Run a Successful AVC

Most volunteers are familiar with the concept that an AVC mentors the undergraduate chapter. However, an AVC needs to do more than this to ensure long term stability and growth. AVCs should also serve as an alumni association and a manager of assets held in trust for the undergraduates. As 501(c)(7) nonprofit corporations, AVCs also have a responsibility to maintain the health of the corporation. SigEp’s new website has substantial information on the core responsibilities of an AVC, but to better understand how this is implemented on the front lines, we caught up with our Texas Alpha AVC President Craig Lill, Purdue ‘02. The Texas Alpha alumni own and manage a $7 million facility, engage over 35 volunteers, mentor a 180+-man chapter, and raise up to $35,000 on an annual basis.

Mentoring Undergraduates

Beaux Carriere: How does the Texas Alpha AVC engage with the undergraduate chapter?
Craig Lill: Our AVC meets every week on Friday at the chapter house. Because we don’t meet monthly or quarterly, we can stay on top of what they (the undergraduate officers) are doing.

BC: How many alumni-volunteers do you have working with the chapter?
CL: We have eight officers of the corporation; and we have up to 12 alumni that come and go as they can, but we try to clearly define roles*.

Managing and Growing Assets

BC: Undergraduates at Texas Alpha receive about $10,000 each year in scholarships from alumni. What do you do as an AVC to actively grow alumni contributions?
CL: We just founded an alumni contribution group: The Skull & Crossbones Society. Alumni can give $240 a year or $20 a month by automatic credit card draft. We have been working to make sure that everyone on our board has joined before promoting it to others.

Cultivating Alumni

BC: How do you recruit new volunteers?
CL: Mark Kiester, Texas-Austin '71, our former AVC President, is in charge of recruiting new volunteers. Coming from Purdue, I can say that we have a huge advantage in having alumni that live close by.

BC: Craig, you graduated from Indiana Alpha. Does the AVC frequently engage SigEps from other chapters?
CL: I’m not the only guy who isn’t from Texas Alpha. There have been volunteers from Purdue, Iowa, and Kansas State since I have been involved. Our doors are always open, and I would suggest to other AVCs that they be open to recruit volunteers from different chapters.

BC: As AVC President, what do you do to keep current volunteers engaged?
CL: I have started taking out the alumni board once a year just to say thank you and to keep it light hearted. It’s not about the money, it’s about the gesture.

BC: Beyond fundraising and volunteer recruitment, how does the AVC engage the broader alumni base?
CL: We communicate with alumni through our newsletter. When we discuss alumni spotlights, we engage our older alumni and discuss who, outside of the board, is doing something great. We also encourage alumni to provide new member leads, and this is the main feedback we receive.

BC: Does the AVC plan any alumni events?
CL: Yes. We usually start off with a meeting at the beginning of the year to discuss upcoming events. This year we are including two tickets to our annual Founder’s Day if alumni join the Skull and Crossbones Society.

Maintaining Corporate Health

BC: With everything going on at the undergraduate and alumni level, how do you stay organized?
CL: I send out an agenda prior to the meeting. The agenda takes time, but it helps me stay on point. The (undergraduate) VP of Communications is expected to take detailed notes from the meeting and is required to send them out to the AVC and Executive Board a few days after. This helps me stay on point.

BC: Do you have any last words of advice for other AVCs?
CL: Even if people can’t meet face to face, consistency of meeting is the key. There is always a higher level of accountability. Even if the volunteers can’t come in because of distance, they should be teleconferencing at least once a month.

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