Class Membership Mailings - Alumni - Cornell University

Dear Class Leader,
1
Alumni Affairs
Cornell University
130 E. Seneca Street, Suite 400
Ithaca, New York 14850-4353
t. 607.255.1988
f. 607.255.7533
e. caco@cornell.edu
www.alumni.cornell.edu/caco
I hope this letter finds you and your family well. I’m writing to you today about one of my favorite
topics (and probably yours) -- membership mailing plan selection! Okay, maybe it’s not one of
your favorite topics, but given the importance of membership mailings, now’s the best time to start
planning to maximize results for your class this year.
Your class dues payers provide direct support for the communications, programs, scholarships
and other activities of your class. From a broader perspective, it’s important to remember how vital
class membership is to the success of Cornell as a whole. Alumni participation is a crucial part of the
University’s ability to sustain existing programs and implement new initiatives. Class membership
is a key part of cultivating alumni interest and provides a tangible way for people to feel personally
connected to Cornell’s past, present, and future. When you encourage classmates to become dues
paying members, you’re asking them to stand up and identify themselves as alumni who are proud to
be Cornellians and have a stake in our University’s future.
Since we know this is a busy time of year for everyone, we’ve made the creation of a winning
plan as simple as possible. Building on last year’s popularity and success, you’ll find the most recent
edition of the Ezra Plan in the 2011 Guidelines and Templates booklet. The Ezra Plan remains the
easiest and most attractive way to reconnect your classmates and the University. Among the benefits
of this year’s Ezra Plan is an option to utilize a special tip-on for the Cornell Alumni Magazine
which has been designed to help minimize the number of classmates who forget to renew their
memberships.
We’ve also made your job easier by highlighting the Cornell Class Dues Payer Rewards Program –
a whole group of discounts and benefits your classmates will receive just for paying their Class Dues!
Be sure to check them out on the website www.alumni.cornell.edu/classes.
Not sure where to begin? Don’t worry. There’s lots of help available. One of the strongest
determinants of class membership cycle success is the punctuality and regularity of your mailings.
Your class contact and the membership staff in Alumni Affairs, your CACO Board representative, and
your fellow class officers are all sources of support, which can help you plan a timely and effective
set of mailings. You may also visit the CACO website at http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/caco/
membership.cfm to view the Ezra Plan online. Remember, the sooner you return your plan to Alumni
Affairs, the more prompt your mailings will be.
The annual selection of your class membership plan is an exciting time to revitalize the energy
of your class and open the lines of communication. Now is the time to set the stage for a productive
and active year. On behalf of the CACO Board, I want to thank you for your efforts on behalf of the
University and for your attention to this important initiative.
With warm regards,
Nathan Connell ’01
Vice President of Membership, CACO Board