CAMMP Handbook 2019

NEWCOMERS HANDBOOK

MARKETING ALUMNI

SPONSORSHIPS EVENTS

PLAY HARD INDEPENDENT

PROFESSIONALS

CONFERENCES PARTNERSHIPS

WORK HARD ENGAGEMENT

INNOVATIVE ENRICHING FUN

COMMITTEES UNIVERSITIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAMMP OVERVIEW & HISTORY ........................................................................ 2
• What is CAMMP?
• How it started
• In their own words
PHILOSOPHY/ETIQUETTE................................................................................ 3
ANNUAL CAMMP CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION ................................................ 4
CAMMP BOARD OF DIRECTORS ........................................................................ 5
• Mission
• Officers
• Elections
CAMMP COMMITTEES .................................................................................... 6
• Committee descriptions
CURRENT MEMBER SCHOOLS ......................................................................... 7
SPONSORS ................................................................................................... 8
CAMMP LINGO ............................................................................................... 9
• Common terms and definitions

NEWCOMERS HANDBOOK

CAMMP OVERVIEW & HISTORY

What is CAMMP?
CAMMP stands for Council of Alumni Marketing and Membership Professionals.

Members of CAMMP include the best and the brightest alumni professionals in the business that strive to
maintain a network that together will raise the national profile, reach and impact of alumni associations.

Each year, members of CAMMP gather for a conference that is hosted by one of our members at their
respective school. Additionally, members of CAMMP are constantly communicating through our very active
listserv. Here, members share ideas, successes, ask for guidance and benchmark programs.

How it started (the suitable for work version):
The Council of Alumni Marketing and Membership Professionals (CAMMP) was founded in 1997. It began as
a small group of like-minded alumni specialists that were in need of a networking organization that focused
on the specific needs of those responsible for membership and marketing. Today this organization includes
professionals from more than 300 alumni associations across the country.

In their own words:
“I remember well where CAMMP was conceived, as it emerged from the West Coast Marketing Group
(WCMG). Jana Sestili (NC State at the time), Robb Stanek (GT) and myself were sitting together at lunch
during a WCMG meeting at UC Irvine, in ‘96 I believe. Our bosses had sent us (to the conference) because
info about WCMG had been communicated through CAAE (Council of Alumni Association Executives). There
were a handful of vendors present along with a few “non-west coasters,” though I don’t recall any others that
remained active. We discussed how valuable the get together was for west coast associations. We were all
FIRST USA partners, so we had that in common as well. During that lunch, Rob and I challenged Jana to host
a similar meeting that next summer in Raleigh. Rob and I offered to manage the curriculum/programming if
she would take care of lodging. It was a small group that first year, but we bonded quickly and the group took
on a life of its own. Jon Cannon eventually took the lead on creating a listserv. Jodi’s school-colored M&Ms
in jars were a hit and everyone appreciated Matt Watkins’ stuffed tiger from Clemson. We weren’t formally
organized for two or three years, but needed some structure as vendors were banging on the door to get in.”

Curt Langford, VP of Collegiate Market Development, Balfour
(1996 Director of Marketing, Texas Tech Alumni Association)

“The vote to incorporate happened when UConn hosted in 2004. We spent that year writing bylaws and
a Certificate of Incorporation and CAMMP Inc. was established in 2005. I recall that there were a few
CAMMPers who were not allowed to vote in favor of incorporating because their bosses (a good old boys
network) told them not to. I got a call from my boss before the vote saying that one of the old boys called him
and said ‘control your gal.’ It was an interesting time.”

Jodi Kaplan, Senior Director, Alumni Relations, UConn Alumni Association
2

PHILOSOPHY/ETIQUETTE

“Work hard, play hard.”
At the CAMMP conference, this work ethic is honed to its finest form. CAMMPers work hard during the
conference business hours, but know how to play after hours as well! Many a CAMMPer has commented
that they learn as much from the after-hours sessions as they do the structured daily schedule of meetings.
So, take advantage of the after-hours sessions! Just make sure you’re up and ready for the next morning’s
session. You don’t want to miss a thing!

“What happens at CAMMP (or on the CAMMP listserv), stays at CAMMP.”
This is most important philosophy a CAMMPer should embrace. Confidentiality is essential, both at the
conference and on the listserv.

