Anyone know what happened to the CAP Alumni Association? I know LOTS of former CAP members at my FBO and everyone laughed at the the idea. I looked at their website to see what kind of activities the Alumni Association had but the last newsletter (Oct 2015!) was nothing but a pure fund-raising letter.
Here it is:
http://www.capfoundation.com/file.cfm/media/news/EOY_Alumni_Letter_BB6171F2D24AF.pdf (http://www.capfoundation.com/file.cfm/media/news/EOY_Alumni_Letter_BB6171F2D24AF.pdf)
Considering ONE QUARTER of all Senior member DO NOT RENEW EACH YEAR, there should be an enormous number of "alumni". Whether they view their experience as a positive one that incline them to donate money to the CAP seems problematic.
I believe in giving to organizations that deserve the money and put it to good use. I've pledged $340,000 to my late wife's Alma Mater, a small women's college, to fund lower income students while they take low-paid or unpaid internships during the Summer. Apparently, having meaningful Summer internships are necessary these days to be hired when one graduates. (When I was in college I spent Summers working as a steelworker, one of the dirtiest, most dangerous jobs in industry. I was expected to EARN money in the summer not be given it, but I suppose times change.)
There's an old joke - - - - If you're ever lost in the wilderness or even at sea; just loudly say "I want to give a substantial gift to my Alma Mater" and college fund raisers will find you IMMEDIATELY.
So I wonder how many CAP Talk members make donations to the CAP Foundation or plan to make a bequest in their will. (Poll follows
Big check to CAP NHQ and hope it goes to worthwhile things? Nope.
Smaller donations as needed to help underwrite something meaningful (a lower income cadet's attendance at an otherwise-unreachable activity, perhaps)? Much more likely.
I wouldn't consider members who churn their first year "alumni". To me that's successful cadets
who haven't rejoined, or senior members who somehow managed to get to a decent level
experience-wise, and leave CAP without a sour taste - haven't met too many of those.
I can't imagine sending money to NHQ in an anonymous pool when I could simply write a check to the local squadron.
I'm afraid you misunderstand. The yearly one-quarter dropout rate includes ALL MEMBERS that do not renew. not just those completing their first and final year. Personally the majority of folks I know who quit put in several or even many years before they decided that they had had enough.
One of my greatest regrets to date is that I have not figured out how to start and grow an Alumni Association.
(I have discovered several ways not to start an AA, however. 8) )
Several years ago I went to the Library of Congress and took a look through all of the Reports to Congress, and with my limited math skills was able to determine that there are over a million former cadets out there. Somewhere. Most of which are still alive and presumably financial stable.
While I assume that a functional AA could serve the development side of the house (imagine a fenced Cadet Endowment Fund in which the earnings were dedicated to CP), but my vision was more focused on force structuring. Identifying former cadets and CP officers and seeking to engage some of them to return to help out units.
Possible scenarios include: Imagine our demographics suggest that we could support a unit in zip code 12345. We might be able to identify a dozen or so alumni in that zip code and ask if they could work with other local CP folks and help cadre or otherwise support a new unit.
Regardless of the plausibility of various development and force structuring scenarios, I have not found a sustainable business model. My hope remains that someone will.
Quote from: Ned on June 10, 2016, 09:56:52 PM
One of my greatest regrets to date is that I have not figured out how to start and grow an Alumni Association.
(I have discovered several ways not to start an AA, however. 8) )
Several years ago I went to the Library of Congress and took a look through all of the Reports to Congress, and with my limited math skills was able to determine that there are over a million former cadets out there. Somewhere. Most of which are still alive and presumably financial stable.
While I assume that a functional AA could serve the development side of the house (imagine a fenced Cadet Endowment Fund in which the earnings were dedicated to CP), but my vision was more focused on force structuring. Identifying former cadets and CP officers and seeking to engage some of them to return to help out units.
