2014-15 U-M Club Annual Report
Club Name / UM Alumni Club of Silicon Valley / Date / 6/24/2015Club Location (e.g. North Indiana and SW Michigan) / Silicon Valley, CA / Club Region (Metro, Region 5, etc.) / Metro
Report prepared by / Bob Crum / Title / Co-President
General Directions Regarding Reporting Events
- Please list each event only once and in one category only (e.g., you must decide whether a social event that has a speaker and includes a silent auction is best considered a social event or a scholarship event—it should not be listed in both categories). You may, however, note in your description of the event that such event touched upon more than one category (e.g., in the “Athletic Events” category or in the “Scholarship Events” category, you might indicate: “At our NCAA tournament game-watching parties, we held 50/50 raffles, the proceeds of which went to our club’s scholarship fund”).
- If your club hosted similar, repetitive events such as a game-watching parties or happy hours, please list each type of event only once and indicate in the description the number of times it was held (e.g., “Hosted game-watching parties at club sponsor bar for all twelve (12) U-M football games (20-50 attendees on average)”).
- Please do not include AAUM-organized events such as away-game events or the Go Blue tailgate in Ann Arbor, unless there was collaboration in planning and hosting with your club.
- If your club organized and/or participated in an event that was primarily organized or co-organized by another organization (e.g., U-M Office of Development, U-M Office of Undergraduate Admissions, U-M Athletic Department, U-M Black Alumni, alumni groups of the Ross School of Business or U-M Law School, another AAUM regional club, a Big Ten alumni group or consortium), please identify that organization and your club’s level of involvement in the particular event.
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I.BRAND PILLAR: Celebrate, by Keeping U-M Close and the Spirit Alive
The University has an astounding list of accomplishments for which it is recognized around the world. Members are kept deeply engaged with and informed about the things that stir up passion and pride.
1. Please list all athletic and social events and activities that the Club organized and/or participated in from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
DATE / DESCRIPTION OF ATHLETIC EVENTSExamples: Sports Watching Parties,
Outings to Sporting Events (U-M or other),
Club Athletic Team Sponsorship / NUMBER OF ALUMNI PARTICIPANTS & THEIR GUESTS / EVENT PROCESSED USING AAUM REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT SERVICES
(E-WEBSALES)
2/26/2015 / Red Wings/Sharks Hockey Game watch with UM club of San Francisco and MSU club. / 83 / ☐
8/30/2014 / Appalachian State @umich (all game watches held at two locations now: Double D’s in Los Gatos and Freewheel Brewery in Redwood City. Freewheel donates 15% of proceeds to our club scholarship fund.) / 94 / ☐
9/6/2014 / Notre Dame @ Notre Dame / 121 / ☐
9/13/2014 / Miami @ umich / 38 / ☐
9/20/2014 / Utah @ umich / 27 / ☐
9/27/2014 / Minnesota @ umich / 43 / ☐
10/4/2014 / Rutgers @ Rutgers / 25 / ☐
10/11/2014 / Penn State @ umich / 25 / ☐
10/25/2014 / Michigan State @ State / 26 / ☐
11/1/2014 / Indiana @ umich / 27 / ☐
11/8/2014 / Northwestern @ Northwestern / 24 / ☐
11/22/2014 / Maryland @ umich / 18 / ☐
11/29/2014 / OSU @ OSU / 8 / ☐
DATE / DESCRIPTION OF SOCIAL EVENTS
Examples: Happy Hours, Hikes, Bowling, Holiday Parties, etc. / NUMBER OF ALUMNI PARTICIPANTS& THEIR GUESTS / EVENT PROCESSED USING AAUM REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT SERVICES
(E-WEBSALES)
3/6/2015 / Annual trip to Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite / 6 / X
12/18/2014 / Club Holiday Party / 45 / ☐
6/28/2015 / Club Annual Meeting and Taste of Ann Arbor / 51 / ☐
2. Over the past year, our club hosted at least one family-friendly event: (Check One)
Yes☐ No
If the answer to the question above is “yes”, please describe the family-friendly events, including the date and location of same: Click here to enter text.