The openness you will find with your CAMMP peers is amazing. Members share ideas, help each other and
look out for the best interest of fellow CAMMPers. The relationships you build are far more valuable than any
other resource in the industry. As professionals looking to succeed while avoiding any pitfalls, we discuss
best practices, vendor relations and other areas that can be challenging if we all don’t agree to the utmost
of privacy. We all learn better when we can be candid. Think about it. Who wants to share the facts if they
know their specific situation could cause challenges to their professional relationships? This statement
of confidentiality is not limited to vendors. It includes anyone that is not a member of CAMMP – yep, your
executive director, too!

The CAMMP listserv is a great resource for members. Here, members exchange ideas, share successes, ask
for guidance and benchmark programs. CAMMPers also discuss vendors, their services and experiences
dealing with them. Make sure you participate and share examples of what has and has not worked for you.
Everyone has some insight to offer to help a peer.

Confidentiality on the listserv is also of vital importance. If you think something on the listserv would help
enlighten a team you work with, personally ask the person who posted if they mind you sharing. Make
sure they are OK with it before you share. Please do not forward any listserv emails or content without the
permission of the original poster.

CAMMP values diversity, equity and inclusion and is committed to making reasonable efforts to initiate,
expand, and strengthen alumni activities that leverage the diversity of our community to benefit the
constituencies we serve.

3

CAMMP CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION

YEAR LOCATION PARTICIPANTS SPONSORS

1997 North Carolina State 25 4

1998 Georgia Tech 35 11

1999 William & Mary 33 15

2000 University of New Hampshire 48 19

2001 University of Virginia 51 26

2002 Penn State University 62 26

2003 University of Florida 71 32

2004 University of Connecticut 82 35

2005 The Ohio State University 105 37

2006 Florida State University 117 38

2007 University of Illinois 131 44

2008 University of Pittsburgh 144 45

2009 Kansas State University 79 33

2010 West Virginia University 103 46

2011 Arizona State University 125 44

2012 University of Central Florida 138 46

2013 Virginia Tech 117 43

2014 Iowa State University 122 48

2015 Memphis University 137 49

2016 University of Nebraska 131 54

2017 University of Colorado Boulder 133 57

2018 Oklahoma State University 125 48

4

CAMMP BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mission
The mission of the Board of Directors is to protect the principles upon which CAMMP was founded, ensure
the future viability and growth of our organization, and enhance the opportunities so that members of
CAMMP continue to succeed.

Officers
There are seven members of the CAMMP Board of Directors. Five are elected by the CAMMP membership
for staggered, two-year terms with a three-consecutive term maximum. These are voting members of the
Board, meaning they are eligible to vote on any issues brought before the Board related to the CAMMP
organization and the CAMMP conference. These five elected positions are:
• President – Manages CAMMP Board of Directors, approves CAMMP projects, assigns CAMMP Board

positions, leads monthly Board meetings and leads the business meeting at the annual conference.
• Vice President, Technology – Oversees the CAMMP website and social media accounts.
• Vice President, Membership – Reviews and approves all membership requests and oversees the

CAMMP Google Group.
• Secretary – Records and reviews notes at all monthly Board meetings and at the CAMMP business

meeting held at the annual conference.
• Treasurer – Manages all financial responsibilities for CAMMP, including approving conference

expenses, handling use of the CAMMP credit card, overseeing all CAMMP financial accounts and
submitting yearly taxes.
Two additional positions round out the CAMMP Board and are non-voting positions. These are:
• Immediate Past President – Serves for one year as an advising member of the Board.
• Ex-Officio, Conference Host – Serves during the one year his/her institution is hosting the annual
CAMMP Conference.

Elections
Nominations and elections of Board members take place at the annual conference. Any member of CAMMP
may nominate another member for the Board. All nominees who accept a nomination will give a short
speech to all CAMMP members in attendance at the CAMMP business meeting. Voting will take place
immediately after, in ballot format. You must be present at the conference to vote and a maximum of only
three voters per institution will be allowed. If you have more than three members from your institution in
attendance, you must pick three to represent the vote. Each member may cast only as many votes as there
are open Board positions and is entitled to only one vote per nominee. Newly elected Board members will be
announced before the end of the annual conference.

