Frequently Asked Questions

How much does MyAlumniConnection cost? MyAlumniConnection is free. Really.

What makes MyAlumniConnection special? MyAlumniConnection is a user-friendly application built to help with the management of alumni organizations. Our goal is to make your job as the alumni coordinator easy with a web-based application that's fast, effective, and powerful.

How does MyAlumniConnection work? Once a coordinator creates an alumni group and adds members MyAlumniConnection helps manage that group by keeping track of event dates, event locations, news updates for your group, files uploaded by your members, individual member information and your group's website. To make life even easier, all of this is managed through one main adminstration account where updates, email reminders and more are automatically generated by MyAlumniConnection, leaving you to enjoy more of the fun.

Do I need to download anything to use MyAlumniConnection? No - MyAlumniConnection is entirely web-based.

What does your software offer alumni coordinators when they open an account? Our web-based software offers the ability for the alumni coordinator to manage their alumni group activities from one main location. Once a coordinator signs up for a free account they create an alumni group. They can then add individual alumni members to the group and set up an alumni activity schedule. The activity schedule is then made available to the alumni members. Gone are the days of the coordinator calling all their members to let them know about upcoming activities - now it's all handled automatically for you.

How many alumni groups can a coordinator manage? An account can have as many groups as the coordinator would like to manage.

What is the benefit for MyAlumniConnection group members? Once a member is added to a group an account is automatically created for them. Login information is sent to them. From their account they can update their personal information, communicate with other alumni group members, check the upcoming alumni activity calendar and communicate with other alumni groups. Additionallly, they will receive automatic reminders for events.

How many alumni groups can one alumni member belong to? A member can belong to as many alumni groups as he or she would like. MyAlumniConnection will automatically provide a single account that the member can use to access all of his or her groups at once.

How do automatic email reminders work? Email reminders are sent before every event to all members, at which point members respond with whether or not they can make the event. All of this is done automatically, so that the alumni group leader does not need to expend any additional effort coordinating alumni group activities.

How is MyAlumniConnection different from an email distribution list? MyAlumniConnection saves the back-and-forth banter from clogging your inbox. Alumni members are given all the information they need automatically - leaving any banter for the Forums. Plus, with a web-based calendar, it's easy for team members to see all upcoming events at a glance.

How can I make sure my members get their email? To ensure email messages are received we recommend you send an email asking members to add your email address to their address book. This will keep their spam filters from blocking your messages.

Can I download my schedule? Yes, schedules can be downloaded in vCalendar or iCalendar format for easy integration into most calendar software (Outlook, Palm, Google Calendar, etc).

What information do members receive in the event email that is automatically sent to them?The automatic email that is sent to your members provides them with all of the necessary event details to keep them up-to-date on what's happening, when it's happening and where. Additionally all email messages have a link to confirm whether or not the member will attend the event. If you provide a Zip code with the location of the event, the predicted weather for the event will be included in the email. Also included with every email is a link to the Member Login, so alumni can easily access their schedules, get maps to event locations, review alumni group membership, and post messages in the forum. MyAlumniConnection automatic email stimulates the kind of involvement that strengthens the ties that bind your alumni together.

Why do some images I upload into my account not change? In order to properly use MyAlumniConnection, you need to ensure your browser does not store images and pages in your cache. To fix this you can either choose a for a short-term solution or for a more long-term solution choose option b. a.) Hit the Shift key and click the refresh button on your browser. Do this each time you upload a new image. b.) (Using Internet Explorer) Go to Tools - Internet Options - General, click on the Settings button under Temporary Internet Files, and select the button for "Every visit to the page". You only need to do this once.

How does MyAlumniConnection survive if it's free? We make money when you support our advertisers. If you see banner ads for products or services that interest you, we encourage you to check them out! We also offer a low-cost premium account upgrade that opens up some very beneficial functions (like accepting event payments, sharing management functions with group members, and additional file storage space). With automated online event payments (you can have group members pay to attend events or open events up to the public for open registration), we charge only $1 per transaction plus any applicable payment processing fees (usually below 3%) to event attendees as a convenience fee.

How do I advertise on MyAlumniConnection and to MyAlumniConnection members? Simply send us an email at sales@MyAlumniConnection.com and let us know what you would like to advertise, and who you would like to advertise to.

Why do all accounts require a password to log in? MyAlumniConnection is dedicated to protecting the privacy of the members on each team. Your personal information is only available to people on your team.

What is Outreach? Outreach is an area in the MyAlumniConnection Forum that allows members of one alumni group to send messages to members of another alumni group. All Outreach communications are kept in one location in the Forum. You can search for other alumni groups, post messages, and respond to any other group's Outreach folder.

Which web browsers can I use with MyAlumniConnection? MyAlumniConnection has been tested with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and 7 (it works much better with IE7 and we strongly recommend the upgrade to IE7), Firefox 1.5, and Apple Safari 2.0. Be sure you have the latest version of your web browser, as MyAlumniConnection uses cutting edge technology to bring you state-of-the-art group management. For the best user experience, we strongly recommend your screen resolution be at least 1024 pixels wide.

What is your privacy policy and how do you safeguard the information stored in the MyAlumniConnection account? First, we will never sell, distribute, or share any specific personal information about you or your team without asking your permission FIRST (and no, we won't bury that permission in fine print). Secondly, we realize that your personal information should be kept that way and have endeavored to create the most secure system, with state of the art firewall protection and very restricted access. Lastly, we will always communicate with registered team leaders when we have major upgrades or maintenance being done to the system. All members of MyAlumniConnection can elect to be on our mailing list.

Sign up for an account and see for yourself how MyAlumniConnection can help your alumni group!