REUNION GIVING
VOLUNTEER MANUAL
2012
HOMECOMING & REUNION WEEKEND
OCTOBER 4-6, 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME & THANK YOU...............................................................................................................3
HOMECOMING & REUNION OVERVIEW ..........................................................................................4
VOLUNTEER CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT ...............................................................................4
HOMECOMING & REUNION TENTATIVE SCHEDULE ......................................................................5
REUNION COMMITTEE OVERVIEW .................................................................................................6
THE SOLICITATION PROCESS..........................................................................................................8
SUPPORTING LAKE FOREST COLLEGE .........................................................................................11
REUNION TIMELINE ......................................................................................................................13
CONTACT INFORMATION ..............................................................................................................14
RESOURCES....................................................................................................................................15
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WELCOME & THANK YOU
Dear Reunion Committee Member,
Thank you for agreeing to serve on the Reunion Committee for your 2012 class reunion.
Reunions are milestones- a time for alumni to commemorate their place in Lake Forest College’s
history, reflect on what the College meant to them and reconnect with classmates.
Reunion celebrations are also a time to give back to the place that has given you so much. The
class giving effort offers opportunities so each individual can make a commitment to Lake Forest
College that is personally meaningful and supports the class effort. Every Forester is essential to
the future of the College!
The following pages outline important information to help you develop and execute a successful
Reunion effort. Included in this training manual you will find volunteer responsibilities, a
reunion timeline and solicitation strategies and tips to help you get started.
Thank you again for your commitment to Lake Forest College. Your time and resources will
ensure a fabulous Reunion weekend and increase philanthropic support.
Warm regards,
Tim
Timothy State '93
Associate Vice President of Alumni Programs
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HOMECOMING & REUNION WEEKEND OVERVIEW
Homecoming and Reunions Weekend celebrates the past, present, and future of Lake Forest
College, and reaffirms the idea that we all – students, alumni, families, faculty, and staff – are
members of our Forester community forever. It provides opportunities for uniting with friends,
networking, exploring the campus, forging new relationships and celebrating the College.
Events during Reunions connect alumni, families, students, faculty, and staff, and provide the
opportunity for all members of our Forester community to engage with each other while
demonstrating their pride in the College.
The Reunions Program is designed for alumni to celebrate their 5th to 50th Reunions during
Homecoming Weekend.
The Annual and Reunion Giving Office manages the fundraising effort for the ten reunion
classes. Staff within the fundraising department recruit and oversee the Reunion Giving
Committees. The Alumni Office facilitates all of the logistics of the Homecoming and Reunion
Weekend including registration and planning all the events.
Homecoming Goals:
1. Provide opportunities for Foresters to demonstrate their pride in our community through
participation and celebration.
2. Showcase the accomplishments of our community members.
3. All segments of our community will connect with each other in meaningful ways.
4. Alumni will reaffirm their engagement with and commitment to Lake Forest College.
5. Provide opportunities for Lake Forest residents to engage with Lake Forest College.
VOLUNTEER CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT
Volunteers serve as an extension of Lake Forest College. As such, you are provided information
that is confidential. Volunteers should take every effort to protect the information they are
provided. It is only to be used within the spirit with which it is shared. Volunteers should not
share information from the Class Lists and should not use the information for their own business
purposes. When using email, volunteers should remember email etiquette and send individual
personalized emails or always use BCC.
If you have any questions about this agreement, contact the Annual and Reunion Giving Office
at 847-735-6176.
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HOMECOMING & REUNION TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Reunions are just one component of Homecoming Weekend. Here is an overview of what is
tentatively scheduled for Homecoming 2012. With so much to do, you’ll want to encourage
your classmates to enjoy the entire weekend, not just your reunion.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012
 Registration begins
 Speed Networking
 Bob Amaden Golf Classic – A day of golf in honor of long-time
admissions and alumni director Bob Amaden, who has meant so
much to our community
 Evening Keynote Speaker– “Superfreakonomics”, Steven
Levitt, best-selling co-author of Freakonomics and
Superfreakonomics, filmmaker, and New York Times blogger.