Possible scenarios include: Imagine our demographics suggest that we could support a unit in zip code 12345. We might be able to identify a dozen or so alumni in that zip code and ask if they could work with other local CP folks and help cadre or otherwise support a new unit.
Regardless of the plausibility of various development and force structuring scenarios, I have not found a sustainable business model. My hope remains that someone will.
Since NHQ keeps records, wouldn't a list of former members be available, at least dating back to [199X] date?
Quote from: Ned on June 10, 2016, 09:56:52 PM
One of my greatest regrets to date is that I have not figured out how to start and grow an Alumni Association.
(I have discovered several ways not to start an AA, however. 8) )
Several years ago I went to the Library of Congress and took a look through all of the Reports to Congress, and with my limited math skills was able to determine that there are over a million former cadets out there. Somewhere. Most of which are still alive and presumably financial stable.
While I assume that a functional AA could serve the development side of the house (imagine a fenced Cadet Endowment Fund in which the earnings were dedicated to CP), but my vision was more focused on force structuring. Identifying former cadets and CP officers and seeking to engage some of them to return to help out units.
Possible scenarios include: Imagine our demographics suggest that we could support a unit in zip code 12345. We might be able to identify a dozen or so alumni in that zip code and ask if they could work with other local CP folks and help cadre or otherwise support a new unit.
Regardless of the plausibility of various development and force structuring scenarios, I have not found a sustainable business model. My hope remains that someone will.
The PR release by the fund-raising guy stated that 60,000 invitations were sent out. Dunno how many responded. He says a "core".
Quote from: Capt Hatkevich on June 10, 2016, 10:10:37 PM
Quote from: Ned on June 10, 2016, 09:56:52 PM
One of my greatest regrets to date is that I have not figured out how to start and grow an Alumni Association.
(I have discovered several ways not to start an AA, however. 8) )
Several years ago I went to the Library of Congress and took a look through all of the Reports to Congress, and with my limited math skills was able to determine that there are over a million former cadets out there. Somewhere. Most of which are still alive and presumably financial stable.
While I assume that a functional AA could serve the development side of the house (imagine a fenced Cadet Endowment Fund in which the earnings were dedicated to CP), but my vision was more focused on force structuring. Identifying former cadets and CP officers and seeking to engage some of them to return to help out units.
Possible scenarios include: Imagine our demographics suggest that we could support a unit in zip code 12345. We might be able to identify a dozen or so alumni in that zip code and ask if they could work with other local CP folks and help cadre or otherwise support a new unit.
Regardless of the plausibility of various development and force structuring scenarios, I have not found a sustainable business model. My hope remains that someone will.
Since NHQ keeps records, wouldn't a list of former members be available, at least dating back to [199X] date?
The longer members have been out, the less likely their addresses would be current. Possibly this why invites were sent to only 60,000. I don't know if they were to former Cadets or just former Seniors.
The only chance at building a successful AA, IMHO, is to combine our senior "retired" members with such groups as the Spaatz Association (targeting non member Spaatzen), non member Brewer Awardees, and former cadets who enjoyed the program (most senior members become patrons if they don't want to participate actively). The ability to support the organization (CAP) from a financial standpoint, and enjoy the "privileges of membership" (as a CAP AA) must be the foremost point in presentation. Otherwise... same old; same old...
I inquired as to how many alumni were enrolled in th CAP Alumni program. Here's what they said:
We have 2423 alumni of record. While there were more than 337,000 possible, I vetted many based on a simple formula, 5 years as a senior member and left without derogatory information. Cadets were vetted at 6 years membership in CAP. I mailed to 37,000 former members after the vetting and continue to receive cards for membership.
I am still working with the governing body to get the group moving beyond my e –newsletters and the occasional letter I send.
