speakers` guide - Advancement Resources

SPEAKERS’ GUIDE
FOUNDERS’
DAY
2016
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
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FOUNDERS’
DAY 2016
About the Wisconsin Alumni Association................................ 4
About WAA Chapters................................................................ 4
Proud Partnerships....................................................................... 4
The Making of Founders’ Day................................................... 5
Founders’ Day 2016 at a Glance................................................ 6
Founders’ Day Season................................................................. 7
How It Works................................................................................ 8
What to Expect as a Speaker..................................................... 9
Travel, Lodging, and Reimbursement ...................................... 10
Typical Founders’ Day Schedule................................................ 11
Speaker Checklist........................................................................ 12
WAA Contacts............................................................................ 14
A CHANCE TO RECONNECT /// 3
ABOUT THE WISCONSIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The Wisconsin Alumni Association® (WAA) was founded in 1861
to promote the welfare of the University of Wisconsin and serve the
interests of its alumni. Today, WAA carries out its mission through
marketing, communications, services, and programs such as Founders’
Day that link alumni to the university, the university to alumni, and alumni
to each other.
ABOUT WAA CHAPTERS
There are more than 75 alumni chapters in cities worldwide. These
chapters support the university and foster connections among
graduates through events and programs, including social outings,
scholarship fundraising, cultural events, and Founders’ Day celebrations.
PROUD PARTNERSHIPS
Thanks to the support and dedication of the University of WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin Alumni Association, University of Wisconsin
Foundation, and WAA chapters around the world, Founders’ Day
events play a vital role in alumni-outreach efforts and advancing the
university’s key initiatives and priorities.
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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN ARCHIVES
THE MAKING OF FOUNDERS’ DAY
On February 5, 1849, 20 students gathered in a small, brick building just off the
Capitol Square in Madison to study arithmetic, grammar, geography, and Latin with
Professor John Sterling. It was the first day of class at the University of Wisconsin
and the founding of the university as we know it.
From that humble beginning, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has grown in size
and prestige. UW-Madison is now ranked 24th worldwide in the recent Academic
Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University.
To commemorate the UW’s earliest days and its history of academic excellence,
alumni chapters began holding Founders’ Day celebrations in the early 1900s. In
1919, student leaders organized a campus event in the Red Gym. And in 1924, the
Wisconsin Alumni Association took over hosting duties with a campus celebration
at which more than 6,000 people packed into the Stock Pavilion for music, birthday
cake, and fireworks.
Today, Founders’ Day is celebrated in more than 50 cities across the United States
and around the world, with a focus on the UW’s core mission of academics, research,
and public service. It is also celebrated on campus by future alumni. Typically,
Founders’ Day season runs from February through May of each year.
A CHANCE TO RECONNECT /// 5
2016 EVENTS*
Antigo
Atlanta
Austin
Baltimore
Big Apple Badgers (New York City)
Boston
Brown County
Charlotte
Chequamegon Bay (Ashland)
Chicago
Chippewa Valley
Cincinnati
Columbus
Dallas
Denver
Fond du Lac
Fort Atkinson
Fox Valley
Green County
Heart of Illinois (Peoria)
Houston
Indianapolis
Kansas City
Lakeland Badgers (Minocqua)
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Marshfield
Milwaukee
Motor City Badgers (Detroit)
Naples
New Jersey
Orange County
Pittsburgh
Portland, Oregon
Price County
Racine/Kenosha
River Falls
Rochester, Minnesota
Rock County
Sacramento
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FOUNDERS’ DAY 2016 AT A GLANCE
Often the most high-profile and highly
attended event of the year for chapters
Consistently engages nearly 2,500 valued
alumni every year (approximately 360,000
engagements throughout its history)
Raises more than $20,000 in matching
scholarship contributions for local chapters
every year
Offers an opportunity for alumni to connect
with their alma mater and each other, and for
campus partners to advance the university’s
larger strategy for alumni, donors, and friends
San Diego
San Francisco
Sarasota/Manatee
Sauk County
Seattle
Red Rock Badgers (Sedona)
Sheboygan
South Florida
St. Louis
Tampa Bay
Triangle Area
Tucson
Twin Cities
Valley of the Sun (Phoenix)
Washington, DC
Waukesha County
Wausau
West Palm Beach, Florida
International chapter event areas:
Beijing
Hong Kong
Paris
Shanghai
*As of January 2016
FOUNDERS’ DAY SEASON: A CHANCE TO RECONNECT
Founders’ Day is a time when University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni gather with
other UW alumni in their community to celebrate the university and its academic
accomplishments. It’s a chance for alumni to reconnect with one another and
strenghten their ties to their alma mater.