Previous speakers include award-winning New York Times columnist Thomas L.
Friedman and Abraham Lincoln scholar James McPherson.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2012
 Forester Symposium – faculty and student sessions for alumni,
parents, and friends
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Presentation of the Trustee Award for Teaching Excellence
and Campus Leadership
Campus Walking Tours
Boomer’s Bash – Alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends
Class Gatherings
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2012
 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Honoring our
Forester Greats
 Lake Forest architectural tours
 Homecoming parade
 Family Carnival – fun for the little ones
 Forester Fare Family Picnic lunch
 Football game
 Reunion Reception
Events and schedule subject to change. Updates will be posted frequently on the
Homecoming 2012 Web site at www.lakeforest.edu/homecoming starting in late-Fall
2011.
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REUNION EVENTS
CLASS GATHERINGS
Boomer’s Bash is hosted Friday afternoon on campus to
officially kick-off the weekend. This is a fun occasion
when students, faculty, staff, and alumni all come together.
Following this event, Class Gatherings will take place.
Reunion Committees should attend and encourage their
classmates to attend and meet at this gathering.
REUNION RECEPTION AND AWARDS
The Reunion Reception and Awards on Saturday evening is
coordinated by the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations. All
reunions are invited and strongly encouraged to participate. By
combining the reunions into one event, the College greatly
enhances the experience for all celebrating their reunion at an
affordable price. The evening includes an open bar cocktail
reception, presentation of the Alumni Board Awards and Class
Reunion Giving Efforts.
The Reunion Committee does not need to arrange for the
evening; however, each Reunion Committee should attend and
encourage their classmates to attend this gathering. Many
alums report that the Saturday Reunion Reception is the
highlight of the weekend.
EVENT PRICING
The College wants to make the weekend affordable. To that end, the following packages are
available:
Homecoming Pass
$12 includes Academic Festival; All-College Happy Hour; and all Saturday events: Forester Fare Lunch ($10),
Family Carnival, Tailgating, Parade, Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Campus Tours, Football Game
($5), and Other Sporting Events. (Pass is $7.50 for children grades 1-12). Does not include individual class
gathering events.
Class Gatherings
Cash bar, complimentary appetizers
All-College Reunion Reception
TBD
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Bob Amaden Golf Classic
$75, includes 18 holes and shared golf cart
Reunion Volunteers will be given priority pre-registration for all events and will receive a pre-registration discount
to thank them for their efforts and hard work.
The prices listed are for Homecoming 2011 and prices for Homecoming 2012 are subject to change. Updates will
be posted frequently on the Homecoming 2012 Web site at www.lakeforest.edu/homecoming starting in late-Fall
2011.
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REUNION COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES
Reunion Committees will be formed for every class and will ideally be comprised of 5-15
alumni per class. Below are the roles for the Chair and Committee members.
REUNION CHAIR
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Make a personal leadership gift commitment
Recruit Giving Committee Volunteers
Attend, by phone, Volunteer Training Workshop
Assist with goal setting (dollars and participation)
Identify and solicit leadership prospects
Serve as liaison between the committee and staff
Assist in creating messages and lend signature to class solicitations
Keep committee on target for reaching class goals
Assume responsibilities of Giving Committee members as outlined below
REUNION COMMITTEE
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Make a personal leadership gift commitment
Attend, by phone, Volunteer Training Workshop
Review prospect lists
Solicit 5-10 classmates for a reunion gift
Lend name to general effort
Promote attendance at Reunions
Update your Reunion Giving Liaison on the progress of your calls
Educate yourself about Reunions Weekend and supporting Lake Forest College
Your Chair/Co‐Chairs and staff Reunion Liaison will provide regular communication throughout
the year about the Reunion effort. We will provide you with class lists, donor lists, giving
history, and other reports as needed. Email will be used as much as possible. If you have not
given us your email address, cellphone and new address information, please do so as soon as
possible.
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REUNION GOALS
The Chair/Co‐Chairs and the Annual and Reunion Giving Office will set goals for each class.
