Ivy Connection Alumnae Chapter Interest Group

As Alpha Phis and as women our needs change as we mature. Whether a young professional, stay-at-home mom, or retiree, Alpha Phi can be an important support system and fun social outlet. An Ivy Connection as well as an alumnae chapter can help each alumna find her place in Alpha Phi!

What is an Ivy Connection?

An Ivy Connection is designed to offer a bridge from the collegiate experience into alumnae life. The Ivy Connection provides a mechanism for young alumnae to meet socially and offers opportunities for personal and professional networking. It is targeted towards Alpha Phis who have been out of college 10 years or less. The goal of an Ivy Connection is to promote programming that will cater to this age group. Ivy Connection activities and schedules are very flexible, depending on each group's needs, thus making this type of organization a very appealing opportunity for younger alumnae!

5 Things young Alpha Phi alumnae are looking for:

Young alumnae have very specific needs. Traditionally, post-graduation activities are focussed on determining where to live, finding a job, establishing a social network and enjoying newfound independence as a young adult. Alpha Phi’s Ivy Connections can support these efforts by focussing on the following interests:

1. Career Networking – Professional networking is a critical need for women age 22-30. It is generally a time of much confusion and uncertainty. Alpha Phi can provide important contacts, mentors and other such professional resources.
2. Social Networking – Many young alumnae are interested in cultivating a new network of friends. Meeting people is much more enjoyable and comfortable when there is a common experience you can relate to, specifically, sisterhood in Alpha Phi.
3. Collegiate Connections – Though young alumnae seek to establish themselves as independent adults, they continue to be very interested in maintaining relationships with their college friends. Often, young alumnae enjoy reunions or chapter-specific activities with these friends. Young and old alumnae alike may be instrumental in assisting area collegiate chapters with activities such as recruitment, new member programming and marketing. Being involved in alumnae functions also gives alumnae an opportunity to be involved in the advisory boards of the collegiate chapters in the area.
4. Entertainment – Young alumnae experience tremendous pressures as they initially venture out on their own. It is a very stressful time in their lives and they enjoy having fun without too many obligations. Additional commitments maybe difficult for them to make, but they are very interested in offsetting their stress with fun, economical activities.
5. Relocation Assistance – Often, young alumnae have to relocate to obtain the job they want or to get to an area they are interested in living in. Acclimating to a new place is a daunting challenge. Information long-term residents take for granted (e.g., where is the local grocery store?) becomes very important to a new resident. These alumnae seek resources to aid in the transition. Friendly local Alpha Phi alumnae can make all the difference.

Why do we need an Ivy Connection?

If you have a number of young alumnae in your area, establishing an Ivy Connection can increase the level of their participation in local Alpha Phi activities. Younger alumnae are willing to participate in activities that benefit themselves socially or professionally, but are not interested in anything that is time consuming or financially onerous. The goal is to ease these recent graduates from collegiate to alumnae membership by promoting the fact that we can meet their needs at all stages of their lives – that we are all Alpha Phi’s for Life. The Ivy Connection is a strong stepping-stone to this desired end.

Getting Started

Establishing an Ivy Connection is easy! In fact, it is very similar to starting a traditional alumnae chapter. There are several resources available to help you, including your regional Alumnae Membership Coordinator and the Alpha Phi International Executive Office. Specifically, the Executive Office can provide a list of young alumnae (10 years out of college and under) in your area. Again, the tasks necessary to successfully organize an Alumnae Chapter or an Ivy Connection are very similar so the information should be very helpful. In addition, your Alumnae Membership Coordinator can offer assistance with ideas, feedback and support as you progress with the project.

The Ivy Connection is more loosely structured than a traditional alumnae chapter, but it is still critical to have officers, as well as coordinators and/or committees for the following tasks:

§ Schedule and/or host events

§ Liaison with the local alumnae chapter, if there is one in your area

§ Maintain a membership database

§ Compile record of activities to assist with future planning

§ Notify members of events

§ Collect dues, record the dues paying members and share the list with Alpha Phi International

§ Retain a list of function attendees

§ Communicate with the Executive Office, i.e. submitting reports and rosters to the EO

At a minimum, an Ivy Connection should have five officers. However we suggest the following positions:

1. President
2. Vice president of Membership
3. Vice president of Programming
4. Treasurer
5. Secretary
6. Marketing Alpha Phi Coordinator
7. Quarterly Correspondent
8. Publicity Chair
9. Ways and Means Chair
10. Collegiate Chapter Liaison
11. Panhellenic Delegate
12. Communications Chair

It is important to recognize that choosing an enthusiastic leader is absolutely critical to an Ivy Connection’s success. One strong woman can help an Ivy Connection thrive if she can motivate others to work with her to cultivate the group. It is also helpful to break down large responsibilities into smaller, more manageable tasks as this will offer several people opportunities to contribute to the Ivy Connection’s success and promotes more positive alumnae experiences. Ivy Connections with good leaders and happy volunteers tend to perpetuate themselves and grow stronger with time.

