STARTING A CHAPTER

Back to: Chapter Leadership Training

Why Start a Chapter?

BYU Alumni chapters help bring people together to create a BYU community wherever you are. The benefits of starting a chapter include:

  • Promote BYU and develop lasting BYU loyalty.
  • Provide service to the community.
  • Raise money for replenishment grants for BYU students from your area.
  • Develop friendships and networks.
  • Develop educational and spiritual opportunities for BYU alumni, Church members, and friends.
  • Build the Church in your area through BYU.

Starting a Chapter is an exciting undertaking. There are many great things you can do through a local Alumni Chapter, and you can have a great impact in your area!

Determining Interest

One of the first things to do is identify people who might have an interest in participating in BYU related activities. This can fall into several categories:

  • People who actively want to be involved in the local chapter.
  • Alumni who will participate in events and activities.
  • Friends of BYU, which may include people whose children have gone to BYU, sports fans, or others.
  • Church members and the local community who are attracted to events and activities held by the chapter.
  • BYU Alumni and friends who are already involved with a constituency group such as the law or business school in your area.

Outreach: The interest in your local chapter will partially be driven by the activities and events you sponsor. It takes a while to build awareness and interest so don't be discouraged if this takes longer than expected. Your "audience" should not be limited to BYU alumni but should include the community. If you sponsor speakers, musical concerts, performances, or other events, a decent portion of your audience may be individuals not affiliated with BYU--and that's a good thing.

An alumni chapter can be a great way to reach out to those in your community and develop friendships. While you may have a limited number of actual alumni in your area, you can still have a positive impact on BYU, the Church, and the community. If there is a low number of alumni, do not conclude there is no interest. Your events and activities will determine the success of your local chapter!

Determining Size

Contact the BYU Alumni Office Staff and seek assistance to start an Alumni Chapter in your area. The staff can provide you with information, contacts and lists that will assist you.

Regional Chapters: The Alumni Office can identify alumni in your area. Chapter boundaries are determined by zip codes and/or county lines, not by ward or stake boundaries. If you have a smaller chapter, you may wish to take in a larger geographic area. On the other hand, if you are a large chapter, you may want to limit your geographic area.

Professional Chapters: The Alumni Office can help identify alumni within your profession or major across the country or worldwide.

The Alumni Office can provide you with

  • A database list of alumni in your area
  • Information that can help you identify potential committee members such as contribution codes and service codes. (How much they've contributed to BYU after graduation.)
  • Organization materials for your new chapter.

Fill out a BYU Alumni Chapter Charter Application

All newly established chapters and those requiring charter renewal with the BYU Alumni Association are required to complete and submit the "BYU Alumni Chapter Charter Application" form. This form is available in Excel format and can be accessed through this link.

Organize a Committee

A strong supportive chapter committee is essential to a chapter's long-term success. Members should understand the Spirit of the Y, have a passion for supporting BYU and take lead roles in connecting alumni and get them involved in the chapter. Find diverse geographical representation to ensure coverage of the entire chapter.

This is a general overview, if you want more details about different roles and assembling a committee check out our article here. (Link to roles article).

Here are three steps to help you in creating your committee:

  1. Reach out to BYU at m_sherry@byu.edu to find the population information for your region and involved alumni
  2. Determine interest. Here is a list of possible groups below that may be interested in attending events.
    1. Alumni
    2. Friends of BYU, which may include people whose children have gone to BYU, sports fans, or others
    3. Church members and the local community
    4. BYU Alumni and friends who are already involved with a consistency group such as the law or business school in your area
  3. Organize a Committee. Pick at least 3 individuals and/or couples to serve on your committee from multiple stakes and identify liaisons from various wards.

Create a Chapter Plan

Developing a chapter plan can guide your chapter toward achieving True Blue. This involves working closely with local Church leaders to address the needs of wards and stakes, connecting alumni to the university, reigniting the feeling of the Spirit of the Y, and contributing to the fulfillment of BYU's divine mission.

You can achieve your objectives by following these steps:

  1. Determine needs
  2. Build your calendar of events using the Alumni Tools system
  3. Delegate tasks
  4. Plan for evaluation and set goals
  5. Learn from each effort
  6. Repeat

Tips to Start

  • Try to find additional committee members from other stakes.
  • Look for liaisons in various wards.
  • Obtain information from the Alumni Office about setting up your local chapter and organizing your committee.
  • Begin holding regular meetings
  • Begin to plan activities and events. There are a host of things you can do, and the Alumni Office and other chapters can help. Check out Chapterpedia for more information and resources to help you get started.
  • Review the Off-Campus Event Calendar to see if any athletic and performance groups are coming to your area.
  • Talk to other Chapters.
  • Plan on attending the annual Chapter Training at BYU!

Chapter Finances

Chapter finances and fundraising are essential to the success of your chapter. Ensure you are up to date on all information by reviewing Chapter Finances & Fundraising.

These are two types of accounts:

  • Chapter checking or savings accounts are for your chapter operations (Desert First Credit Union). If you do not have an account, you can create one in your area. Contact Matt Sherry for details on how to create an account.
  • BYU accounts are for money held by BYU Alumni. The account holds funds for Replenishment Grants.

Marketing Communication

Regular communication with alumni is essential for making the chapter meaningful and engaging new participants.

Here are some guidelines:

  • Use the Alumni Tools system to request emails. (Please give us 3 business days to create, review, and send out an email)
  • Review Social Media Guidelines.
  • Send broadcast emails to your chapter with relevant information. You can use the Email Request Form.
  • Increase email coverage by contacting individuals on your alumni lists and sharing updates with BYU. Maintaining current records is essential for strengthening links between alumni and the university.