5

CAMMP COMMITTEES

There are currently five active CAMMP committees:
Programming | Sponsorship | Newcomers | Technology | Scholarship

Committees are chaired by either one or two members of CAMMP, and meet via phone, several times
throughout the year. Committee Chairs are responsible for providing progress and deliverable reports to the
CAMMP Board of Directors during monthly Board calls. CAMMP members may volunteer to serve on any of
the committees. Occasionally, the CAMMP Board and/or committee co-chairs will recommend and request
members to serve on certain committees based on their skills, professional background, experience and
expertise related to a certain topic. For example, CAMMP members who deal with sponsorship and affinity
partnership in their day-to-day alumni association duties may be asked to serve on the CAMMP Sponsorship
Committee. Serving on a CAMMP committee is a great way to become more involved in the organization.
Committee members often become committee chairs and many even go on to serve on the CAMMP Board
of Directors.

Programming Committee
This committee oversees the program/session topics and presenters for the annual conference. Duties
include surveying the CAMMP membership on topics of interest, recommending and selecting session
topics, recruiting and communicating with presenters during the months leading up to the conference and
introducing presenters at the conference.

Sponsorship Committee
This committee is responsible for sponsorship sales and acquisition for the annual conference. Members are
active for several months leading up to the conference. Duties include designing and producing sponsorship
sales materials, communicating with a large list of past conference sponsors and new sponsor prospects,
communicating important conference information and logistics to registered sponsors, assisting the
conference host staff with on-site sponsor logistics and acting as liaisons between the conference host and
the sponsors.

Newcomers Committee
The goal of this committee is to create tools and implement activities to help new CAMMP members feel
acclimated and welcomed to the CAMMP organization and the CAMMP conference environment. They are
tasked with helping new members meet and bond with fellow CAMMPers both socially and professionally
and do so through a mentor/mentee program and various conference activities. This committee also leads
the Orientation session at the beginning of the annual conference.

Technology Committee
Under the direction and guidance of the CAMMP Vice President, this committee advises on issues related to
the CAMMP website, listserv and social media. They evaluate the latest technological products, services and
trends, and make recommendations that will keep the CAMMP organization moving forward in this area.

Scholarship Committee
This committee oversees the new conference scholarship program. Duties include soliciting scholarship
applications from the CAMMP membership, reviewing and scoring the applications against a predetermined
rubric, making scholarship recipient recommendations to the Board, and facilitating the recipients’
reimbursements for applicable conference expenses.

6

CURRENT MEMBER SCHOOLS

Arizona State University Langara College University at Buffalo
Arkansas State University Liberty University University of Alabama at Birmingham
Arkansas Tech University Louisiana State University University of Arizona
Auburn University Meredith College University of Arkansas
Baruch College Miami Dade College University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
Berry College Minnesota State University Moorhead University of Arkansas – Monticello 
Binghamton University Mississippi State University University of Arkansas – Pulaski
Bridgewater State University Montana State University
Buffalo State College Morningside College Technical College
California State University – Fresno New York University University of California Berkeley
California State University Chico Niagara University  University of California Davis
California State University Los Angeles Nicholls State University University of California Irvine
California State University Northridge North Carolina State University University of California Riverside
California State University San Bernardino Northeastern State University University of California Santa Barbara
California State University San Marcos Northern Illinois University University of Central Arkansas
Central Michigan University Northern Michigan University University of Central Florida
Central Washington University Ohio University University of Central Oklahoma
Chicago State University Oklahoma State University University of Cincinnati
Chico State University Oregon State University University of Colorado Boulder
Christian Brothers University Palo Alto University  University of Connecticut
Clayton State University Pennsylvania State University University of Delaware
Clemson University Portland State University University of Florida
College of Wooster Post University  University of Hawai’i
Colorado State University Purdue University University of Helsinki
Colorado State University – Pueblo Radford University University of Idaho 
Columbia College Regis University University of Illinois
Columbia University Rochester Institute of Technology University of Iowa
Concordia University Nebraska Rogers State University University of Kansas
East Carolina University Rutgers University University of Louisville
East Tennessee State Saginaw Valley State University University of Maryland
Eastern Illinois University Sam Houston State University University of Massachusetts Amherst
Felician University San Diego State University University of Memphis
Florida Gulf Coast University San Jose State University  University of Miami
Florida International University Soka University of America University of Michigan
Florida SouthWestern State College South Plains College University of Minnesota
Florida State University Southeastern Louisiana University University of Mississippi
Fort Hays State University Southern Illinois University Carbondale University of Missouri
Francis Marion University  St. John’s University University of Missouri – Kansas City
Fresno State University Stanford University University of Nebraska
George Mason University Stephen F. Austin State University University of Nebraska at Kearney
Georgetown University  Stony Brook University University of Nevada – Las Vegas
Georgia State University Texas A&M University University of Nevada – Reno
Gustavus Adolphus College Texas Christian University University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Howard University Texas State University University of Texas San Antonio 
Indiana State University Texas Tech University Valencia College
Indiana University The Citadel  Washburn University 
Iowa State University The City College of New York Wayne County Community College
James Madison University Thunderbird School of Global Management West Virginia University
Kansas State University United States Air Force Academy
Keiser University United States Coast Guard Academy
Kent State University United States International University
Lake Superior State University
– Africa 

