The notes below come from the Bonner Alumni strategy session.  This session was held at the 2010 Fall Directors' Meeting (November 7-9, 2010).  These notes will also be added to the Bonner Initiatives Wiki, where volunteers for this initiative will be invited to contribute on various next steps.

Bonner Alumni Network

These notes include:

• List of Participants
• Long-Term Outcome 
• Potential Objectives/Activities
• Individual Volunteer Roles
• Next Steps (to be fleshed out)

Participants

Participants in the 2010 Fall Meeting dialogue included: 

• Michael Richardson,Program Associate, Bonner Foundation (please e-mail mrichardson@bonner.org for more information and to join the workgroup) 
• Derric M Watson, Director of Service Learning & Career Development Center, Earlham College, Richmon, IN (watsode@earlham.edu) 
• Matt Cheney, Bonner Scholars Program Coordinator, Carson Newman Bonner Center, Carson Newman College, Jefferson City, TN (mcheney@cn.edu) 
• Cherise Mingus, Graduate Assistant for Career Services and Bonner Leaders, LIndsey Wilson College College, Columbia, KY (mingusc@lindsey.edu) 
• Maria De La Cruz, Democracy Project Fellow Budget and Finance, Bonner Centre for Civic & Community Engagement, Ewing, NJ (delacrum@tcnj.edu) 
• James Shield, Director of Community Learning, Career & Community Learning, Guilford College, Greensboro NC (jshields@guilford.edu) 
• Cindy Frost, Program Coordinator, Lifeworks, Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, NC (cfrost@mhc.edu) 
• Brittany Aydelotte, Democracy Project Fellow, Bonner Community Scholars and Education Coordinator, Bonner Centre for Civic & Community Engagement, NJ (brittaydelotte@gmail.com)

Long-Term Outcome 

In defining our work, we discussed the following potential outcomes.  The first is an ambitious long-term vision.  

Long-term visionary outcome:

• The purpose and vision for building a Bonner Alumni Network is so that we can create a professional network among Bonner Alumni and to utilize their resources to connect with current Bonner students through professional development, service and civic engagement.  Our outcomes are to:  
• Provide career pathways for current Bonner Students
• Continue the Bonner Service movement from undergrad and beyond
• Have alumni take on a mentor role with current students
• Have Alumni be a resource for current Bonner School programming

Potential Objectives/Activities

1. Develop Alumni Mentoring Programs

• Bonner Programs will pilot an alumni mentoring program.
• Survey network on their current alumni relationships/models and activities.
• Promote and coordinate alumni committees within Bonner programs 

2.  Coordinate Service Opportunities 

• Alumni serve in the interview process for Bonner prospects.
• Organize alumni around existing service projects (national day of service events)
• Integrate Alumni into current program activities
• Borrow National Version of Hands-on volunteer database clearinghouse (RESOURCE) 

3.  Pilot Alumni Chapters

• Research Chapter Models 
• Coordinate one day interest/kick off events for Alumni participation in chapters
• Pilot 5 chapters by SLI
• Identify Alumni Leadership Regionally who could establish and sustain a chapter

     4.  Establish A Professional Network

• Host Regional Alumni Functions
• Have an alumni track at SLI 
• Create a Bonner Speaker's Bureau
• Post Career Opportunities

     5.  Develop Communication Tools

• Create a National Searchable Alumni Database
• Utilize the Alumni wiki and LinkedIn page
• Create a Alumni Facebook page 

Individual Volunteer Roles

Several individuals in the strategy meeting volunteered to take on additional roles.

• Brittany Aydelotte,—would like to work on coordinating and hosting an alumni kick off event for the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York areas.
• Maria De La Cruz— would like to work on coordinating and hosting an alumni kick off event for the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York areas.
• Matt Cheney—would like coordinate and pilot a Alumni Mentoring program at Carson Newman College with his group of students that make up their alumni board.

Next Steps and Tasks to Do

Foundation staff (Michael in particular) will flesh out and document resources and examples for each of the above major objectives (Mentoring Program, Service Opportunities, Alumni Chapters, Professional Network, Communication Tools)

• Conduct some one-to-one interviews with relevant team members and others in the network
• Document current resources and practices
• Possible Survey to the network

From this, we will schedule relevant conference calls with sub-teams on specific areas:

• Coordinating Alumni Kick off events
• Discussing details around piloting alumni mentoring programs