ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì

In order to be considered in good standing, each chapter must meet the following criteria:

• Complete and submit to the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Council an Annual Summary of Activity form by June 1.
• Comply with the provisions and policies
• Hold at least two leadership meetings per year.
• Hold at least two events per year.
• Communicate any significant changes in the group to the Office of Alumni Relations (i.e. officer changes, significant bylaw revisions, web page information, etc.).
• Be fiscally responsible and operate on the same fiscal year as the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association, which begins July 1 and ends on June 30 of each year.

A print release is required for all printing projects that cost more than $50. All print and copy jobs must meet the University's graphic standards to obtain a print release from the Office of Integrated Marketing prior to printing. Projects printed without prior approval are subject to review by the Office of the President. These projects may need to be reprinted at the originating chapter’s expense.

Projects completed by the University Copy Center do not need a print release but must follow the University’s graphic standards.

Please provide your alumni team liaison the following information at least one week prior to ordering printed materials:

• A description of the type of project you’d like to print
• The quantity of materials you will be printing
• The estimated cost of your printing project
• The preferred vendor you’d like to use
• A PDF of the piece to be printed

From the Office of Marketing & Communications:

We come from different colleges, programs, backgrounds and disciplines, but together we are ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì. When any one of us goes out into the world, we represent not just ourselves but also the University as a whole. This is why we maintain marketing standards and policies. When we work together, we succeed together.

If a chapter requests, a chapter logo - which has been approved by the Office of Marketing & Communications - will be provided by the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association.

Please allow two weeks for your new logo.

The ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Council acts as the governing body of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association. The Council’s membership includes:

• President
• President-Elect
• Treasurer
• Past-President
• 1st Vice President
• 2nd Vice President
• 3rd Vice President

Representatives at-Large

A total of twenty (20) members represent the alumni at large. The current ASUN President serves as a voting member of the Council. The current GSA President serves as a voting member of the Council.

Ex-officio members

• Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno Foundation
• Vice President for University Advancement, ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno
• Athletic Director of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno. 

ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association

To foster and cultivate a common bond of pride, affinity and connection among alumni, students, prospective students and friends of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì through quality programs, services, and events.

Division of Development and Alumni Relations

Promote and enhance the purposes, goals, and objectives of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì by raising funds and support through the development of relationships and friends. ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì

The ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno

• Prepares graduates to compete in a global environment through teaching and learning in high-quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in the liberal arts, sciences, and selected professions in agriculture, medicine, engineering, health care, education, journalism, and business;
• Creates new knowledge through basic and applied research, scholarship, and artistry, in strategically selected fields relevant to ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì and the wider world;
• Improves economic and social development by engaging ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì's citizens, communities, and governments; and Respects and seeks to reflect the gender, ethnic, cultural, and ability/disability diversity of the citizens of ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì in its academic and support programs, and in the composition of its faculty, administration, staff, and student body.

University Advancement is home to several departments which collaborate to raise friends and funds for the University. Below is a list of the different departments and their purposes:

Office of Alumni Relations 

The Office of Alumni Relations carries out the mission of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association through event planning, programming, chapter management and conducting any other business of the association. The Office of Alumni Relations also produces the alumni magazine, ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Silver and Blue.

Donor Relations 

The Department of Donor Relations serves to engender positive feelings by donors about the organization and administration and impact of their gift, and provides ways to engage donors meaningfully in the programs they support. Donor Relations is a partner in the fundraising efforts of the division in understanding/managing/meeting/exceeding donor expectations.

Foundation Operations 

Foundation Operations provides support for ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno Foundation Trustees and Trustees Emeriti.

University Events 

This office is focused on producing fundraising events. The team manages events for the Office of the President, Development Officers and acts as event consultants for various other departments throughout campus.

Financial Services and Records 

This team is responsible for the accounting of all gifts made to the University, event deposits, the division budget, the alumni and friends database, scholarships, technology.

Annual Giving 

The Annual Giving Office administers telemarketing campaigns for all schools and colleges on campus. The team also organizes the various Annual Fund campaign initiatives.

Office of the Vice President

The Vice President for Advancement at the University supports the Foundation's operation and is the central fundraising organization for all academic and public service programs. University Advancement offers consultation and assistance to colleges, schools, and departments with fund raising goals.