We hosted two such events, the Tenaya Lodge weekend in Yosemite and our Club Annual Meeting and Taste of Ann Arbor. See above for dates.
3. Describe below how your club has been “A-Maize-ing” in celebrating the U-M spirit over the past year, including holding any successful athletic or social events or building new programs that you were particularly proud of or that showcased your club’s innovative approach to building spirit. Please limit your response to 250 words.
We expanded our game watch to two locations this past year, after having had a single location in Los Gatos (far to the southern part of our area) for many years. We developed a relationship with a UM alum who is part owner of the Freewheel Brewery in Redwood City, which is in the northern part of our territory. Not only were we able to arrange a second game watch, but we also negotiated a contribution to our club scholarship fund from the venue. We wanted to have a second location, but the requirement was that it had to be in a different part of our territory to encourage a “new” crowd to attend the game watches. We were gratified to have not only additional alumni participating, but that we also got a sizable contribution to our scholarship fund.
We also held, for the first time, a Holiday Party and had 45 attendees there. Based on the response we received, we will be planning such an annual party in December every year. Lastly, our annual Taste of Ann Arbor event combined with the club annual meeting drew over 60 people in all age groups who enjoyed Zingermann’s desserts, heard from recent UM graduates, and generally enjoyed the company of other Wolverines.
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II.BRAND PILLAR: Excel, by Accessing the Best Learning for Life
University of Michigan alumni are lifelong learners whose education continues long after their student days. Members gain direct access to the University’s vast resources, from which they can obtain the knowledge they need and want at any point in their lives.
4. Please list all lifelong learning events and activities that the Club organized and/or participated in from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. Do not include career/networking events in this category.
DATE / DESCRIPTION OF LIFELONG LEARNING EVENTSExamples: Cultural/Educations Events such as Museum Tours, Music or Theatre Group Outings, Book Clubs,
U-M Speakers, Local Lecture Series, Cooking Classes, etc. / NUMBER OF ALUMNI PARTICIPANTS& THEIR GUESTS / EVENT PROCESSED USING AAUM REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT SERVICES
(E-WEBSALES)
2/28/2015 / “X’s and O’s (A Football Love Story)” play at Berkeley Rep (with Dwight Hicks, UM alum, appearing in it) / 7 / ☐
11/9/2014 / San Jose Museum of Art Tour / 6
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5. Describe how your club has been “A-Maize-ing” in seeking out and holding learning events, webinars, or other development activities that enable alumni to take a fresh look at the world and leverage their special connection to U-M. Please limit your response to 250 words.
To be honest, we were challenged to fill our calendar with lifelong learning events in 2014/2015. Our focus during the past year was on three main things: attaining our endowed scholarship goal, expanding our game watches, and continuing to build the strength of the board. One aspect of strengthening the board was to replace our Program & Events board member who left us in January with a new person, and to also formalize a P&E committee which will consist of four people in 2015/2016. By doing so, we believe we have the ability to significantly increase the number of events that we can organize.
III.BRAND PILLAR: Connect, and Harness the Power of the U-M Community
Members understand that their membership keeps them connected to an extraordinary community of people who share their profound pride for Michigan and through which they can make a difference in the world.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT & NETWORKING
Career networking events and mentoring programs provide an opportunity for alumni to access the power of the Michigan community.
6. Please list all networking and career-related events and activities that the Club organized and/or participated in from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
DATE / DESCRIPTION OF CAREER/NETWORKING EVENTSExamples: Speed Networking, Student and/or
Alumni Mentoring Programs, HR Professionals &
Other Career-Oriented Speakers, etc. / NUMBER OF ALUMNI PARTICIPANTS& THEIR GUESTS / EVENT PROCESSED USING AAUM REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT SERVICES
(E-WEBSALES)
9/4/2014 / Networking: Gordon Biersch, Palo Alto / 28 / ☐
11/4/2014 / Networking: Dutch Goose, Menlo Park / 25 / ☐
1/29/2015 / Networking: Firehouse Brewery, Sunnyvale / 15 / ☐
5/21/2015 / Career Networking and Wine Tasting: Savvy Wine Cellar / 41 / X
12/11/2016 / Career Panel Discussion: Career Transitions / 22 / X
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MEMBERSHIP
A strong membership reflects the effectiveness of the Alumni Association and clubs and provides crucial volunteer and financial resources.
