The chapter initiative you are contemplating has been the starting point for much of the loyal support the University of Alabama receives from alumni and friends. You and interested alumni like you are the foundation for the Alabama Alumni Chapter Network and this network is the foundation for the National Alumni Association. The support provided by both these groups is vital to the University and its programs.
Alumni Chapters serve as the connecting link between alumni and the NAA. Chapters participate in a wide variety of activities that promote and build support for the NAA’s objectives. These activities include hosting meetings, raising scholarship money and assisting in the recruitment of students to the University.
Our ultimate goal in working with chapters is to have strong effective chapters involved in membership development, student recruitment and the establishment of scholarships.
These activities are coordinated through the chapter development department within the National Alumni Association office on campus in Tuscaloosa. We staff four full-time Association employees and three student workers.
We are here to help you coordinate activities to serve the alumni, fans and friends in your area. We are open year round Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. CST and our office is located at 224 Bryant Drive, beside the Bryant Conference Center and Paul W. Bryant Museum and just across the street from Sewell Thomas Stadium (the baseball stadium).
How to Start an Alabama Alumni Chapter
1. The interested person or group should contact the Alumni Office and ask to speak with the chapter development department.
2. A general area for which to pull addresses should be defined by county. Perhaps pick a central city/town and request addresses for counties within a 25 to 50 mile radius of this location. County names will also facilitate this process.
3. To be considered for a chapter charter, a minimum of 200 alumni and friends with good addresses must live in the geographical county or area petitioning for active chapter status. A distance of 50 miles between out-of-state chapters will generally be required. If there are less than 200 good addresses, the alumni staff will assist with the formation of an Alumni Club. An Alumni Club will be able to have email blasts sent out from the NAA, and we will assist in helping the alumni and friends in the area get connected with one another.
4. If there are at least 200 good addresses in the area, an interest survey will be created and sent out to all alumni and friends in the area. The survey will be emailed to everyone who has a good email address. If electronic response is positive, we will mail a survey to everyone who does not have a good email address. At least 50 interested potential members must respond for the NAA to proceed.
5. Once 50 surveys are returned, an organizational meeting will be planned. A representative from the National Alumni Association will attend this meeting to go over the requirements of becoming and remaining an active alumni chapter, as well as answer any questions. This meeting will usually be attended by a core group of supporters who will be the driving force behind the chapter’s organization. It is preferred that this meeting be held in a public space and also offer time for networking and socialization. Other host locations for this meeting can be at someone’s office, home or any area that is suitable for a business meeting.
6. Following the organizational meeting, the core group should nominate a slate of officers and hold a follow up meeting to accept further nominations and vote on the officers. Committees should also be formed at this meeting. Descriptions for officers and committees are available here.
7. The elected officers will begin planning a kick-off type event, which will be the first official chapter meeting. Elected officers will ensure the new chapter meets the NAA requirements to remain an active chapter.