A chapter is a group of alumni and/or friends with a set of bylaws and officers to guide the group’s activities and meetings. Chapters are encouraged to have at least two events each year and establish an endowed scholarship.

Chapters have four main purposes:

1. To continue the connection and/or reconnect alumni and friends to the university,
2. To act as ambassadors of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì and support the university’s mission,
3. Raise scholarship money for incoming and/or current students,
4. To provide support and service to the university by serving on committees and acting as vehicles for ideas and opinions between alumni and the university.
   

Membership is determined by each group. In general, membership is open to anyone who has attended the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì for a minimum of six credit hours within one semester, whether a graduate or non-graduate. You may also wish to invite friends of the University. This group may include parents of current or past students, former faculty or staff members, or merely loyal friends of the University. In all cases, spouses or significant others of alumni or friends are invited to attend as well. Membership is never restricted to members of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association. In other words, an alumni chapter is inclusive rather than exclusive. As long as the person has a genuine interest in the University, it is to your chapter’s advantage to include the individual in all activities.

Geographic chapters play a vital role in the success of the University. These groups serve as regional representatives for the University. They help alumni stay connected to the University while living in different regions throughout the nation.

These chapters are formed by alumni from specific colleges within the University.

These chapters have a base of membership that shares common traditions, customs or cultural history.

These groups are similar to the heritage chapters in that they are based on a specific group of alumni and friends that share a common interest.

A chapter will be placed on inactive status if, after one (1) year, the chapter does not meet the minimum requirements for remaining in good standing.

Inactive status will be determined by the Alumni Council’s Vice President for Chapter Development, and a notification letter will be sent to the appropriate leadership group.

Once a chapter is placed on inactive status, the group must reapply to obtain chapter status. Benefits provided to the group by the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association, as outlined in the manual, will no longer continue until the chapter has been approved by the Executive Committee.

Each chapter is assigned an alumni team liaison from the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association to help with event planning and keep the chapter informed of upcoming ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association activities and current association policies.

Through the alumni team liaison, chapters have access to the main university database, which provides them with the most up-to-date alumni information and the ability to reach the most alumni possible.

Chapters can request financial assistance from the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association to aid with upcoming chapter events, mailings, giveaways, etc.

Chapters can send direct mail and emails through the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association. Chapters can tar-get alumni in a variety of ways – by department or college, geographic region, chapter membership, etc. – allowing chapters to promote events and send chapter news to a more tailored audience.

Chapter leaders can work with their alumni team liaison to share chapter events and news on the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association social media channels. Alumni team liaisons can also work with chapter leadership to outline a social media strategy for the chapter on their own social media channels.

Chapters receive space to run updates in the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association section of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Silver & Blue magazine, which has a readership of more than 70,000. Chapter events are also promoted on the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association website.

Chapter presidents are invited to ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Council meetings and leadership retreats which pro-vide the opportunity to brainstorm and share ideas with other chapters.

Chapter membership information is included on the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association’s membership registration website and printed membership brochure.

The ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association can coordinate online event registration and payment, which streamlines the RSVP process.  

To set up an event registration link for a ticketed event, email your chapter liaison with all pertinent information listed below. Keep in mind that in order to give you accurate RSVPs, we need to close the online link two business days before you need the final list/count.  For example, if you need the final RSVPs by Friday, we’d have to close online RSVPs that Wednesday. Please allow a minimum of two weeks for your registration link to be created.

If your event is free, you can set up your own registration link by using Eventbrite. *Eventbrite cannot be used to collect payment.*

To send an eblast (even if you don’t need RSVP assistance) you must complete the eblast and events form on our website, which will require you to submit all the information below. Please allow at least two weeks before your target e-mail blast desired date. We will try to send your eblast on the date you suggest but we may have to send the eblast one or more days after it’s been scheduled if directed by our IT department. We will do our best to let you know if your eblast send date has been pushed but if you have a concern, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your chapter liaison.

Information needed to send an event eblast and/or set up a ticketing link for an event

Event Information Invitation: ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì 2-3 sentences inviting folks to join your chapter for X event, highlighting what you will be doing at the event, if you’re having a special guest, etc. If the event is ticketed, what to attendees get for their ticket (ex: Your ticket includes dinner or your ticket includes admittance and a drink, etc.)