Each class will have a dollar and giving participation goal. Goals will be based on class giving
history, capacity, and past reunion results. To achieve these goals each classmate will be asked to
consider a multi‐year commitment or an outright donation.
Classes will be recognized for the highest dollars raised and highest class participation. We
believe that goodnatured competition among classes is positive, and that it contributes to strong
class unity, increased reunion attendance, and increased giving to the College. All awards will be
announced during Homecoming and Reunions Weekend at the Saturday Reunion Dinner,
Awards, and Dance.
Classes should anticipate about a 10% event participation rate for Homecoming Weekend, but
through pro-active outreach efforts, some classes have seen weekend participation rates as high
as 25%.
The more you are excited about the weekend and the College, the easier it will be to achieve all
goals.
IDENTIFYING AND CONTACTING CLASSMATES
You will be asked to identify 5-10 classmates whom you feel comfortable contacting and
soliciting for a reunion gift. These classmates might be from your group of close friends, first
year residence hall, athletic team or various other organizations to which you belonged. Once
the Committee members have identified their contacts, your Reunion Liaison will make sure
there is no overlap and confirm final assignments.
Reaching out to people you had no intention of losing touch with can be awkward, but you’ll
quickly find it a great deal of fun. Keep in mind that you’re not alone—staying in touch is a
two-way street, so push through the initial nerves and pick up the phone or send the e-mail.
These are normal anxieties, but once you put the past in the past, it is only good times ahead.
One way to start your conversation:
“This is Jim Forester from Lake Forest College Class of 1979.
You may or may not remember me.”
Feel free to contact the staff if you’re not sure how to get started. Once you do, though, you’ll
look forward to each conversation.
REUNION CONTACT REPORT
You will be asked to submit a summary of your reunion calls. Your report may be by telephone
or email. The Lake Forest College staff member assigned to your class will compile the
information and keep a master summary for the entire Committee.
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THE SOLICITATION PROCESS
BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR SOLICITATION
Make your own commitment first
You will be a more credible solicitor if you consider your own gift or pledge before asking
anyone else for one. It is difficult to convince others to do something when you have not yet
convinced yourself. Once you have made your own commitment and have thought about why
Lake Forest College is important to you and deserving of alumni support, you can use this
reasoning with others. If possible, please make your gift before December 31, 2011 to serve as
an example for your classmates to follow.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar and plan on celebrating what you accomplish at
Homecoming.
Read your Volunteer Training Manual
Please read through this volunteer manual! Learn about the Reunion Giving effort and the
College’s financial picture and need for financial support.
Select your reunion assignments
Soon after joining the committee, you will be asked to select your reunion assignments using an
excel spreadsheet of classmates for you to review. Please select 5-10 classmates you would like
to contact.
Think about the classmates you have chosen
What might they remember fondly from their days at Lake Forest College? What information
will be compelling to them in terms of giving to the College? How might they be persuaded to
stretch and consider making a larger gift or pledge than they have in the past?
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DURING THE SOLICITATION
Do your best to personally reach each of your assigned classmates. Although you could leave a
message asking him or her to make a gift, that approach might circumvent the personal
connections between you and your classmate. If you have tried several times to call someone,
drop a note, leave a message, or send an email asking them to call you back.
Establish rapport
Establish a rapport; build on past connections and activities. Thank the donor for his or her past
support. Enjoy the chance to have a conversation with someone you know well or not so well
about a place and time you both know well. We hear from volunteers that simply starting the
conversation with, “You may or may not remember me,” often sparks great memories and our
alumni quickly come to love making these calls.
Explain your mission
Tell your classmates that you are a Reunion Committee volunteer and are making a number of
personal solicitations to help the class renew its support of the College. Emphasize the fact that
reunions are important milestones, and a great time for celebrating and renewing Forester ties.
For instance:
In honor of our reunion, we are hoping to make a significant class gift to the College.
The College sees each gift – no matter the size – as a vote of support, and we want Lake Forest
College to know that our class supports of the College’s efforts in higher education.