In conjunction with its upcoming bicentennial, U-M is in the midst of the Victors for Michigan campaign and all University units, including AAUM, are participating. One of the Association’s primary campaign goals is increasing Association membership. Increasing membership allows us to provide even more robust programming to our alumni, increased scholarships to current and prospective students, and an even stronger global alumni network.AAUM’s regional clubs will play a pivotal role in accomplishing this goal, and their enhanced participation in supporting AAUM’s membership efforts is vital to the campaign’s success. We appreciate your help.
7. Over the past year, our club has included information and/or graphics promoting the new club membership campaign (i.e. that clubs will directly receive back a percentage of each new membership they help acquire) via our listserv messages and social media channels on approximately the following number of occasions:
☐ 0 Occasions☐ 1-10 Occasions☐ 11-25 Occasions 26+ Occasions
8. Over the past year, our club designated one or more leaders or volunteers to greet alumni at the entrance to all club events: (Check One)
Yes☐ No
9. Over the past year, our club used Alumni Association “member” and “alumni” name tags at the following number of events: (Check One)
☐ 0 Events☐ 1-5 Events 6-10 Events☐ 11+ Events
10. Over the past year, our club made Alumni Association membership materials available to participants at the vast majority of club events: (Check One)
Yes☐ No
11. Over the past year, our club thanked members publicly at the vast majority of club events: (Check One)
Yes☐ No
12. In the past year, our club hosted a welcome event tailored to newcomers to the club’s area – both recent grads and transplants. (To qualify, it must have been a standalone event, e.g., not combined with a game-watching party. (Check One)
☐ Yes☐ No
If you answered yes, please list the date and describe the event:
3/20/2015 / Networking/get acquainted event at Steins, Mountain View, which was specifically focused on young alumni. We had 45 attendees.13. Over the past year, our club designated club leaders to welcome new alumni and introduce themselves to others at all of our events: (Check One)
Yes☐ No
We have a Young Alumni board member who makes sure this happens.
14. Over the past year, when there was a registration fee for a club event, our club charged members less than non-members for the following number of events: (Check One)
☐ 0 Events 1-5 Events☐ 6-10 Events☐ 11+ Events
15. Over the past year, our club hosted at least one event that was free for AAUM members where non-members were charged a fee: (Check One)
☐ Yes No
16. All of our Club’s board members and officers have an active Alumni Association membership: (Check One)
Yes☐ No
17. Apart from the information you provided above, please describe your club’s specific efforts to increase AAUM membership over the past year, and what, if any, unique benefits the club gave to members (e.g. hosting recruiting events; promoting membership in written and oral communications; offering tangible benefits to members at club events, such as a free appetizer or drink or a member-only giveaway): Click here to enter text.
Every weekly newsletter we send out has a “Unite Michigan” section that provides links for AAUM membership. At every event where it was feasible, we put out the “tent” cards we received last year which demonstrate the value of membership. We have posted multiple messages on our Facebook group promoting membership.
PUBLIC RELATIONS, PROMOTION AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Enhancing the visibility of the University of Michigan and the Alumni Association within each club area is an important means through which we can engage alumni and allow them to harness the network of the great Michigan alumni community.
18. Over the past year, our club regularly collected alumni email addresses and forwarded them to the Association for inclusion in the Association’s database. (Check One)
Yes☐ No
19. Over the past year, our club’s listserv messages were typically sent to alumni: (Check One)
Weekly☐ MonthlyIf Other, Please Specify: Click here to enter text.
