Sorority alumnae don’t have a lot of time.
Maybe you recall the white rabbit in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. You know. The one who hopped around hectically, mumbling about how he’s always late for this or that.
He had that pocket watch, ticking away the time, as he fell further and further behind.
Sure, you probably don’t carry a pocket watch, and missing appointments isn’t a matter of life and death.
But as an alumna, you are busy.
How busy? Let’s just say there are times that having more than 30 minutes to yourself feels like a luxury.
You’ve got your career. You’ve got your family life. Whatever time’s left you dedicate to sleep and Netflix.
Maybe a little more Netflix than sleep.
You want to volunteer more for your sorority chapter’s alumnae needs—but when could you possibly do that?
You hear from your fellow alumnae serving on the housing corporation how much work’s involved. House repairs. Maintenance. Finances. Keeping the undergrad sisters on the same page.
You don’t live anywhere near campus, and you simply don’t have that kind of time.
You’d like to give more, but a major donation isn’t right for you right now.
When you’re in this spot, it’s easy to hide your head in the proverbial rabbit hole and disengage from your sorority entirely.
Pennington & Company sympathizes with the plight of the perpetually busy alumna. We’re here to tell you that you can still engage with your sorority, and make a difference even with a small time commitment.
Here’s How to Improve Sorority Alumnae Engagement in the Next 30 Minutes.
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Connecting on a personal level with other alumnae, nationals, and the undergrad chapter can make an immediate difference in building engagement and keep you in the loop.
Social media is a great place to start, because engagement is the entire point.
Let’s be honest, too. You’re probably already scrolling Facebook or Instagram anyway.
Lots of people use social media as a way to unwind and empty their minds between stressful tasks.
Follow and join alumnae groups, keep up on the posts of nationals and the chapter, and connect with individual alumnae and sisters.
This gives you the advantage of having instant access to upcoming events and the personal lives of your sisters, as well as a way to quickly contact them directly if need be.
Engagement can go a step further when you connect with alumnae through communication apps like GINSystem. Sorority communication apps like GIN are geared toward the needs of Greek women
Internal alumnae communication helps you keep track of the finer details of chapter goals and alumnae events. It also helps you get in on the project planning without having to attend distant meetings.
In other words, you can get connected and engaged with your sorority in practically no time at all.
Maybe you can’t make the upcoming gala, but next month alumnae are holding a conference in your area.
You decide to go.
Your engagement just went up big- time, all because you reached out and communicated.
The best part? It was quick and easy, and it fit in your schedule.
Commit to One Thing to Improve Alumnae Engagement. Then Stick to It.
Alumnae engagement needs can seem overwhelming because there are so many.
The chapter needs a house renovation. The current house needs to be managed. The sisters need advising. Nationals need volunteers for special projects and executive posts.
Plus alumnae are always holding events, and so is the chapter. And you’re always invited.
How are you supposed to do all that? You’d have to quit your job and become an alumnae volunteer full time. That whole food and shelter thing will have to wait.
That’s not what engagement is about.
Think back to when you were in undergrad, and each of you had certain tasks to keep the chapter going. Individually, the tasks were doable. Together, the chapter thrived.
It’s exactly the same for alumnae. You aren’t expected to do everything, or even more than you’re capable of.
Bigger jobs and management roles are better suited for alumnae who have more time to give. For the perpetually busy, you can always dedicate to something and schedule ahead.
Once you find something that’s right for you—a small special project role, attending an event, reconnecting with alumnae from your pledge class—dedicate to it.
Even if you miss everything else, write this one thing in bold on a sticky note and paste it on your fridge.
Congratulations. You’ve just elevated alumnae engagement to the level of shopping list and macaroni kid art.
That means you’ve made engagement part of your everyday life in less than 30 minutes.
Dedicate to a Long-Term Sorority Fundraising Gift
When the chapter comes around asking for bags of cash for a capital fundraising campaign, you’re hesitant.
You want the chapter to have a newly renovated sorority house as much as the next sister, but you just feel you can’t really make a dent in their goal. So why bother?
First, it’s important to keep in mind that the chapter fundraises—and if not, they should—year-round.
Annual fundraising goals mean that you can make gift giving right for you, and it’s totally doable.
Instead of getting overwhelmed by looking at the price tag on chapter goals, remind yourself that every gift helps, big or small.
You can make a substantial difference through fundraising without a major time or money commitment upfront.
How, you ask?
Simple. Commit to a recurring gift amount that makes sense for you and your financial calendar. If you can dedicate to a year or more of giving a fixed amount each month, the actual giving ends up being a much smaller immediate commitment.
Only commit to what you can handle.
You can even set up automated monthly payments, if your chapter offers this option. It’s up to those garnering the donations to manage your gifts and remind you when donations are needed.
So simply sit back, relax, and watch your gifts make a difference in real time.
That’s alumnae donations made fast and easy.
What questions do you have about alumnae engagement? What other fast and easy steps have you taken to engage with your sorority?
Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch with Pennington & Company to learn more about engagement.
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