Organization and Governance
Club/SIG Officers
President
• Leads the Club/SIG's efforts to improve its services to its members and other alumni, to Harvard, and to the community at large.
• Acts as primary contact with the HAA Clubs and SIGs Office.
• Assumes fiscal responsibility for the Club/SIG.
• Appoints all committee chairs and serves as an ex officio member of all committees.
• Carries primary responsibility for planning.
Vice President
• Often serves as program chair, scheduling speakers, planning dinners, etc.
• May poll the membership on program ideas and preferences.
• Works with officers and directors to generate ideas and program strategy.
Treasurer
• Maintains and supervises Club/SIG bank account.
• Pays all bills and records sources of income.
• Collects and records the receipt of annual dues and informs the Secretary accordingly.
• Prepares and submits financial statements to the Executive Committee (or Directors) at their meetings.
• Prepares a full financial report submitted annually to the members.
• Files federal and state tax returns for the club, as necessary.
• Submits application for 501(c) 3 or 501(c) 7 tax status (in US only).
Secretary
• Maintains membership list.
• Supervises all Club/SIG mailings.
• Receives reservations for meetings and keeps the vice president (and program chair, if any) advised of count. Forwards payments to treasurer for processing.
• Might keep minutes of all meetings (e.g., board of directors or Annual Meeting of Members).
• With the president, maintains contact with the Harvard Alumni Association’s Clubs and SIGs office, particularly by forwarding copies of print and electronic club mailings.
• Notifies Clubs and SIGs Office of results of elections.
• Submits annual report to Clubs and SIGs.
Other possible Club/SIG positions include:
Community Outreach Officer
• Fosters and maintains relationships with local organizations with which the Club or SIG can work (e.g., donating consulting time).
• Works with Community Service Committee to attract members to participate in programs.
• Works with the HAA Global Month of Service coordinator to develop and improve community outreach programs for the Club/SIG.
Summer Community Service Fellowship or Scholarship Coordinator
• In conjunction with the Fellowship/Scholarship Donation Committee, oversees selection process of annual recipients of club fellowship/scholarship.
• Primary contact with HAA is Joslyn Evans (joslyn_evans@harvard.edu) for the Summer Community Service Fellowship Program
• Reports annually on the status of the award program to the secretary, treasurer, and club members, if required by club bylaws.
Club/SIG Committees
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is vital in assisting the Club/SIG officers, encouraging good leadership, and ensuring continuity of the Club/SIG's work. While the Board should not be an operating group, it should meet periodically to review the schedule of programs; hear reports on membership, finance, etc.; see that the nominees for office are well selected; and especially determine ways to increase the overall activity and welfare of the Club or SIG. The Board may draw upon research/recommendations by the committees when making decisions/recommendations to the Club or SIG.
Program Committee
Usually chaired by the Vice President, the Program Committee plans a calendar of educational, networking, and social events for Club/SIG members. Members of the committee brainstorm ideas and take ownership of specific events or duties.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee prepares a slate of officers for the ensuing year. This includes soliciting the Club/SIG membership for candidates.
Long-Range Planning Committee
This committee might review the Club/SIG's activities of recent years, the trends in membership and attendance, and the organization, programming, and activities of other Clubs or SIGs. This process creates ideas and energy and renews the Club/SIG's sense of purpose.
Membership Committee
This committee is responsible for maintaining and increasing Club or SIG membership, one of the most important factors in a successful Club or SIG.
Some membership committees analyze the composition of the local alumni population (by approximate age, School and class, industry, and job function) and then target the club mailings. The committee may follow up personally with: alumni who were members in previous years but have not rejoined, alumni who attended a meeting who are not currently dues-paying members, and personal acquaintances who are not members. Members of the committee might make calls to alumni contemporaries to remind them of meetings and suggest that they bring a fellow graduate.
Student-Alumni Committee
Some possibilities for student-alumni interaction include:
• Parties for recent grads, new admits, current students, and deferred admits.
• Events for students working in the local area between terms.
• A mentoring program matching up graduating students new to the area with local alumni in order to provide advice about housing, schools, local organizations, employment opportunities for spouses, etc.