Athletic, Social & Celebratory 
Being creative with varying your programming helps get more people involved with the club or affiliate and works to keep them engaged. The Alumni Association recommends hosting events that help alumni to connect, socialize, and celebrate U-M and our shared experiences, including social, athletic, and heritage month events. Here are some examples of typical club events: 
• U-M game-watching parties 
• Heritage month celebrations 
• Group outings 
• Club recreational team sponsorship 
• Sport tournaments 
• Hikes 
• Bowling 
• Holiday parties
• Happy hours 
• Family-friendly events such as picnics and zoo outings 
• Lunches and dinners 
• Young alumni and senior alumni events

Community Service 
Giving back to the community and supporting local alumni and students is central to our mission. Here are some examples of typical community service opportunities: 
• Food banks and soup kitchens 
• Food and donation drives 
• Homeless shelters 
• Building projects (e.g., Habitat for Humanity) 
• Environmental clean-ups 
• Walk-a-thons

Michigan Alumni Community Service Day 
Historically, as the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campus communities prepare for commencement each year, alumni all over the country commemorate their own academic achievements at U-M by planning community service projects in their communities. The Association suggests that you schedule your community service project near spring commencement, usually April through May. Presidents will receive an email reminder every year asking clubs and affiliates to participate.

Career & Networking 
Career events provide a foundation to bring our alums together. Each event is an opportunity to promote and reinforce the power of the U-M network. Here are some examples of typical career events: 
• Facilitated networking events 
• Job skills workshops, including HR professionals or other career-oriented speakers 
• Alumni mentoring events 
• Speed-networking breakfasts or happy hours

Fundraising 
Oftentimes, events include a fundraising aspect to support the club or affiliate’s scholarship fund(s). Clubs and affiliates hosting fundraising events may have a portion of the event fee benefit the scholarship fund. If a fee is required to attend, that portion is not tax-deductible. You may have optional donations attached to a paid or free event. Since those donations are optional, they are considered tax deductible and will receive a receipt from the University. The Alumni Association will send those donations directly to financial aid. Donations are not subject to the 2 percent credit card fee.

Student Events
Student-Focused Student events are a great way to get to know current students and future alumni that may be looking to engage with other alumni post-graduation. Some common types of student engagement opportunities include:
• Identifying a club leader to act as a liaison to the Alumni Student Recruitment (ASR) program. Additional club members may also join ASR to assist in recruiting, including adopting local high schools and attending area college fairs, at the request of U-M. 
• Hosting a spring reception, prior to the May 1 undergraduate enrollment deadline, for high school students admitted to U-M. 
• Hosting a student send-off event in late July or August. 
• Mentoring events for U-M students. 
• Hosting student organizations or interns that visit your club’s area. Examples include Alternative Spring Break through the Ginsberg Center, student performance groups such as the glee club or SMTD doing a nationwide tour, etc. 
• Promoting and attending games, matches, and tournaments in your area featuring U-M’s Olympic/nonrevenue athletic teams. 
• Hosting an annual welcome event each fall for alumni who recently moved to the club’s area, including recent graduates and transplants. You may even find newcomers who are interested in volunteering for your club. Affiliates should consider hosting an information session.

Lifelong Learning Events 
For U-M alumni, learning never ends. We recommend that clubs and affiliates host events that educate and enrich alumni in their area. Here are some examples of typical lifelong learning events: 
• Docent-led museum tours 
• Music or theater outings 
• Cooking and art classes 
• Book or podcast clubs 
• Lectures regarding the arts, sciences, U-M history and other subjects