This focus on the university’s educational mission and academic achievements is
designed to build and strengthen relationships that cultivate pride and investment
in the UW.
So, to further engage attendees and those stakeholders who couldn’t attend a
Founders’ Day event, WAA is offering additional ways for alumni to share their pride
throughout Founders’ Day season by extending the celebration online:
On Twitter, alumni are encouraged to use the hashtag #UW1849.
Alumni will be asked to urge their Facebook fans and Twitter followers to share
their pride by saying why they’re proud to be a part of UW-Madison’s past,
present, and future.
WAA will provide sample text and images for alumni to share on the actual day
of Founders’ Day (Friday, Feb. 5, 2016) to kick off this season of celebration.
WAA will also remind alumni that it’s okay to brag to friends that they’re
Badgers! And that they should follow @WisAlumni on Twitter and check
uwalumni.com/foundersday often for easily shareable content (university
news, fun facts, photos, and more) that supports the message of Founders’ Day.
We encourage you to use these resources in your social media communications when
you speak at a Founders’ Day event.
Get the latest information about Founders’ Day and other programs by updating your
contact information through myuwconnect.org.
A CHANCE TO RECONNECT /// 7
HOW IT WORKS
Because Founders’ Day is one of the most important ways in which
WAA fosters pride, advocacy, and private support for the UW, the
planning process for this year’s celebrations began almost immediately
after the previous Founders’ Day season ended.
This planning entails developing an annual theme and working closely
with chapters to discuss potential event dates and speaker topics.
Local chapters then begin planning the format for their events. Each
chapter shapes Founders’ Day events to meet the needs of its alumni
and to take advantage of a local venue or attraction.
Founders’ Day is a key moment of celebration for WAA chapters.
For some, it also serves as the most important annual event for local
fundraising, recognizing student scholarship winners, and honoring
prominent alumni as Badger of the Year Award recipients.
Depending on the location, Founders’ Day attendee numbers can
range from 25 to more than 150.
To present a successful event, WAA representatives are in close contact
with alumni chapters to ensure quality event planning and execution.
To assist chapters in promoting their events, WAA sends print invitations
roughly six weeks before the event to past attendees, WAA members,
board of visitors members, alumni award winners, campus constituents,
and other highly engaged alumni in chapter regions. Invitations are also
sent to all alumni in chapter areas with 1,000 or fewer alumni.
Email invitations are sent to all alumni in a chapter area who have a
current email address on file.
A registration link and event details are posted on the chapter
web page four weeks before each event.
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WHAT TO EXPECT AS A SPEAKER
Thank you for accepting our invitation to speak during Founders’ Day season. Your
appearance is vital in reinforcing the UW experience for alumni.
We strongly encourage you to contact your department’s director of
development as soon as possible. He or she will be an invaluable resource.
To ensure that you get as much out of Founders’ Day as the alumni in attendance,
WAA will offer an orientation designed to inform you of the Founders’ Day process
and make you aware of what you can expect at your particular event.
When preparing for your event, you should plan to give a 20- to 25-minute talk, with
time for questions afterward.
When putting together your presentation, please consider aligning your talking points
with the four pillars of the UW’s All Ways Forward comprehensive campaign:
•
•
•
•
Student support
Educational experience
Faculty excellence
Research and innovation
We strongly encourage you to demonstrate to
the audience how your scholarship or research
relates to one or more of these pillars.
Also, once you are confirmed as a speaker, you will be asked to provide the
following information as soon as possible. It will be included in the invitations
and on the website:
• Full name
• Title, department, specialty, educational background, career highlights
• Your experience working/teaching at UW-Madison
• Title of your Founders’ Day speech/presentation
• Brief description of your speech/presentation
• Experience/background in your speech/presentation’s topic
A CHANCE TO RECONNECT /// 9
What to Expect as a Speaker, continued
Shortly after your Founders’ Day event, you will receive a brief survey about
your experience. We ask that you fill it out completely and candidly, in the hope
of improving the program for future speakers and for gauging your interest in
participating in upcoming outreach activities.