Name of event:

Date:

Time: Include both start and end time

RSVP By Date: *in order to give you accurate RSVPs, we need to close the online link two business days before you need the final list/count. For example, if you need the final RSVPs by Friday, we’d have to close online RSVPs that Wednesday. *

Price/s: How much are you charging? Is there one ticket type or more than one? If there is more than one type of ticket available, what’s the difference in price?

Location: a hyperlinked address is perfect

Parking information (if not obvious, you should be totally fine to leave this off for a Whispering Vine event)

Who to contact with any further questions: name, email and/or phone number

Don’t forget items: Do they need to bring anything special? Holiday party: cookie/ornament exchange, networking event: resume/business cards; if it’s an outdoor event: chairs, blanket, or cash for food trucks

Eblast specific: Send date/s: We can send up to two eblasts for the same event, when would you like me to send your eblast/s? We will try to send your eblast on the date you selected but may have to change the send date if directed by our IT department.

Send list: Our generic chapter emailing lists are set to go to all chapter members and potential chapter members, if you want to tailor the list in any way (ex: alumni chapter members + potential chapter members in a specific area, or in a specific age group). If you don’t specify the send list we’ll send it to the usual list.

The ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno Foundation is charged with the responsibility to maintain complete and accurate records of all University donors and alumni. This information is kept strictly confidential. As a result, the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association is unable to provide chapters with contact information for their members.

However, we are happy to assist you with contacting your chapter members on your behalf.

Contacting members in this way not only keeps alumni information confidential, but also provides benefits to the chapters. The Foundation mails the alumni magazine quarterly and targeted mailings in between, so our mailing addresses are kept as up-to-date as possible with return-service requests.

We can also slice and dice our database in many different ways, depending on how you’d like to contact people. For example, you can contact everyone who was in a specific fraternity or graduated within the last ten years or was a journalism graduate. That also means you can contact anyone who meets all many different criteria (ie: Young alumnus + journalism grad).

For a mailing, contact your Alumni Team Liaison. Your chapter must have funds available in your ac-count to cover the cost of a mailing.

The ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association automatically provides each chapters with a list of active and recently lapsed chapter members on the first of each month. You can request additional membership lists through your alumni team liaison.

The ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association can assist your chapter with sending membership renewals via email. Members also have the option to sign up for auto-renewal when they initially purchase a membership. They will receive an e-mail the month prior to the auto-renewal taking place.

If the member has not signed up for auto-renewal, they will receive an e-mail one month prior to the expiration date. If the member does not renew, they will receive an e-mail one month after their membership has expired letting them know they have lapsed. Please contact your Alumni Team Liaison for additional details.

To function under the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association’s 501(c)3, Board of Regents policy dictates that chapters are required to keep their accounts with the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno Foundation. Your alumni team liaison will assist with opening the account and walk you through the process. Chapter representatives have access to their funds and are responsible for keeping their account positive.

Chapters are required to keep their accounts with the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno Foundation for a variety of reasons. Each chapter operates under the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association Inc.’s 501(c) 3 or tax-exempt status. For this reason, groups must keep their money under the auspices of the association. The benefits of keeping your account with the Foundation include exemption from filing chapter taxes at the end of each fiscal year, bank statements do not have to be provided and kept track of, the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association balances each account on a quarterly basis, and chapters with foundation accounts are eligible for a University purchasing card.

When accepting payment for chapter events or donations, checks should be made payable to the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno Foundation.

All funds received must be deposited with the Foundation accounting office, located in the Mackay Science Building Room 127. Receipts in excess of $500 must be deposited within 24 hours of receipt. Lesser amounts must be deposited within 72 hours of receipt.

If your chapter is located outside of the Reno-Sparks area, you have the option of making a deposit at Wells Fargo. Please contact your alumni team liaison for account details. Note: You must notify the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association of your deposit and mail or scan and email a copy of your receipt within 72 hours of your deposit.

The Foundation does not have the ability to determine what location the deposit has been made. This means that we will have no way to determine which chapter made the deposit. Therefore, if we do not hear from your chapter within two weeks of a deposit being made, the funds will be transferred into a scholarship fund.

