Volunteer Handbook
Thank you for volunteering for Carleton College! Your work as an Alumni Annual Fund (AAF) volunteer is truly appreciated; volunteers are the driving force behind the AAF’s success.
The Alumni Annual Fund supports Carleton’s general operation and areas of greatest need—from financial aid and faculty compensation to the development of academic and extracurricular programs. Tuition and fees cover only a portion of the cost of a Carleton education; the remainder is subsidized through annual gifts and earnings on the endowment. The College would have to increase tuition and fees by more than $3,700 per student or raise an additional $145 million in endowment dollars to replace the $7.25 million provided by the Annual Fund last year.
The AAF is powered (and empowered) by the alumni volunteers (that’s you!), who guide the Fund’s development and engage fellow alumni in supporting the College. The Fund is supported by a paid staff; however peer solicitation is the main focus and key to the success of the AAF. While most institutions involve volunteers in some capacity, none boasts the level of engagement and ownership shown by Carleton’s over 600 AAF volunteers.
Thank you again for your generous gift of time and energy. We are truly grateful.
Table of Contents
AAF Fiscal Year 2012 Time Line
Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities
Confidentiality Policy
PURPOSE
To provide Alumni Annual Fund volunteers with an understanding of the standards regarding dissemination and disposal of confidential information.
GUIDELINES
- Information provided to AAF volunteers throughout the years is considered strictly confidential.
- This information is to be used by class and assistant agents solely in the performance of their duties as volunteer fundraisers for Carleton College.
- Information shared with volunteers should be done on a need-to-know basis.
- Class agents are responsible for communicating this policy of confidentiality to volunteers at the time of transfer of confidential materials.
- Information may not be transferred to any party outside the AAF volunteer system without prior approval from the AAF Director.
- The information received is not to be used for any purpose other than that for which it has been provided.
- Proper disposal of confidential information includes shredding or returning information to the Alumni Annual Fund.
- Alumni Annual Fund Board members, Class Agents, Assistant Class Agents, Gift Committee members, Alumni Annual Fund staff, and other parties involved in Alumni Annual Fund communications are required to adhere to this policy.
Quick Reference
Fiscal Year: July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012
2012 Overall AAF Goals: TBD
AAF Fiscal Year 2012 Time Line
August
- Carleton Alumni Volunteer Experience (CAVE)
- AAF Board of Directors Summer Meeting
September
- Class Solicitation Letter mailed to all classmates
- Annual Report on Giving available online - notification sent to all classmates
October & November
- AAF-wide campaign to encourage early gifts and installment giving
- This is My Carleton solicitation brochure mailed/emailed to non-donors
December
- Calendar-year-end solicitation postcard sent to non-donors
January
- Volunteer for Carleton (one week long; student and alumni volunteer stewardship and solicitation event—formerly the Student Phonathon)
February & March
- Preliminary Report on Giving letter mailed to non-donors; emailed to donors
- AAF Board of Directors Winter Meeting
- Pre-Reunion Gift Chairs for 3s and 8s begin initial planning and recruitment
April & May
- This is My Carleton solicitation brochure mailed/emailed to non-donors
June
- Fiscal-year-end solicitation postcard sent to non-donors
- Pledge reminder mailed on June 1
- Reunion for classes ending in 2s and 7s (June 14-17)
- Fiscal year ends on June 30, 2012
Ongoing
- Monthly solicitation email sent to lybunts who gave in that month last year (e.g. email sent on April 15 to last April’s donors)
- Student workers write thank you note cards to all donors
- Student Calling Program: students call and solicit alumni in the evenings from mid-September to mid-December and from January to June
Additional Reunion Information
- See page 15 of the Reunion Planning Guide for information on planning and outreach mailings and deadlines.
Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities
AAF Board of Directors - Guide and inform overall Alumni Annual Fund strategy and efforts, and work closely with individual classes.
Responsibilities:
- Make an early financial commitment to the Alumni Annual Fund (a gift or a pledge).
- Advise Class Agents, Assistant Agents, Gift Chairs, and Gift Volunteers.
- Assist with identification, recruitment, training, and mentoring of new volunteers.
- Make specific solicitations for the AAF.
- Communicate news and information from the College.
Class Agents - Develop a strategy for the class fundraising team and facilitate team communication and communication between assistant agents and staff.