7

SPONSORS

CAMMP welcomes conference sponsorship from companies and organizations who wish to showcase their
products and services while receiving the opportunity to network with marketing directors, managers and
more representing more than 130 alumni associations from across the country.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Sponsors fund the conference:
Sponsorships help offset conference costs while providing access opportunities. Through their investment,
CAMMP is able to provide a quality experience without charging attendees a registration fee.
They receive guaranteed access to YOU:
Through sponsorships they gain access to approximately 160 representatives of alumni associations across
the country. Their access includes the opportunity to send a pre- or post-conference email or direct mailing
to attendees.
Activities with attendees at the conference:
Sponsor Introductions
Sponsor Visits
Sponsor dinner – sponsors are invited to participate in one selected dinner out of the conference
After hours events (optional)
Conference attendees are expected to be an accessible audience for sponsors. That includes
remaining present and attentive through all sponsor introductions and visiting each and every sponsor
booth during sponsor visits.

8

CAMMP LINGO

Affinity Partnerships: Formal agreements with select vendors in order to provide value to alumni on various
products and services while generating additional revenue to support the association’s programs. Common
categories represented by affinity partnerships include insurance and financial products.

Betty Letter: A powerful “I noticed you haven’t renewed” message from a face & name representing the
alumni association (the “Betty”). Often includes a head shot of the Betty and is signed by her.

Confidentiality: We discuss (very frankly) the good, the bad and the ugly concerning all matters pertaining
to our business. It is important that this type of information stays within the group.

Dependent Association: Describes alumni associations that receive all funding from institutions or
affiliated foundations.

Dues Model: Membership dues provide the primary source of funding for the association.
Independent Association: Describes alumni associations that are a separate 501(c)(3) and operate with little
or no institutional investment.

In-kind: Sponsorship fee of merchandise or services, not cash.

Instapoll: Term used in a listserv message subject line to indicate a quick, easy question(s) for CAMMP
members to answer.

Interdependent Association: Describes alumni associations that are provided some level of funding from
institutions or affiliated foundations to offset the loss of dues revenues and allow open membership for all
graduates.

Listserv: The CAMMP electronic mailing list where an individual can send one message to all listserv
subscribers. The active listserv is where members share ideas, successes, ask for guidance and benchmark
programs. The listserv archives offer a treasure trove of years of messages for members to search. Located
at: http://list.uff.ufl.edu

Non-Dues Model: Other areas of funding are in place to sustain association business; memberships are not
sold.

Open-Membership Model: All alumni are considered members of the association.

9

CAMMP LINGO (C0NTINUED)

Recovery (Membership): A term used to describe the period of time following a membership paid through
date when the membership has lapsed and the association reaches out to incite the member to reenact
their membership.
Renewal (Membership): A term used to describe the period of time leading up to the membership paid
through date when the association reaches out to incite the member to renew or extend their membership.
Retention (Membership): A term used to describe the period of time and efforts used to communicate and
build an affinity with a member so they have a greater propensity to take a desired action (renew, upgrade,
make a gift, etc.)
RFP: Request for proposal.
Sponsorship: A cash and/or in-kind fee paid to an alumni association in return for access to an audience,
brand elevation opportunities, etc.
SAA: Student Alumni Association.
UBIT: Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code is the tax on unrelated
business income, which comes from an activity engaged in by a tax-exempt 26 USCA 501 organization that
is not related to the tax-exempt purpose of that organization.
“Work Hard…Play Hard” mentality: The expectation that no matter how late you are out at night, you are
in your seats and ready for the first session the next day at the CAMMP conference.

NEWCOMERS HANDBOOK