What if you could build a legion of loyal supporters? Just imagine: hundreds of mentors, volunteers, and advocates for your schools.

You can do just that with an effective alumni association.  Just ask Jan Misuraca, executive director of the Parkway Alumni Association, and Paul Tandy, APR, director of public affairs, Parkway School District, in St. Louis, Mo. They know first hand.

“Alumni associations are a perfect fit for your PR department because it’s all about relationships,” explains Misuraca.  “They are your natural resource; they already have ownership and are familiar with your district, and they love to talk about ‘back when.’ ”

According to Tandy, one out of every five residents in Parkway’s K-12 suburban community has a connection to the school district – even those without children in schools today.

“We have about 65,000 alums, and over 20,000 still live in our school district,” notes Tandy.

Parkway’s active alumni support school partnerships and serve as an advocacy network for school and community-based issues. The extensive alumni database provides a resource for volunteer committees – from the PR advisory group to the bond issue and tax campaign committees.

“With their ownership and knowledge, it’s a real value-added,”says Misuraca.

Parkway School District began in 1954 and graduated its first class in 1959. The alumni association incorporated in 1991; the board of directors formed in 1993. Rather than create separate associations for each of Parkway’s five high schools, organizers decided to create one alumni association.

“What we like to say is that we’re sharing the memories and building the future,” Misuraca says.

Getting started
Tandy recommends aligning the alumni association with the district’s mission, and the goals of the superintendent and the school board. With their visible support, the organization can really thrive and benefit the district.

“It takes enthusiasm and the willingness of several individuals to get the whole ball rolling,” advises Misuraca. “The top-down support is absolutely vital.”

First, organizers must decide what they’re trying to accomplish and ask what resources are needed to make it successful.  Discussions to clarify the organization’s purpose should occur early so that there’s agreement as to what’s going to happen when the alumni database is formed.

The mission of the Parkway Alumni Association is to encourage communication among alumni and to foster programs that serve and support the Parkway community. Organizers did not want the group to be only about fundraising.

“Our alumni association is about giving back, not about asking,” explains Misuraca.

Secure nonprofit status
Once a clear mission is established, set up a non-profit status for the association so that donations are tax-deductible and the organization becomes a separate, tax-exempt entity. Draft essential legal documents, such as articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies and guidelines. Each state has different regulations, so get advice from a non-profit lawyer and be sure to completely understand what is permissible for the association’s operation.  “It’s completely legal to have alumni associations advocate for your school district on bond and tax issues,” advises Misuraca. “But they can never advocate for or be in opposition of candidates.”

Alumni associations may have dues as a funding stream and can solicit for donations.  In addition, the district can provide in-kind support. The Parkway Alumni Association, as a corporation, pays for its own computers and supplies, and the district provides in-kind donations that support one full-time staffer and one part-time staffer.

Finding your graduates
Professional companies, such as Harris Connect, can assist in creating an alumni database, which becomes the organization’s biggest asset.

• Start with microfilm or other district sources that list graduates by year.
• Ask for reunion booklets created by different graduating classes.
• Send out letters to local groups and contacts seeking information about graduates.
• Put a “Call for Alumni” in the local paper and in school/district publications.
• Enlist the help of a professional company which can take all the raw data and search for the individuals.

“Every five years, the Parkway database gets cleaner and cleaner because more people know about us,” says Misuraca.

Protecting your database
Once organizers have put together the database, which is labor intensive, everyone wants to use it. But Misuraca cautions about indiscriminate use. Too many solicitations may result in correspondence that’s ignored rather than welcomed, she notes.

To protect the list’s integrity, Misuraca recommends developing a restrictive database-use policy. For Parkway, every single use has to be approved by the association’s board of directors, with stipulations that keep it from becoming a solicitation list.

“When Parkway West’s football team wanted to get a new weight room and wanted to send a letter, we said no. You have to invite alumni back into your school, you have to make them feel at home,” explains Misuraca. When alumni come to an event, the sponsoring booster club or school organization can ask them for their contact information on a form, which can then be used however the group wants.

“For example, the football team had a barbeque, invited alumni to the homecoming game, and had kids take them on a tour of the school, including the weight room,” says Misuraca. “As a result, many alumni wanted to get involved.”

After alumni visit schools and get more involved, they’re more willing to become active in fundraising or tax campaigns, notes Misuraca.

The Parkway Alumni Association tightly controls the mailing list. The board approves the item to be mailed and processes the mailing rather than providing mailing labels. And by keeping the database owned, managed, paid for, and developed by the association, it’s protected from information requests, notes Tandy.

Reaping the results
The Parkway Alumni Association connects the district to its graduates and connects the graduates to each other. With these connections, the organization provides support to schools, students, and staff.

The group’s “Granting Dreams” program provides funds to schools and students, and the speaker’s bureau and mentoring program benefit students and schools as well.

“Our alumni volunteer constantly to mentor students, and they love to come back to speak in classrooms for career days and for other activities,” says Misuraca.

Alumni association representatives participate in graduation ceremonies and congratulate new graduates by providing a souvenir or serving breakfast or lunch at graduation rehearsals.

Additionally, the group maintains five memorial funds, hosts annual social/fundraising events (such as trivia night, a golf tournament, and a craft fair), sponsors events for staff/retirees to reconnect with alumni, and funds various awards programs. Alumni can reconnect through a secure, interactive database and online community at www.parkwayalumni.org. The association also assists with reunion planning, holds volunteer recognition events, and publishes “Alumni News” twice a year.

For Parkway School District’s 50th anniversary, the alumni association started a Hall of Fame with 50 alumni in the inaugural group. All returned for the event, including Stone Phillips of “Dateline NBC”, and other prominent doctors, scientists, and generals. Alumni association organizers found it a testament to the success of their hard work that has resulted in hundreds of loyal supporters for Parkway’s schools.