Class Officers: Membership and Dues: Integral to Class Success

Debbie Schaffel ’89

CACO Board Director at Large, Membership Committee Class of 1989 President

CACO’s Leadership Development Training

Curriculum for Class Officers

CACO’s Leadership Development Committee:

Simon Krieger ’76 & Terry Oosterom ’82 (co-chairs) Mike Avery ’55,

Jeff Berg ’79, Paul Cashman ’73, Alison Torrillo French ’95,

Margaret Gallo ’81, Nancy Sverdlik ’79

Committee Purpose

Define the training that should be

developed and provided to class officers

to enable us to do our jobs effectively

Key Expectations of Class Officers (p. 1)

• Communicate with classmates in various ways to keep them engaged with each other and with Cornell

• Collect dues from classmates each year to fund class operations

• Plan and conduct a reunion on the Cornell campus every five years

• Plan and conduct regional events at frequency that meets class needs

Key Expectations of Class Officers (p. 2)

• Plan and manage all the activities of the class to an annual budget

• Assist AA&D staff in encouraging classmates to give a Cornell Annual Fund gift every year

• Develop a strategic direction and a five-year plan for your class

• Ensure class leadership transitions occur in a planned manner every five years and include a plan for diversity in leadership

Training for Class Officers

Key Expectations for Officers

Training Classes Offered This Weekend

Potential Future Classes

1. Communicate with classmates

• Affinity Networking• CornellConnect• Basics of Social Media• Technology as Engagement

Tool

• Using eNewsletters to Communicate with Classmates

2. Collect class dues • Membership, Dues & News

3. Plan and conduct a reunion

• Reunion 2012 Planning• Young Alumni Best Practices

• What To Do the Year PRIOR TO Reunion

Training for Class Officers

Key Expectations for Officers

Training Classes Offered This Weekend

Potential Future Classes

4. Conduct regional events

• Young Alumni Best Practices• Creating Effective Events

• Conducting Regional Birthday Parties

5. Annual budget • Responsible Financial Planning & Annual Budgeting

6. Cornell Annual Fund gift every year

• Young Alumni Best Practices• Giving, Big Red Style

• Creating Class Undergraduate Scholarships

Training for Class Officers

Key Expectations for Officers

Training Classes Offered This Weekend

Potential Future Classes

7. Five-year plan • Class Officer Role• Resilient Leadership

8. Class leadership transitions

• Developing Your Cornell Volunteer Career

• Who’s Missing, Filling in Gaps

• Officer Succession Planning

Class Officers: Membership and Dues: Integral to Class Success

Nathan Connell ’01 CACO Board, Vice President of Membership

Debby Earl Cornell Alumni Affairs & Development, Membership Program Director

Historical View

15 years ago

• Everyone wrote their own letters

• Envelopes printed per mailing

• No mailing schedule

• Email communication

Historical View

10 years ago

• Envelopes printed in bulk

• Mailing schedule implemented

• Email used more frequently

Historical View

Last 5 years

• Ezra Plan created

• Red envelopes printed in bulk

• Strict mailing schedule implemented

• Email used more frequently

How can we improve our strategy?

• We have to review . . .

THE NUMBERS!

Red = highest % paid via dues cardBlue = highest % paid via email

Percent of dues payments from this paper mailing.

Class of 1975 - 37%

Class of 1979 - 30%

Class of 1999 - 18%

Class of 2005 - 19%

Percent of dues payments from this paper mailing.

Class of 1975 - 7%

Class of 1979 - 9%

Percent of dues payments from this paper mailing.

Class of 1975 - 7%Class of 1979 – 6%Class of 2005 - 4%

Percent of dues payments from this paper mailing.

Class of 1979 - 6%Class of 2005 - 9%

Percent of dues payments from this email.

Class of 2005 - 5%

Percent of dues payments from this email.

Class of 2005 - 5%

Class of 1999 - 4%

Class of 1979 - 2%

Class of 1975 - 2%

Results from paper mailings and emails

Class of 1975:4-Paper = 52% Auto Renewals = 40%1-Emails = 8%

Class of 1979:4-Paper = 54% Auto Renewals = 37%1-Emails = 9%

Class of 1999:1-Paper = 18% Auto Renewals = 64%5-Emails = 18%

Class of 2005:3-Paper = 32% Auto Renewals = 47%2-Emails = 21%

Observations

• Emails bring less than 10%

• First mailing always brings highest percentage 18-36%

• Automatic Renewals represents average 50% of dues payers

Conclusion

• Listen to the numbers from the comparison

• Be cost effective without relying on email • Re-imagine the Ezra Plan

Re-Imagine the Ezra Plan – YES!Start Fall 2011

Automatic Renewal 1 Email

3 Paper mailings

Fall Class Participation

• 25 out of 35 Fall Classes selected New Ezra Plan this year

Why did they participate?

• Cost Effective Ezra Plan

Last Year’s Ezra Plan vs New Ezra Plan

2011 EZRA PLANClass pays $400 for printing of one letter

OR

2012 NEW PLANClass pays $99 for printing of one insert

NEW Ezra Plan 20121st mailing (email) Free

2nd mailing printing-$700 labor-$400, postage-$1300

3rd mailing printing-$500 labor-$400, postage-$1100

4th mailing printing-$500 labor-$400, postage-$1100

TOTAL: $6400(prices dependent upon 100% participation in Ezra Plan by all Spring Classes)

Ezra Plan 20111st mailing (letter) printing-$1200 labor-$400, postage-$13002nd mailing (self-mailer) printing-$400 labor-$300, postage-$11003rd mailing (email) FREE4th mailing (card) printing-$1100 labor-$400, postage-$11005th mailing (letter) printing-$900 labor-$400, postage-$1100

TOTAL: $9700

Pilot Class Results

NEW Ezra Plan 2012 Templates

1st mailing 98 paper 17 online 2nd mailing 30 paper, 10 online

3rd mailing coming

Class Own Plan

1st mailing 99 paper 17 online

2nd mailing 37 paper, 10 online 3rd mailing coming

165 Auto Renewals

Is it worth saving $3000 per year in mailing cost?

Will you try the Ezra Plan this year?

Spring Classes

• Time to select Ezra Plan

• Complete Ezra Mailing Plan Form this weekend

• Samples of the NEW Ezra Plan in the back of the room

• Need an appointment this weekend? see clipboard for open times

Questions?

Cornell Big Red Marketplace

Drew Scopelliti, MARSH Lauren Isaacman, MARSH