Credit cards, otherwise known as purchasing cards, are available to chapters with Foundation accounts. Each chapter president and/or treasurer will go through a training session with the Office of Alumni Relations to gain better understanding of the purchasing process with the credit card. Up to two purchase cards are available to each chapter with a Foundation Account.

All cardholders must sign and accept the terms and conditions of the purchasing card cardholder agreement. Each card has been assigned credit and transaction limits by the Controller’s Office.

The purchasing card is intended:

• To purchase food and/or supplies for an event or meeting
• For operating expenses
• For travel for out of state board members to attend an in person meeting or event

The purchasing card is NOT intended:

• To avoid or bypass appropriate purchasing or payment procedures. Rather it complements the existing processes available
• For personal use

Allowable expenses on a Chapter Purchasing card are Travel, Operating, Hosting, and Scholarships.

With every credit card transaction, confidential information is being entrusted to the University and your chapter.

Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance is a mandated set of security standards created by the major credit card companies to offer merchants and service providers like the University a complete unified approach to safeguarding cardholder data.

Payment vendors must be approved by the University network security and an internal campus PCI auditor. Blackbaud Merchant Services (BBMS) is the system that we use and is the only approved vendor.

Vendors such as PayPal and EventBrite are not approved vendors and cannot be used for chapter event registration. If a chapter sets up a payment link through an unapproved vendor, they will be asked by ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association staff to take the link down and follow proper procedure.

Chapter representatives are responsible for turning in all itemized receipts to the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association within one week of purchase. Receipts may be scanned or a picture may be taken of the receipt and emailed to the alumni liaison. It is the responsibility of the card holder to submit receipts on time.

 When sending receipts, please include:

• Date, name and location of event OR description of the purchase
• If payment of food/beverage at an event, provide all names of attendees if fewer than 20

The general credit and transaction limits assigned to each purchasing card are as follows:

• Dollar amount per transaction $1,999.99
• Dollar amount per month $1,999.99
• Number of transactions per day unlimited up to $1,999.99
• Number of transactions per month unlimited up to $1,999.99

** Purchase limits reset on the 12th of each month.**

These limits may be adjusted based upon the individual needs of the cardholder in consultation with the Purchasing Card Administrator. Any changes to the transaction limits must be approved by the card-holder’s department chair/director on the Purchasing Card Cardholder Form.

Purchases must be for the use and benefit of the university and must have an identified business purposes.

You cannot make a purchase that is over your limit and paying half of it now and half of it when the card resets.

• Liquor including cocktails. *Please see Alcohol Hosting Policy for more details.
• Items for personal use
• Cash advances
• Independent contractor expenses other than airfare
• Printing/copying service over $50 must be approved by Marketing & Communications and release authorization number given).
• Travel expenses for employee’s hotels, meals and personal travel expenses.

 Additional goods or services may be specifically excluded for individual cardholders. See the card-holder agreement for a complete list of exclusions.

Splitting a purchase card transaction(s) to avoid the limits placed on the p-card is not allowed.

 The purchase card is NOT to be used by anyone other than the person whose name is on the card.

 Violation of these policies will result in deactivation of all purchase cards for the chapter. Once a purchasing card is deactivated, the individual can never receive another purchasing card from the University. Fraudulent use of the purchasing card may result in disciplinary action and personal liability of the card-holder. It is the cardholder’s responsibility to assure that the purchasing card is secured at all times.

It is the cardholder’s responsibility to report the loss of the card immediately to the issuing bank and the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association. If your purchasing card is lost or stolen, immediately notify JP Morgan Chase at (800) 848-2813 and the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association at (888) NV ALUMS. Charges to the card are the cardholder's responsibility until the card has been reported as missing/stolen.

In accordance with Board of Regents' policy, gratuity on meals should not be more than 20%.

If a purchasing card holder tips more than 20% on a restaurant bill, he or she will be asked to reimburse the University from personal (not chapter) funds.

The ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association supports the University’s position of creating an environment that reduces or eliminates the adverse consequences of alcohol misuse. The purpose of this policy is to minimize the liability that the University staff, volunteers and or the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association may incur in the event of an accident at an off-campus chapter event.