Quote from: FW on June 10, 2016, 11:29:16 PM
The only chance at building a successful AA, IMHO, is to combine our senior "retired" members with such groups as the Spaatz Association (targeting non member Spaatzen), non member Brewer Awardees, and former cadets who enjoyed the program (most senior members become patrons if they don't want to participate actively). The ability to support the organization (CAP) from a financial standpoint, and enjoy the "privileges of membership" (as a CAP AA) must be the foremost point in presentation. Otherwise... same old; same old...
For me, if all an alumni association is looking for is for me to give them money, without benefitting me in some way also I will tell them to pound sand. I am a life member of my Alma Mater AA, but in addition to them doing fund raising on behalf of the school they also offer alumni discounts on certain events and organizations (I can't take advantage of them as I've moved outside the tri-state, but they have them). All I've seen on the CAP Alumni Association so far is how they can benefit us, not how we can benefit them.
Do I understand correctly that the CAP Alumni Association -- such-as-it-is now -- is just people who contribute to the CAP Foundation?
Quote from: RNOfficer on June 13, 2016, 10:01:17 PM
I inquired as to how many alumni were enrolled in th CAP Alumni program. Here's what they said:
We have 2423 alumni of record. While there were more than 337,000 possible, I vetted many based on a simple formula, 5 years as a senior member and left without derogatory information. Cadets were vetted at 6 years membership in CAP. I mailed to 37,000 former members after the vetting and continue to receive cards for membership.
I am still working with the governing body to get the group moving beyond my e –newsletters and the occasional letter I send.
Looks like either they mailed out more, or perhaps they thought 40k sounded better
From the website
In July of 2014, a post card was mailed to more than 40,000 former CAP members. The card simply asked if there was any interest in reuniting with former CAP members through an Alumni Association. The response was great! We now have a core group of interested alumni.
As a former member: It seems whenever you do something that gets your name in print you become a target for fund raisers. When the wife and I get the mail we always check it outside beside the recycle bin. Anything that even looks like a solicitation goes into the bin without opening. Mail we don't recognize we open and read only the first three lines and then either it goes upstairs with us or into the recycle bin. Except for those that send prepaid envelopes. Since those are not charged postage until used, I am always happy to send begger #1s data to begger #2 and so on. I really don't think I am the only person to feel this way, and if former members wanted to support he CAP they would be doing so.
Someone mentioned a card mailed to former members. If such a card came to our house it failed to make it past the recycle bin.
Quote from: Cliff_Chambliss on June 14, 2016, 01:10:12 PM
As a former member: It seems whenever you do something that gets your name in print you become a target for fund raisers. When the wife and I get the mail we always check it outside beside the recycle bin. Anything that even looks like a solicitation goes into the bin without opening. Mail we don't recognize we open and read only the first three lines and then either it goes upstairs with us or into the recycle bin. Except for those that send prepaid envelopes. Since those are not charged postage until used, I am always happy to send begger #1s data to begger #2 and so on. I really don't think I am the only person to feel this way, and if former members wanted to support he CAP they would be doing so.
Someone mentioned a card mailed to former members. If such a card came to our house it failed to make it past the recycle bin.
Slight off topic: Suggest that you use a shredder ahead of the recycle bin. Nothing leaves our house in the trash or recycling with our address on it. I've seen too many instances at work of folks harvesting names and addresses from the trash. Even junk mail.
That plus a locking mailbox are always a good idea.
Ned Lee
Former police detective
Quote from: Ned on June 14, 2016, 03:49:04 PM
Quote from: Cliff_Chambliss on June 14, 2016, 01:10:12 PM
As a former member: It seems whenever you do something that gets your name in print you become a target for fund raisers. When the wife and I get the mail we always check it outside beside the recycle bin. Anything that even looks like a solicitation goes into the bin without opening. Mail we don't recognize we open and read only the first three lines and then either it goes upstairs with us or into the recycle bin. Except for those that send prepaid envelopes. Since those are not charged postage until used, I am always happy to send begger #1s data to begger #2 and so on. I really don't think I am the only person to feel this way, and if former members wanted to support he CAP they would be doing so.