20. Over the past year, our club’s listserv messages utilized AAUM’s branded templates and graphics. (Check One)
Yes☐ No
21. Over the past year, our club made regular submissions to the Association’s event calendar. (Check One)
Yes☐ No
22. Our club website contains the following:
Information About Upcoming Events / Yes☐ NoInformation About Past Events / Yes☐ No
Club Volunteer Opportunities with Descriptions / Yes☐ No
A List of Club Officers, Board Members, and Committees / Yes☐ No
Club Bylaws / Yes☐ No
Important U-M, Alumni Association and Internal Links / Yes☐ No
Photos and Graphics (in addition to the graphic on the homepage) / Yes☐ No
A Letter From Our Club’s President / Yes☐ No
23. Over the past year, our club website was typically updated: (Check One)
☐ Weekly☐ MonthlyIf Other, Please Specify: Once per quarter.
24. Please indicate the names and current administrators of your social networking pages and groups below:
PAGE/GROUP NAME OR HANDLE / ADMINISTRATOR(S)/ / Bob Crum, David Bos
/ / David Bos
/ / Bob Crum, David Bos
OTHER
SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS
25. Over the past year, our club frequently used graphics provided in the M+Box by Alumni Association staff in our communications: (Check One)
☐ Yes No
CLUB LEADER FORUM
26. Our club has at least one club officer and/or board member who is a registered user of AAUM’s Club Leader Forum.
Yes☐ No
27. Describe how your club has been “A-Maize-ing” in seeking out and developing new opportunities for career development, working to recruit and engage new members, and promoting your organization through innovative means to members and the broader community. Please limit your response to 250 words.
A standard part of our programming is a networking social that we hold every two months at rotating locations through our area. We do this to enable different groups of people to attend. These are very well attended, and consistently we are thanked by members for having them. This past year we received additional funding from AAUM to put on specific career networking events, and we did two events with that funding. One was a new thing for us—a panel discussion entitled “Career Transitions” that was held in December. We had four panelists and a moderator, and a crowd of about 16 people. Unfortunately, the day we held it was the same day as the heaviest rain storm in ten years in our area, which dumped over four inches of rain and flooded large parts of the area. Understandably, many people who pre-registered didn’t attend.
In addition, we had a career networking mixer combined with a wine tasting, which was quite successful and which 41 people attended. For 2015/2016 we have created a new board position for Career Programming. We expect to have a specific focus on career events throughout the year.
IV.BRAND PILLAR: Give Back, by Supporting our Communities, our Alumni, and the Future Leaders and Best.
Association members value opportunities to give back through the Alumni Association because of their high sense of personal responsibility to support the University, each other and our society.
STUDENT RELATIONS
Representing and increasing awareness of the University of Michigan among prospective students, their parents, and their teachers, and supporting current University students are essential components of the Alumni Association’s partnership with the University of Michigan.
28. Please list all student-related events and activities that the Club organized and/or participated in from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
DATE / DESCRIPTION OF STUDENT RELATED ACTIVITIES/EVENTSExamples: Student Send-Off Parties &
Admitted Student Receptions Hosted by the Club,
Hosting Alternative Spring Break Students,
Men or Women’s Glee Club, Solar Car Team, Student Interns, etc. / NUMBER OF STUDENT
PARTICIPANTS / NUMBER OF ALUMNI PARTICIPANTS
April 21, 2015 / Admitted Student Reception / 13 (plus 18 parents/siblings) / 8
August 3, 2014 / Back to School Picnic and Scholarship Awards / 15 / 6
AAUM’s Alumni Student Recruitment (ASR) Program
29. Does your club support the ASR program? (Check One)
Yes☐ No☐ N/A – We do not have an ASR program in our club area.
If the answer to the question above is “yes”, please answer the following questions:
30. Our club has an identified recruiting chairperson who is an active participant in the ASR program and is registered with the U-M Admissions Office: (Check One)
Yes☐ NoIf “yes,” please identify the chairperson (including email address):
Robin Hurwitz
31. The ASRs in our club area are actively involved with the club’s board of directors in planning admitted student receptions and student send-off parties: (Check One)
Yes☐ No☐ N/A – We do not host these events
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Community service events are an opportunity for alumni to give back and support the local community where they live.
32. Please list all community service events and activities that the Club organized and/or participated in from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.