If the chapter leadership approves, chapter funds can be used to purchase beer, wine or wine coolers at board meetings or other events. A maximum of one beer or wine beverage per person can be hosted with chapter funds. Hard liquor cannot be purchased with chapter funds. This includes shots and cocktails. The only exception to this is in the case of a participant paid event - one mixed drink per person may be purchased with a meal.

 Any additional alcoholic beverages may be purchased by individuals in attendance. It is the chapter’s responsibility to promote drinking responsibly at events.

It is preferable that food and non-alcoholic beverages are served or available for purchase. It is the chapter’s responsibility to ensure that alcohol is served legally and responsibly. Be sure that proper identification is provided by attendees to the establishment/security.

When paying for a chapter expense, we encourage chapters to use purchasing cards when possible. If your chapter does not have a purchasing card, your Alumni Team Liaison can pay an invoice for you with the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association’s purchasing card.

When making a purchase on a University purchasing card in the state of ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, no sales tax should be charged, as the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì is tax exempt. The University is exempt by NRS 372.325, NRS 374.330 and NRS 377. It is the cardholder’s responsibility to ensure that State of ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì sales tax is not charged. The State of ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Sales Tax exemption letters are available from the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association and the Tax ID number can be found on the front of each purchasing card.

If an invoice is over $1,999.99 or your vendor does not accept credit cards, payment arrangements need to be made ahead of time with your chapter liaison.

To make payment arrangements, please provide your Alumni Team Liaison with an invoice two weeks before payment is due. Payment arrangements must be made before any service is rendered.

Chapters can fundraise under the 501(C)3 umbrella of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno Foundation. Some chapters use this opportunity to raise money for annual or endowed scholarships for ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì students.

The ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association is a 501(c)3. As such, it is the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, Reno and its Foundation’s policy that we, and by extension our alumni chapters, do not provide financial gifts to other 501(c)3s outside of the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì. If alumni chapters wish to support non-profits out-side of the University, it is acceptable to purchase tickets/tables to charitable events or provide volunteer opportunities to members.

After one year of inactivity, a chapter is declared inactive. From the date of inactivity, the chapter has two years to reapply for active chapter status before their campus operating account is closed. If funds remain in the chapter’s campus operating account, those funds will be transferred to the chapter’s scholarship fund. If the chapter does not have a scholarship fund, the monies will be transferred to the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Association scholarship endowment. A notification letter will be mailed to the main chapter contact.

Athletic events

• Professional football, basketball, baseball or hockey games tickets
• Tailgate parties at University football, base-ball, and basketball games
• Away-game parties
• Rooter buses

 Community service activities

• Food drives
• Clothing drives
• Volunteer opportunities

 Cultural events

• Concerts
• Theatrical performances
• Museum exhibits

 Mystery and holiday dinners

• Bus trips to restaurants
• Winter holiday meals

 Scholarship fundraisers

• Dinners
• Golf tournaments

 Socials

• Cocktail parties or happy hours
• Appetizer or dessert receptions
• Potluck dinners

 Summer send-offs for ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì  freshmen

• Barbecue in honor of incoming students from your area

 Miscellaneous

• Wine and/or beer tastings
• Volunteer for ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì Alumni Assoc. events
• Service on association committees
• Faculty or athletic speaker receptions
• Student mentoring
• Career networking

Silver and Blue Catering, the University’s contracted food service company, has the exclusive right to provide food service on the University campus. See the University’s Administrative Manual for exceptions. 

Chapter members who purchase meals related to chapter business should obtain an ITEMIZED RE-CEIPT identifying each food and beverage charge as well as gratuity, regardless of the form of payment used. When making a food or beverage purchase on a purchasing card in the state of ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì, no sales tax should be charged, as the ÇéÉ«ÎåÔÂÌì is tax exempt. Along with the itemized receipt, chapters must include a list of those in attendance at each event/meeting if there are under 20 participants.

Tipping policy

• In accordance with Board of Regents' policy, gratuity on meals should not be more than 20%.
• If a purchasing card holder tips more than 20% on a restaurant bill, he or she will be asked to reimburse the University from personal (not chapter) funds.

Alcohol hosting policy

• Beer, wine and wine coolers may be purchased with chapter funds. A maximum of one alcoholic drink per person may be hosted with chapter funds.
• Liquor, including shots and cocktails, may not be purchased with chapter funds.