Someone mentioned a card mailed to former members. If such a card came to our house it failed to make it past the recycle bin.
Slight off topic: Suggest that you use a shredder ahead of the recycle bin. Nothing leaves our house in the trash or recycling with our address on it. I've seen too many instances at work of folks harvesting names and addresses from the trash. Even junk mail.
That plus a locking mailbox are always a good idea.
Ned Lee
Former police detective
Locking mailbox is a good idea. Mail theft is getting to be an issue.
If you want to destroy stuff, burning is always an NSA approved option. Put a nice firepit in your yard and enjoy the evening...
Quote from: THRAWN on June 16, 2016, 12:51:23 PM
Quote from: Ned on June 14, 2016, 03:49:04 PM
Quote from: Cliff_Chambliss on June 14, 2016, 01:10:12 PM
As a former member: It seems whenever you do something that gets your name in print you become a target for fund raisers. When the wife and I get the mail we always check it outside beside the recycle bin. Anything that even looks like a solicitation goes into the bin without opening. Mail we don't recognize we open and read only the first three lines and then either it goes upstairs with us or into the recycle bin. Except for those that send prepaid envelopes. Since those are not charged postage until used, I am always happy to send begger #1s data to begger #2 and so on. I really don't think I am the only person to feel this way, and if former members wanted to support he CAP they would be doing so.
Someone mentioned a card mailed to former members. If such a card came to our house it failed to make it past the recycle bin.
Slight off topic: Suggest that you use a shredder ahead of the recycle bin. Nothing leaves our house in the trash or recycling with our address on it. I've seen too many instances at work of folks harvesting names and addresses from the trash. Even junk mail.
That plus a locking mailbox are always a good idea.
Ned Lee
Former police detective
Locking mailbox is a good idea. Mail theft is getting to be an issue.
If you want to destroy stuff, burning is always an NSA approved option. Put a nice firepit in your yard and enjoy the evening...
Shredding non-colored non-glossy paper is also a good compost material.
If you get a shredded paper brick maker, you can also save said shredded paper for some rather epic firestarter material.
Quote from: THRAWN on June 16, 2016, 12:51:23 PM
If you want to destroy stuff, burning is always an NSA approved option. Put a nice firepit in your yard and enjoy the evening...
Eww - kids did this after school year the other day. Most of their stuff was the glossy stuff, smelled like someone
force-fed a skunk licorice and then set it on fire.
Quote from: THRAWN on June 16, 2016, 12:51:23 PM
Quote from: Ned on June 14, 2016, 03:49:04 PM
Quote from: Cliff_Chambliss on June 14, 2016, 01:10:12 PM
As a former member: It seems whenever you do something that gets your name in print you become a target for fund raisers. When the wife and I get the mail we always check it outside beside the recycle bin. Anything that even looks like a solicitation goes into the bin without opening. Mail we don't recognize we open and read only the first three lines and then either it goes upstairs with us or into the recycle bin. Except for those that send prepaid envelopes. Since those are not charged postage until used, I am always happy to send begger #1s data to begger #2 and so on. I really don't think I am the only person to feel this way, and if former members wanted to support he CAP they would be doing so.
Someone mentioned a card mailed to former members. If such a card came to our house it failed to make it past the recycle bin.
Slight off topic: Suggest that you use a shredder ahead of the recycle bin. Nothing leaves our house in the trash or recycling with our address on it. I've seen too many instances at work of folks harvesting names and addresses from the trash. Even junk mail.
That plus a locking mailbox are always a good idea.
Ned Lee
Former police detective
Locking mailbox is a good idea. Mail theft is getting to be an issue.
If you want to destroy stuff, burning is always an NSA approved option. Put a nice firepit in your yard and enjoy the evening...
Instructions unclear. Melted recycling bin.
Quote from: THRAWN on June 16, 2016, 12:51:23 PM
Locking mailbox is a good idea. Mail theft is getting to be an issue.
