Chapter Leadership Resources
Thank you for volunteering to help strengthen connections and support the university, alumni and students. Leading an alumni chapter is rewarding, and we appreciate your time, loyalty, and commitment.
We’re here to equip you with tools for success so your chapter can thrive, host great events, and inspire your team. Use the resources below to guide effective chapter management.
To plan a chapter event, please click the button below.
CSUN Alumni employs an Alumni Chapters Associate, a dedicated point of contact for chapter leaders available to help chapters organize and charter, market and plan events and train volunteers. Along with the Alumni Chapters Associate, CSUN Alumni has a myriad of experts in growing membership, volunteer development and professional development available to chapters.
Contact:
Hannah Labra
Alumni Chapters Associate
(818) 677-7580
hannah.labra@csun.edu
Alumni are not required to remit a membership fee to join or affiliate with a chapter. All alumni are eligible to affiliate with up to three alumni chapters using the chapter designation form found on the Alumni Chapters homepage. Chapters may not collect membership dues. However, they may raise funds for scholarships, programs and special projects through ticketed events, CSUN Funder, and other fundraising efforts
The Chapter Leadership Board should include a President, two or more additional officers, and a faculty/staff advisor.
Sample job descriptions:
- Chapter President: Chapter presidents serve as a liaison between the chapter constituency and the alumni staff. The president is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the chapter by working with the Board and the alumni staff to establish long-range goals and event strategies.
- Chapter Vice President (Secretary): To serve in the leadership capacity in absence of the chapter president or other key volunteer leadership positions. To maintain chapter correspondence and minutes and/or implementing strategies to recruit and maintain chapter membership depended upon leadership structure of individual chapters.
- Chapter Treasurer: To maintain accurate records of chapter financial transactions, develop annual chapter budget and oversee fundraising and revenue enhancement.
- Chapter Communications Chair: Responsible for promoting the chapter mission, events and news through print, email, web and social media channels. Identifying and developing content for these communication channels to promote the chapter to its members, alumni, students and the campus community at large.
- Chapter Programs Chair: To develop and implement a broad range of programming to appeal to a diverse alumni and constituency audience that supports the chapter mission and goals.
- Past President: This position is filled by outgoing chapter president to provide continuity, advice and leadership to the chapter.
- Faculty/Staff Advisor (non-voting member): To be a communication liaison between the alumni chapter and the department to facilitate engagement opportunities between current students, faculty and alumni.
- Student Representative (non-voting member): To be a communication liaison between the alumni chapter and the student clubs within the constituency to facilitate engagement opportunities between current students, faculty and alumni.
Depending on the role and level of responsibilities you choose to commit to, there are many different volunteer opportunities within each chapter for you to explore. At the highly involved level, a chapter president can expect to spend about 5 to10 hours a month making phone calls and managing the work of other volunteers. At the basic level, a general board member can expect to spend just a few hours every other month attending a meeting or event, mentoring a student or sharing their talent and expertise with others. To help in your "assessment," most chapter leadership positions have job descriptions you can review to determine the specific responsibilities attached at each level.
Chapters are managed by volunteers, so chapter leaders should always be searching for qualified and dedicated volunteers. Chapter leaders should recruit volunteers for one-time events and for longer-term volunteer roles like serving on the chapter board.
Once you have found a volunteer who is dedicated and wants to join the chapter board, you can ask them to complete the Volunteer Agreement Form.
Each chapter has their own account managed by the CSUN Foundation, where program revenue and donations are allocated. Reports on chapter finances can be provided by the Alumni Chapters Associate upon request, but are only updated on a quarterly basis, so the report that you receive might not be fully updated to the date that it was requested.
The general Alumni Association has funding set aside to help enhance chapter programming and initiatives. Requests will be reviewed and approved on an as needed basis.
All chapter expenditures must be approved in advance by the Office of Alumni Relations.
The following types of expenses must be disbursed directly from the CSUN Foundation to the service provider (Chapter Leaders CANNOT pay and request reimbursement):
- Performers/musicians/florists/balloon artists/contractual services
- Guest speakers/panelists fees or honorariums
- Travel (hospitality, plane, gas, food, etc.) on behalf of a guest speaker
- Technology, computer hardware, software, app’s, etc.
- Promotional Items (pens, shirts, etc.)
Chapters CANNOT use Chapter funds in the following ways:
- Gifts/flowers for faculty/staff/alumni/students for congratulatory purposes or who are retiring, ill and/or passed away. The Alumni Association has a designated general account for these types of recognition expenditures from which the chapter may make a request.
- Gift Cards. The State of California considers gift cards in the same category as cash. (Gift cards may be donated.)
- Alcohol for events/meetings without prior written approval from the Office of Alumni Relations.
For financial reports, expenditure requests, and more please contact the Alumni Chapters Associate:
Hannah Labra
Alumni Chapters Associate
(818) 677-7580
hannah.labra@csun.edu
If you would like to plan an event for your chapter, please fill out THIS EVENT PROPOSAL FORM three months or more prior to preferred event date.
Large events such as galas, conferences and reunions will require a minimum six-month lead time.
Prior to completing the form, determine type of event, purpose, preferred date, location, and time, anticipated expenses and revenue, marketing needs (broadcast emails, social media, etc..) and estimated number of attendees.
Each chapter should host at least two events per academic year.Type of event varies by chapter, but most fall within student mentorship, advocacy, professional development, social , and fundraising. Your chapter is encouraged to collaborate with other departments and chapters to support already scheduled events. Investigate whether there is a department/area/college event the chapter could co-sponsor, a community event alumni might want to attend as a group, or a campus activity your chapter may want to support. Contact the Alumni Chapter Associate for sample budgets, approved vendors, and additional event planning resources.
Hannah Labra
Alumni Chapters Associate
(818) 677-7580
hannah.labra@csun.edu
Review the Chapter Event Planning Guide prior to scheduling your event.