Make the case for support
Gifts to all areas of the College count toward class reunion totals. Encourage your classmates to
support at a level that is personally meaningful to them. Above all, be positive and let your
enthusiasm show. Talk about why you give and are serving as a volunteer.
Remember to listen
Give the alumnus a chance to consider your request, ask questions, and provide feedback. If you
are asked a question you cannot answer it is fine to say you will look into the matter and get an
answer.
Closing the gift
YES: If a classmate agrees to support the College there are several ways to confirm the gift.
 Ask the donor to confirm the amount, designation, and payment schedule of the gift or
pledge in an email and forward it to your Reunion Liaison to process it.
 Direct them to give online by following up with an email that summarizes your call and
provides the online giving link: www.lakeforest.edu/makeagift.
 Accept a verbal pledge and relay the amount and designation to your Reunion Liaison,
who will follow up to officially process the gift or pledge.
 If the classmate is not comfortable discussing specific gift information with you, offer to
have a Reunion Liaison contact them to discuss their personal situation in confidence.
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MAYBE: It is not unusual for someone to want time to think carefully before committing to a
gift. Agree on the follow-up and ask if you can call again in a week or two.
NO: Thank the classmate for their time and consideration, and express the hope that they will
consider a gift at another point in time.
AFTER YOUR SOLICITATIONS
Update your Reunion Liaison with progress and results
By phone or email, update your Reunion Liaison the date of your contact, his or her response,
any gift commitment they made, follow up needed, and any other pertinent information.
Send a Thank You
No matter what the response, please consider sending a personal thank you note or email. And
remind them of the dates for homecoming: October 4-6, 2012.
Keep discussions confidential
Making a charitable gift is a personal decision and may involve discussion of a classmate’s
financial situation. It is essential that we treat sensitive information with respect.
A note about other callers
Development officers may make a special effort to engage our alumni who will be celebrating
reunions. They facilitate gift discussions. Student callers will call former donors throughout the
year. If a classmate has already been called by a development officer or a student, simply thank
them for their support and remind them that they have contributed to the class total.
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SUPPORTING LAKE FOREST COLLEGE
REUNION GIVING EFFORT
The highest priority for reunion giving is the Annual Fund which helps to keep the College
running smoothly and moving steadily forward. Annual Fund support provides the College with
a core foundation of financial stability, and allows us the flexibility to direct funding to where
our needs are greatest. It supports such essentials as:
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Scholarships for the many students who have financial need;
Faculty research and teaching innovations so our professors can remain leaders in their
academic disciplines and their classrooms;
Targeted support for individual academic departments or administrative programs;
Computer equipment and software;
Heat and electricity for campus buildings, and other infrastructural support; and
Still other operating areas.
FUNDING A GIFT
Checks
Checks should be made payable to the Fund for Lake Forest College and mailed to:
Lake Forest College
Office of Development and Alumni Relations
555 N. Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045-2338
Credit Cards
Lake Forest Collge accepts the following major credit cards: American Express, MasterCard,
Visa, and Discover. Credit card gifts may be made online at www.lakeforest.edu/makeafgift, or
by calling the Annual and Reunion Giving Office at (800) LFC-ALUM.
Matching Gifts
Many companies will match your gift to the College, thereby doubling or sometimes tripling
your contribution. To see if a donation may be potentially matched by an employer, go to
http://www.lakeforest.edu/giving/ways/match.php. Or go to www.LakeForest.edu and click:
giving > annual fund > matching gifts.
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Stock Gifts
Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other securities that you have owned for more than one year,
and are worth more today than when originally purchased, make convenient Annual Fund gifts,
and provide you with welcome tax benefits as well. Moreover, gifts of stocks allow you to
preserve your cash while still reaping the tax benefits of giving to Lake Forest. To make a gift of
securities:
Call your broker to request a stock transfer, explain the kind of stock and the number of shares to
be transferred.