If you want to destroy stuff, burning is always an NSA approved option. Put a nice firepit in your yard and enjoy the evening...
Not here in California. Open burning has been prohibited for many years. We have a big enough problem with fires already.
Quote from: docsteve on June 14, 2016, 12:08:13 PM
Do I understand correctly that the CAP Alumni Association -- such-as-it-is now -- is just people who contribute to the CAP Foundation?
I'm not sure but I don't believe that it is necessary to donate to the CAP Foundation be recorded as one of the "2423 alumni of record".. However, as I've written, almost all the communication on the alumni webpage regards such donations.
Do "alumni" even really exist in the way being discussed here?
There is no "graduation" from CAP, since there's no top-end to the age of participation,
therefore, anyone who wants to remain affiliated with the organization as a full member
(even if they never show) can do so indefinitely at the tolerance level of the CC they are
assigned to, unlike a school, where if you aren't registered, you can't hang around, thus alumni groups.
The nearest thing to alumni are the Patrons, and they are already writing checks to little benefit for themselves.
Due to the nature of CAP, if you're not carrying an ID card in your wallet of one type or another,
you likely either moved on with life and don't care about CAP enough to give money, or left with a bad
taste in your mouth and won't be writing checks, either.
Quote from: Eclipse on June 20, 2016, 03:13:26 PM
Do "alumni" even really exist in the way being discussed here?
There is no "graduation" from CAP, since there's no top-end to the age of participation,
therefore, anyone who wants to remain affiliated with the organization as a full member
(even if they never show) can do so indefinitely at the tolerance level of the CC they are
assigned to, unlike a school, where if you aren't registered, you can't hang around, thus alumni groups.
Interesting question. I was unable to find any other youth groups, for example, with a significant alumni association. The Scouts, apparently have some smaller organizations (former Eagles, OA types etc.) that more closely resemble our Spaatz association. But even without a formal "BSA Alumni Association," they get good results in terms of money and influence from former Scouts.
The academic alumni association is the most familiar model, and even those vary widely. Small, public schools have alumni associations that struggle. Large elite universities can have significant associations. The service academies have vibrant associations. I met with the folks from the AF Academy association as part of my research.
I was able to find some high school alumni associations, but they tend to struggle even more than collegiate associations.
The one thing I'm pretty sure exists, but was unable to find, is the "Association of Alumni Association Professionals," the trade group for alumni associations. It may be lurking out there, but it is not obvious.
On the positive side, I have had multiple experiences of wandering around some place in uniform and had members of the public come up to me and start gushing about their time as a cadet in the 50's and 60's. And seeking some way to re-engage. So I am fairly confident that there is a market out there of former cadets who would like to re-engage and provide some support. But whether that is large enough to sustain a formal organization is a question I have been unable to answer.
At least yet.
Quote from: Ned on June 20, 2016, 03:59:03 PM
The one thing I'm pretty sure exists, but was unable to find, is the "Association of Alumni Association Professionals," the trade group for alumni associations. It may be lurking out there, but it is not obvious.
http://cammp.org/ (http://cammp.org/)
http://www.absap.org/ (http://www.absap.org/)
https://engagealumni.com/tag/alumni-relations-best-practices/ (https://engagealumni.com/tag/alumni-relations-best-practices/)
https://www.pcuad.org/ (https://www.pcuad.org/)
Thank you, sir. That really helps.
Quote from: Ned on June 20, 2016, 03:59:03 PM
Quote from: Eclipse on June 20, 2016, 03:13:26 PM
Do "alumni" even really exist in the way being discussed here?
There is no "graduation" from CAP, since there's no top-end to the age of participation,
therefore, anyone who wants to remain affiliated with the organization as a full member
(even if they never show) can do so indefinitely at the tolerance level of the CC they are
assigned to, unlike a school, where if you aren't registered, you can't hang around, thus alumni groups.