Programming for an Ivy Connection

The age group for an Ivy Connection as stated above is women ages 22-30. This age group will need special attention when working with, as these women do not necessarily want to be active in a traditional alumnae chapter. However, they DO want to maintain their ties to Alpha Phi and are very open to using programs and services it has to offer. Finding the delicate balance between over-commitment and under-involvement is difficult, but not impossible. Most people agree that scheduling one activity per month is plenty. A larger time commitment may turn into a commitment young alumnae cannot make or may not wish to make.

Ideas for Events

Most Ivy Connections sponsor functions in public places that are easily accessible to young working women. The organizer should check ahead of time to see if a separate area can be set aside for the group and if individual checks can be arranged (or a flat fee price) so no one has the burden of dividing a large bill at the end of the evening. We encourage you to consider the following list of suggested activities:

• Happy hours
• Shopping trip to large outlet mall
• Attending a musical/play in town
• Group participation in a walk or run (e.g., Race for the Cure, NY Marathon)
• Co-ed dinner parties with husbands/boyfriends and potential romantic "matches" in attendance
• Dinner at a popular restaurant
• Salad or potluck dinner at someone's apartment, clubhouse, parent's home
• Group gatherings to watch a popular TV show
• Pool party
• Game night -- cards, board games, current popular games
• Sporting event
• Some sort of exercise activity, e.g., softball team, aerobics
• Visiting the local collegiate chapter
• Local or Regional Panhellenic activity
• Community service activity

Helpful Hints

§ The Alpha Phi Welcome Wagon Works! – Ivy Connection leaders should make an effort to telephone young alumnae who are new to the area. When calling, have a calendar of events available and be prepared to answer questions about the group and general inquiries regarding the area.

§ Contact is Key – Ideally, Ivy Connection leaders should ensure that they contact each young alumna. Personal contact works best but is not always realistic in today's environment so make use of email when it’s available. Most young alumnae have email addresses and with many, it is their favored method of communication.

§ "Ownership" Promotes Commitment – Although most women do not want overly time-consuming commitments, a small task or job might make them feel more included and needed. It could be something as simple as calling five new people in the area, bringing cookies to an event, etc. Making members feel more invested in the group strengthens their loyalty to the Ivy Connection.

§ Research is Important – Reviewing the listing of area alumnae that the Executive Office sends out in the annual fall mailing, is critical as it provides alumnae contact information and lists each member’s graduation date. Each Ivy Connection will receive a listing of young alumnae 10 years out of college and under yearly, to assist them in recruiting strong young alumnae for their chapter. This information is also available on an ad hoc basis from the Executive Office in a hard copy or electronic format.

§ Getting On-line is Virtually a Breeze – There are numerous service providers who offer free web pages to individuals and groups. Many attractive customized invitations can be created very quickly by someone with relatively little technical experience. Investigate the options available to you and get on the web. It is an easy and inexpensive way to publicize events.

REMEMBER…the goal is to attract new young alumnae to participate in local Alpha Phi activities and promote programming that will meet each individual alumnae members needs! An Ivy Connection is a potentially popular alternative to traditional alumnae chapter activities. It creates a welcome "bridge" for recent graduates to their new Alpha Phi alumnae status. It proves that Alpha Phi is committed to offering all of its members a lifetime of pertinent and fun programming.

References

1. Ivy Connection Alumnae Chapter Petition
2. Ivy Connection Sample Generic Bylaws
3. Ivy Connection Officer Responsibilities
4. Ivy Connection Treasurer's Information
5. Opening an Ivy Connection Bank Account
6. Sample Survey and Dues Invoice

For more information, please e-mail the Program Manager of Alumnae at the Executive Office or call 847.475.0663. Thank you for helping Alpha Phi fulfill its promise to be the premier developer of women in all stages of life.