Provide the following information to your broker:
Transfer to William Blair & Company
c/o Lori Hansen, (312) 364-8645
Number: 771
Lake Forest’s Account Number: 156 532 6715
Lake Forest’s Tax ID Number: 36 216 7770
The broker must identify you as the donor on the DTC (data transfer code) instructions. Per IRS
regulations, the gift date is determined to be the date on which the donor irrevocably surrenders
control of the stock. This is accomplished only when the stock is transferred into a Lake Forest
College account. For transfers to William Blair, any stock gifts received after 4:00 p.m. central
time may be dated and valued the next business day.It is the Colleges intent to sell securities
when received.
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REUNION GIVING TIMELINE
November 2011
Identify Reunion Giving Co-Chairs
Send letter from Co-Chairs to potential Giving Committee volunteers
December2011-January 2012
Recruit Giving Committee volunteers
Set class dollar and participation goals
Committee members make gift or pledge by December 31st
February 2012
Volunteer Training Workshop – conference call
Review class lists and identify leadership prospects
Set committee conference calls
March-April 2012
Mail Fall Solicitation Letters and Save The Date
Determine committee calling assignments
Begin committee calls to classmates
May 2012
Continue committee calls to non-donors
Send end of fiscal year email solicitation
June 2012
Continue committee calls to non-donors
Alumni Association mails registration materials
July - September, 2012
Send targeted summer email solicitations
Continue committee calls to non-donors
Homecoming brochures mailed
Pre Registration opens
Registration opens
“What’s Next” Training
October 2012
Homecoming and Reunions Weekend – October 4-6, 2012
Announce class winners of dollars and donors
Send final email solicitation to non-donors
November 2012
Email Reunion Classes 2012 final results
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CONTACT INFORMATION
STAFF CONTACTS
Maria Siezar ’08, Alumni Programs Assistant (Reunion Liaison)
Siezar@lakeforest.edu, 847-735-6025
Suzanne Zeddies Nyren ’73, P’99, P’03, Senior Director, Alumni Relations
nyren@lakeforest.edu, 847-735-6025
Timothy State ’93, Associate Vice President of Alumni Programs
state@lakeforest.edu, 847-735-6025
Will Pittinos ’06, Web Content Manager
pittinos@lakeforest.edu, 847-735-6025
GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION
Lake Forest College, Office of Annual and Reunion Giving
555 N. Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045-2338
800-LFC-ALUM, 847-735-6176, Fax: 847-735-6272
REUNION STAFF LIAISONS BY REUNION CLASS
1962
1967
1972
1977
1982
1987
1992
1997
2002
2007
Suzanne Zeddies Nyren’73
Maria Siezar ’08
Suzanne Zeddies Nyren’73
Maria Siezar ’08
Maria Siezar ’08
Suzanne Zeddies Nyren’73
Tim State ’93
Suzanne Zeddies Nyren’73
Maria Siezar ’08
Maria Siezar ’08
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RESOURCES
CLASS LISTS
Your staff reunion liaison will provide each committee member with a Class List containing all
alumni who were classified as a member of your class for at least a semester. You may find
some names that no one on the committee recognizes. These alums were usually students who
transferred out after a short period, but should be contacted nonetheless. In some cases, you will
notices names that are missing. This happens because a classmate graduated early or late, the
College cannot find an alum, or because some alums have specifically requested that they not be
contacted. Additionally, if you have information about a “lost” alum and you are comfortable
sharing, please call the Alumni Relations office.
Class Lists contain confidential information and is to be used exclusively for class reunion
purposes. Please do not share the list with anyone. If a classmate requests information on
another classmate, offer to send that person’s information to the other alum instead. Please
refrain from using the Class List for marketing purposes of your own business.
When sending emails, it is always best to send individual personal emails, even if you send the
same email 20 times to different people. In the rare instance where you may need to send a
group email, please use email etiquette and use BCC to respect the privacy of your classmates
and their email addresses.
FACEBOOK
Facebook pages have been created for each reunion class. Facebook can be a great way to build
enthusiasm for your reunion and allows you to post pictures and share information easily, but
should not replace personal one-on-one connections (i.e., phone calls).
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