Interesting question. I was unable to find any other youth groups, for example, with a significant alumni association. The Scouts, apparently have some smaller organizations (former Eagles, OA types etc.) that more closely resemble our Spaatz association. But even without a formal "BSA Alumni Association," they get good results in terms of money and influence from former Scouts.
The academic alumni association is the most familiar model, and even those vary widely. Small, public schools have alumni associations that struggle. Large elite universities can have significant associations. The service academies have vibrant associations. I met with the folks from the AF Academy association as part of my research.
I was able to find some high school alumni associations, but they tend to struggle even more than collegiate associations.
The one thing I'm pretty sure exists, but was unable to find, is the "Association of Alumni Association Professionals," the trade group for alumni associations. It may be lurking out there, but it is not obvious.
On the positive side, I have had multiple experiences of wandering around some place in uniform and had members of the public come up to me and start gushing about their time as a cadet in the 50's and 60's. And seeking some way to re-engage. So I am fairly confident that there is a market out there of former cadets who would like to re-engage and provide some support. But whether that is large enough to sustain a formal organization is a question I have been unable to answer.
At least yet.
It's interesting to note that the very widely used US News and World Report college rankings use
the proportion of alumni donating as a surrogate for student satisfaction in compiling their rankings.
Note, it is not the amount donated that is measured but the proportion of alumni that donate., so the differences in wealth between the alumni of various colleges is not much of a factor. Using a surrogate like this is common in research when data on the actual concept under study is not available.
-
Of course no surrogate is a perfect measure - how effective the alumni association and "development" office are factors that would also influence the giving rate. But this surrogate is better than no measure of student satisfaction at all. The proportion of alumni donating varies from over 60% at a few colleges
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/2015/10/20/10-universities-where-the-most-alumni-donate (http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/2015/10/20/10-universities-where-the-most-alumni-donate)
to the single digits at many others.
I inserted a poll, "Do you donate money to the "CAP Foundation" or plan to make a bequest to it in your will?" to attempt to indirectly measure satisfaction with CAP, but there are too few responses for any meaningful conclusions. Although 323 users viewed the poll, only 21 participated.
Quote from: RNOfficer on June 10, 2016, 09:49:51 PM
I'm afraid you misunderstand. The yearly one-quarter dropout rate includes ALL MEMBERS that do not renew. not just those completing their first and final year. Personally the majority of folks I know who quit put in several or even many years before they decided that they had had enough.
I would propose that those who left the organization because "they decided that they had had enough" are unlikely to give their money to said organization. Perhaps we would be better served using internal resources on trying to keep current members engaged and interested rather then seeking out former members to cajole them for money. After all, these former members know that we exist, if they want to give CAP money, they can find us.
+1
Also, What's the money supposed to be "for"?
Quote from: Alaric on June 21, 2016, 12:33:14 AM
Quote from: RNOfficer on June 10, 2016, 09:49:51 PM
I'm afraid you misunderstand. The yearly one-quarter dropout rate includes ALL MEMBERS that do not renew. not just those completing their first and final year. Personally the majority of folks I know who quit put in several or even many years before they decided that they had had enough.
I would propose that those who left the organization because "they decided that they had had enough" are unlikely to give their money to said organization. Perhaps we would be better served using internal resources on trying to keep current members engaged and interested rather then seeking out former members to cajole them for money. After all, these former members know that we exist, if they want to give CAP money, they can find us.
Yep...
There are a (very) few former members who have looked back at CAP in a good light, and will be happy to donate to the Foundation, however I think it is not a reason to have an Alumni Association. It would be more appropriate to develop continuing contributors who believe in what CAP does, and wish to expand our "reach"; whether former member, current member, or interested individual or corporation.
Quote from: FW on June 21, 2016, 02:45:23 AMor interested individual or corporation.
This is probably the most fertile area - being thanked by those CAP serves.
It needs to get back to doing that better, and then hold out the basket.