Sponsorships | Alumni Association of the University of Michigan                            

The Association is selective in considering who it will be aligned with at both the national level and the local level. In soliciting and negotiating with potential sponsors, clubs should be mindful that sponsorships are a reflection on the Association's brand, not merely the club's brand.

Evaluation of Potential Sponsors

If you have questions regarding the permissibility of a particular agreement or the validity of a particular request from a potential sponsor, please contact the Engagement Team. Vendors and U-M alumni frequently ask a club to sell or promote on their behalf, sometimes with an offer to donate certain proceeds to the club's scholarship fund. The Association can evaluate these inquiries, but a good rule of thumb is if the Association hasn't told you about an offer or product, we probably are not endorsing it.

Sponsorship Agreements

If your club sees fit to establish an agreement with a sponsor (e.g., a restaurant or bar for purposes of game-watching parties; a corporate sponsor for a particular high-profile event), it is important that you memorialize the agreement in writing. In particular, the written agreement should enumerate the tangible and intangible benefits to be received by the sponsor (e.g., promotion in club's listserv messages, an information table and/or signage at the event, an opportunity to give a commercial pitch at the event, etc.) and the costs to the sponsor, including when and how the sponsor will pay your club. 

Alumni Contact Information

Clubs should never share alumni contact information or other personal data to sponsors.