Along with your appearance at Founders’ Day, you are strongly encouraged to
take advantage of this time away from campus to connect with individuals who are
potential donors to UW-Madison or to your school or college. Please contact WAA
or your director of development to discuss various opportunities, identify alumni
attendees who may warrant special attention, and schedule development meetings.
TRAVEL, LODGING, AND REIMBURSEMENT
Founders’ Day speakers generally make their own travel arrangements according
to standard university policy. If you need assistance in making your travel and
lodging arrangements, please contact WAA at your earliest convenience.
Speakers are eligible for reimbursement for their travel expenses, but the
Founders’ Day program does not provide an honorarium.
You are asked to submit expenses within two weeks after your event.
WAA will provide a reimbursement form to complete and to which to
attach receipts.
The final deadline to submit materials for travel reimbursement is
Wednesday, June 1, 2016.
PLANNING YOUR PROGRAM
Recommendations to help keep your Founders’ Day program on track:
• Total run time of less than one hour
• Limited number of program elements to avoid confusion
• Speaker is scheduled first or early in the program
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TYPICAL FOUNDERS’ DAY SCHEDULE
Welcome by Chapter Leader or Evening’s Emcee — 5 minutes
WAA and UWF Welcome (if applicable) — 3 minutes each
Dinner
Introduction of Featured Speaker — 2 minutes
Speaker Presentation — 20–25 minutes (plus 10-minute Q&A)
Scholarship Recognition 2016 (if applicable) — 5 minutes
Presentation of Badger of the Year Award (if applicable) — 5 minutes
Badger of the Year Acceptance (if applicable) — 10 minutes
Raffle Drawing or Silent Auction (if applicable)
Closing Remarks and Singing of “Varsity” — 2 minutes
A CHANCE TO RECONNECT /// 11
SPEAKER CHECKLIST
Once your Founders’ Day
date is CONFIRMED:
Immediately after confirmation,
provide the following for the print
invitation, email, and website:
• Full name
• Title, department, specialty,
educational background,
career highlights
• Your experience working/
teaching at UW-Madison
• Title of your Founders’ Day
speech/presentation
• Brief description of your
speech/presentation
• Experience/background in your
speech/presentation’s topic
Provide a brief bio for the website
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BEFORE your Founders’ Day event:
Inform the local chapter and/or WAA
about your equipment needs (e.g.,
LCD projector, laptop, laser pointer).
Make travel and accommodation
arrangements. If you need assistance,
please contact WAA.
Provide your itinerary and cell phone
number to the local chapter
representative and WAA.
Contact WAA if you would like to see
a list of registrants before the event.
AT your Founders’ Day event:
Arrive at least 15 minutes prior
to the start of the event to check
the equipment setup.
Introduce yourself to the local
chapter president.
Touch base with the WAA
representative who’s present
(if applicable) to confirm talking
points, speaking arrangements, etc.
AFTER your Founders’ Day event:
Submit your receipts and expense
reimbursement form to WAA within
two weeks after your event, and by
Wednesday, June 1, 2016.
Complete an online speaker
evaluation, which will be emailed
to you following your event.
Be prepared to mingle with alumni
prior to the actual program.
Founders’ Day events have a
local focus, so expect a chapter
representative to offer a short update
on local chapter events, scholarship
program, fundraising auction, etc.
A CHANCE TO RECONNECT /// 13
WAA CONTACTS
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about your upcoming presentation,
please feel free to contact any of the following Wisconsin Alumni Association
representatives. They will help you in any way possible.
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MIKE FAHEY ‘89
LORA KLENKE ‘94
ANGELA LILLETHUN ‘95
Managing Director,
Advocacy and State Relations
608-286-9143
[email protected]
Managing Director,
International Alumni
Relations
608-334-3361
[email protected]
Director, Regional Relations
and Volunteer Management
608-354-2090
[email protected]
NANCY POWELL
JEFF WENDORF ‘82
JESSE WHITE
Geographic Outreach
Coordinator
608-262-7427
[email protected]
Vice President, Alumni
Relations and Development
608-334-2586
[email protected]
Chapter and Regional
Relations Manager
608-422-1549
[email protected]
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NOTES
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A CHANCE TO RECONNECT /// 15
1849–2016
uwalumni.com/foundersday
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN ARCHIVES
FOUNDERS’
DAY