested resources for purchasing MSU themed items for gifts and giveaways – refer to page 10. For a selection of university photos suitable for social media, websites and print available for download at no charge - refer to page 8.
  • Download your club's wordmarks from your club folder in the File Share tab of the Club Admin Panel. All clubs have jpg and png files. If you need an eps file for merchandising, contact Kimberly Spalding via email.
  • A variety of graphics for social media and other uses are available in the File Share tab of the Club Admin Panel. Additionally, special event, athletic event and MSU Alumni Office event graphics and sample social media posts will be made available as deemed appropriate.
  • Tips for Creating an Event in Eventbrite & How to Collect the Best Guest Information. 
  • Eventbrite API Key Instructions are available via printable PDF and video. 
  • Frequently asked questions about event registration
  • Name Tags - Alumni clubs can submit requests for events, leadership meetings, etc. If you would like to request a name tag, please contact Meg Quine via email.
  • YouTube playlist - The playlist contains a number of videos including the MSU Fight Song, MSU Shadows and MSU in Motion.
  • Request Sparty.
  • MSU Alumni Club Social Media Guidelines and Best Practices.
  • Homecoming - MSU will celebrate Homecoming 2022 with a variety of activities for students, staff, alumni and community members Oct. 10-15, 2022. This year’s Homecoming theme is "Spartans Bring the Magic" and will celebrate Spartans around the world creating real-life magic by making the world a better place.
  • Alumni Grand Awards - The Alumni Grand Awards program recognizes the best of the best — those alumni who are doing wonderful things and making an impact daily in their companies, communities and for Michigan State University. 
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
  • The Club Admin Panel is the primary “database” of our alumni clubs. The information is used to communicate directly with club leaders, and on your club’s behalf. Forgot your club username and/or password? Refer to page 1 of How to Update Alumni Club Information in Club Admin. The MSU Alumni Office does not maintain a master list of user names and passwords. You can update, add or delete an alumni club board member in the Club Admin Panel refer to How to Update Alumni Club Information in Club Admin to do so.
  • University Licensing Overview - refer to page 9 of the MSU Alumni Club Brand Basics. In order to safeguard MSU’s intellectual property, alumni club merchandise or promotions requires review and authorization from the University Licensing Programs office. Scroll to the bottom of the licensing.msu.edu page, where you will see "Authorization Form" and follow the survey prompts asking how to submit a design for merchandise/swag approval. Alumni clubs and affinity groups must order from an official licensee of Michigan State University.

TRAINING & OTHER RESOURCES

RESOURCES FOR ALUMNI CLUB STUDENT SEND-OFFS/ALUMNI PICNICS

  • The MSU Alumni Office is aware of the need to host virtual experiences. If a virtual experience becomes necessary, we have a very specific template and instructions to share. If you are interested in hosting a virtual event, please contact your Engagement Director.
FOR CLUB LEADERS BY CLUB LEADERS

For Club Leaders By Club Leaders is an online series of webinars and podcasts developed by the MSU Alumni Office to share best practices and to highlight successful club leaders who are making an impact in their local communities. This series also includes presentations from the annual Alumni Club Leaders Summit, as well as monthly conference calls with the MSU Alumni International Board.

MONTHLY CONFERENCE CALLS WITH THE MSU ALUMNI INTERNATIONAL BOARD

Conference calls are on a variety of topics pertinent to alumni club leaders. All files are audio files.

ALUMNI CLUB LEADER VIRTUAL SUMMIT: BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION

2022-23 Alumni University: Club Leader Edition calendar - MS Word is a visual guide of the MSU Alumni Office key initiatives and timing for alumni club/affinity group involvement. Some of the elements included are:

  • Spartans Serve
  • Give Green Day
  • Admissions
  • Alumni Grand Awards
ALUMNI CLUB LEADER UPDATES

INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI CLUB LEADERS

If you are an international alumni club leader, please note that while most of the information above is applicable, but the resources might be delivered in different formats. Please review the International Alumni Club Leader Handbook for tailored resources and information for international alumni club leaders. To learn more about international alumni engagement at MSU, visit the International Studies and Program website.