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
1. Communicate with
classmates
•
•
•
•
2. Collect class dues
• Membership, Dues & News
3. Plan and conduct a
reunion
• Reunion 2012 Planning
• Young Alumni Best Practices
Affinity Networking
CornellConnect
Basics of Social Media
Technology as Engagement
Tool
Potential
Future Classes
• Using
eNewsletters to
Communicate
with Classmates
• What To Do the
Year PRIOR TO
Reunion
Training for Class Officers
Key Expectations
for Officers
4. Conduct regional
events
Training Classes
Offered This Weekend
• Young Alumni Best Practices
• Creating Effective Events
• Conducting
Regional Birthday
Parties
• Responsible
Financial Planning
& Annual
Budgeting
5. Annual budget
6. Cornell Annual Fund
gift every year
Potential
Future Classes
• 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
7. Five-year plan
• Class Officer Role
• Resilient Leadership
8. Class leadership
transitions
• Developing Your Cornell
Volunteer Career
• Who’s Missing, Filling in Gaps
Potential
Future Classes
• 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 card
Blue = 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 1999:
Class of 1975:
1-Paper = 18%
4-Paper = 52%
Auto Renewals = 64%
Auto Renewals = 40%
5-Emails = 18%
1-Emails = 8%
Class of 2005:
Class of 1979:
3-Paper = 32%
4-Paper = 54%
Auto Renewals = 47%
Auto Renewals = 37%
2-Emails = 21%
1-Emails = 9%
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 PLAN
Class pays $400 for printing of one letter
OR
2012 NEW PLAN
Class pays $99 for printing of one insert
NEW Ezra Plan 2012
1st mailing (email)
Free
4th mailing
printing-$500
labor-$400, postage-$1100
Ezra Plan 2011
1st mailing (letter)
printing-$1200
labor-$400, postage-$1300
2nd mailing (self-mailer)
printing-$400
labor-$300, postage-$1100
3rd mailing (email)
FREE
4th mailing (card)
printing-$1100
labor-$400, postage-$1100
5th mailing (letter)
printing-$900
labor-$400, postage-$1100
TOTAL: $6400
TOTAL: $9700
2nd mailing
printing-$700
labor-$400, postage-$1300
3rd mailing
printing-$500
labor-$400, postage-$1100
(prices dependent upon 100% participation in Ezra
Plan by all Spring Classes)
Pilot Class Results
NEW Ezra Plan 2012
Templates
1st mailing
99 paper
17 online
1st mailing
98 paper
17 online
2nd mailing
30 paper, 10 online
3rd mailing
coming
Class Own Plan
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