Alumni Chapters: Getting Every Bulldog Committed to Georgia

UGA Alumni Chapters
by Sarah Sonenberg

Here at the Alumni Association, the Chapters program extends beyond Athens, beyond Georgia, and engages alumni around the world – including London.

In 2017 the Alumni Association restructured the Chapters program. Since these changes were implemented, the program has grown from 63 chapters to 88 chapters, with more than 300 volunteer leaders trained to host official UGA Alumni Association events in their communities. These passionate alumni volunteers collectively hosted 885 events in 2018!

This is important because we need to work together to create an engaged alumni community worldwide. By planning these important events, chapters work together to inspire every Bulldog to commit to Georgia.

Chapters work to accomplish this vision, with diverse event programming that fulfills alumni’s desire to connect to their Bulldog roots in a variety of ways: community service projects, game watching parties, professional development and networking, happy hours, wine tours, sunset cruises, freshman send-offs, book clubs…you name it, a chapter has probably done it.

How can you utilize this program as an engagement resource for your donors and prospects?

  1. Point them to their nearest chapter, and encourage them to get connected to the local community. Encourage your contacts to follow their chapter on social media.
  2. Bring a prospect to an event, or connect them to a chapter leader for more involvement.
  3. Ask us questions! Diana, Olivia and Ally are experts on their assigned Chapters and volunteer leaders. We love to collaborate.
  4. Help us recruit and develop empowered chapter leaders. After all, they are extensions of staff and serve as official ambassadors of the university.

We truly believe that there is nothing like the sound of “Go Dawgs!” when you are far from Athens. As alumni build their lives and careers, we can help them find the spirit of UGA wherever they are through their local Alumni Chapter.

This fall football season, I challenge everyone on this team to attend at least one game watching party. Whether you’re in New York City at American Whiskey, in Austin at Edwin’s Sports Bar, in Denver at Park Burger, or Atlanta at Sports and Social, join us! Grab a pom pom! Don your red and black attire! And take a moment to meet and thank the local Chapter Leaders who are committed to UGA.

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