Responsibilities:
- Make an early financial commitment to the Alumni Annual Fund (a gift or a pledge).
- Develop a strategy for the fiscal year based on volunteer input and goals, including guidance for which classmates to focus on during specific times of the year and suggested messages to use. Work with assistant agents and staff to implement the strategy throughout the year.
- Regularly communicate with, encourage, and otherwise support assistant agents. Facilitate communication between assistant agents and staff.
- Reach out to classmates; help connect them to the College; directly solicit gifts for the AAF; write thank you notes and emails.
- Update staff when classmates report changes in address or contact information, employment, or marital status, and the birth of children and advanced degrees earned.
- Work with staff to recruit new volunteers, especially in preparation for reunion years.
Assistant Agents - Serve on the class fundraising team under the direction of the class agents, keeping in touch with classmates and asking them to support the College through a gift to the Alumni Annual Fund.
Responsibilities:
- Make an early financial commitment to the Alumni Annual Fund (a gift or a pledge).
- Provide input and work with class agents and staff to develop and implement a strategy for the year.
- Reach out to classmates; help connect them to the College; directly solicit gifts for the AAF; write thank you notes and emails.
- Update staff when classmates report changes in address or contact information, employment, or marital status, and the birth of children and advanced degrees earned.
- A small number of assistant agents choose to focus primarily on writing thank you notes and drafting solicitation letters and emails.
Gift Chairs - Develop a strategy for the reunion fundraising team and facilitate team communication and communication between gift volunteers and staff.
Responsibilities:
- Make an early financial commitment to the Alumni Annual Fund (a gift or a pledge).
- Develop a strategy for the fiscal year based on volunteer input and goals, including guidance for which classmates to focus on during specific times of the year and suggested messages to use. Work with assistant agents and staff to implement the strategy throughout the year.
- Regularly communicate with, encourage, and otherwise support gift volunteers. Facilitate communication between assistant agents and staff.
- Reach out to classmates; help connect them to the College; directly solicit increased gifts for the AAF in honor of reunion; write thank you notes and emails.
- Update staff when classmates report changes in address or contact information, employment, or marital status, and the birth of children and advanced degrees earned.
Gift Volunteers - Serve on the reunion fundraising team under the direction of the gift chairs, keeping in touch with classmates and asking them to support the College through a gift to the Alumni Annual Fund.
Responsibilities:
- Make an early financial commitment to the Alumni Annual Fund (a gift or a pledge).
- Provide input and work with gift chairs and staff to develop and implement a strategy for the year.
- Reach out to classmates; help connect them to the College; directly solicit increased gifts for the AAF in honor of reunion; write thank you notes and emails.
- Update staff when classmates report changes in address or contact information, employment, or marital status, and the birth of children and advanced degrees earned.
- Encourage classmates to register for Reunion and answer questions about Reunion.
Volunteer Resources
CAVE
The Carleton Alumni Volunteer Experience is a volunteer workshop held every August. More information available on the CAVE website.
Alumni Annual Fund Board of Directors
A member of the AAF Board is assigned to each class. They are a great resource for class agents.
Staff
Every class has a specific staff member assigned to support volunteer efforts.
Online Resources
- Carleton's web page
- Alumni Gateway - search the alumni directory and take a look at class Zoobooks!
- Like Carleton College on Facebook for updates from campus and more
- Online AAF Volunteer Portal
- Username and password assistance and recovery
- Solicitation Tips
- Reunion Records
- Comprehensive Fee and Financial Aid
- Endowment History
Conference calls
Class agents/gift chairs and staff may schedule team calls at various points during the year.
Carleton note cards and postcards
Cards can be mailed to volunteers for use in soliciting or thanking classmates. Postage is covered by the volunteer; reimbursement is available on request.
Reports
- Individual contact report (list of your assigned classmates)
- Lybunt and Sybunt reports
- Monthly and weekly givemail
- Commitment reports (overview of class progress by decade)
- Other reports available to class agents by request
Reunion Giving
Reunion is one of Carleton’s most joyous traditions.
For students, faculty and staff, Reunion is a wonderful reminder of the people who have shaped the campus and who continue—through volunteer hours, gifts and continued engagement—to challenge, enrich and strengthen Carleton’s commitment to its students, its central mission and its community.
For alumni, Reunion is a chance to catch up with old friends, say hello to former professors, and reconnect with a campus that is both remarkably familiar (Willis Hall, anyone?) and ever-changing (check out our two new dorms: Cassat and Memorial!).
Reunion is also an essential opportunity for alumni and classes to show support for today’s students, and to ensure that a quality Carleton education remains accessible for as many qualified students as possible each year.
Every gift helps every year, but reunion years are special. During a reunion year, volunteers encourage alumni to consider increasing their level of support to anywhere from 3 to 10 times their typical non-reunion-year gift (example: an alum who normally gives $100 might stretch to $600 for the reunion year, then drop to $150 after reunion).
Though reunion classes represent just 20% of alumni, their increased gifts account for anywhere from 30%-40% of the total dollars raised by the AAF each year. Reunion volunteers play a key role in explaining the importance of an increased gift to classmates, ensuring the College has the support it needs.
Dictionary of Terms
AAF - Alumni Annual Fund
Ask - The dollar amount set by volunteers and included in solicitations (ex. “We hope you will consider a gift of $___.”)
Assigned - The classmates a volunteer has agreed to contact during the year, to gather updates and make solicitations.
Budget - For the 40th consecutive year, the College's budget was balanced in fiscal year 2012. The College's budget for 2012 is $120 million.
Class Gift - Your class gift includes cash given by your classmates to the Alumni Annual Fund in the current fiscal year, plus any corporate matching gifts your classmates have designated to the AAF. The full amount of gifts from alumni couples who are in two different class years are recognized in both class gifts.
Corporate Matching Gifts - Alumni can designate the Alumni Annual Fund to be the beneficiary of their company’s matching gift program. Corporate matching gifts provided more than $300,000 in additional support to Carleton last year.
DNP - Do Not Phone. Any classmate who has asked not to be solicited by phone.
DNSP - Do Not Student Phone. Any classmate who has asked not to be called by the Student Calling Program. They can still be called by volunteers and staff.
DNS - Do Not Solicit. Any classmate with this code has asked to be taken out of active solicitations of any kind (or is assigned to staff only). Volunteers should not solicit these classmates, though they can be invited to events like Reunion and thanked for their gifts to the College.
Fiscal Year - The College’s official tax year (July 1, 2011-July 30, 2012).
Givemail - Email that lists all gifts made to a class in the past week or month.
Group A - Classmates who have 5 or more years of consecutive giving. They are the most consistent and loyal donors and are considered the best group from which to identify any new potential leadership donors. (If your class is 1-4 years out, please see this definition.)
Group B - Classmates who have 1 - 4 consecutive years of giving. While you may move members of this group to the TOPs group, the primary focus should be to ensure their giving becomes a well-established habit. (If your class is 1-4 years out, please see this definition.)
Group C - Classmates who have given at least once in the past 5 years, but not last year. TOPS prospects may be found in this group, but the main goal should be to encourage them to resume their giving to the AAF. (If your class is 1-4 years out, please see this definition.)
Group D - Classmates who have given to the AAF at least once in their lifetime, but not in the last 5 years. Potential leadership gifts may be found in this group, but they should primarily be cultivated for participation purposes. (If your class is 1-4 years out, please see this definition.)
Group E - Classmates who have never given to the Alumni Annual Fund This group should be cultivated to make their first gift to Carleton's Alumni Annual Fund.
Group S - Classmates who have shown consistent levels of giving to the AAF, and are being contacted for the specific purpose of increasing their giving level.
Group T - (TOPS) Classmates who represent the top 25 or so givers in the class based on last year’s gift. The solicitation of this group is most effective when undertaken by the solicitor who is most familiar with the donor.
Joint Gift - A gift made to the College by an alum that is to be treated as a combined gift with his/her partner. All gifts made by alumni couples are treated as joint gifts, unless the couple has requested otherwise.
Lybunt - Alum who gave Last Year But Unfortunately Not This year.
Restricted - A gift made to the College with conditions attached. Ex. “Please use this gift for the dance department.”
Sybunt - Alum who gives Some Years But Unfortunately Not This year.
Unrestricted - A gift made without conditions, which supports Carleton’s general operation and areas of greatest need.
Unassigned - Classmates who are not assigned to a specific AAF volunteer.