Posts Tagged ‘organization’

Getting the most out of your Fraternity chapter dues

06/20/2011

StarGuest blog post written by Kyle Koelbel, Arizona State University graduate and Educational Leadership Consultant for Sigma Pi, a leading men’s Fraternity.

We always want more money to operate with. We always want to see our money working for us, and we want to get the most out of our money. Yet in the fraternal world, too many chapter members don’t see their dues going as far as they could, and too many men decide not to join due to the upfront cost of the fraternal experience. They lack an understanding as to the return on their investment that they could see.

As it is with all aspects of a fraternity, a chapter’s success starts and ends with its membership. Sometimes, we lose out on a great opportunity for the quality men that we always preach about because we’re too focused on the dollar sign. We lose men in two ways; one is by providing insufficient information to our potential members and their parents in the beginning and the other through a lack of programming. What can we do differently?

List fees during recruitment

If you were to look at the recruitment materials produced by your chapter and your chapter website, would you find a complete breakout of fees and dues that are required of members? For most of you, the answer is no. Why does membership cost have to be a secret? We continuously lose men during their new member process and just prior to initiation because they did not know how high the cost was going to be. Why can’t we be honest about dues in the beginning?

Choose your leadership wisely

The men leading your chapter are the ones that people look up to and answer questions to potentials and their parents. They set the tone for how the chapter will operate for the upcoming term. Taking the time during elections to listen to each candidate, ask questions and make educated votes as to who those men will be are crucial to your chapter’s success. Too many times during an election, men run unopposed, they have short speeches and are asked no questions about their knowledge of the position. There is focus on what they will work to accomplish if they are to be elected. How does electing a treasurer with no idea of where the chapter could improve on its spending help the chapter? Just because a brother is a Finance major does not mean he has the drive and determination to complete the duties of his office to the extent the chapter needs.

Accept advice from alumni

Yes, a member’s time as an elected leader for their Chapter is a learning experience, one that will help them for years after they leave college. But it does not mean that it must be a time of reinvention. There are always alumni who are willing to help, provide insight, and double check what is being done to ensure that the direction the chapter is going is a positive one. While your chapter may not have a direct alumni advisor for a position, the fraternity HQ employ alumni members to provide that support and guidance when necessary.

If we work on these simple steps, we can begin to see our dues work for the brotherhood in ways we did not know were possible. Let’s get to work!

Kyle Koelbel is from Denver, Colorado. He attended Arizona State University where he studied Urban Planning. His experience in fraternity finances comes from being President of a 120 man chapter and overseeing a $350,000 annual budget for his Chapter at Arizona State as well as serving as the treasurer for the ASU IFC and its $80,000 budget. He is currently working as an Educational Leadership Consultant for Sigma Pi.

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Trying to win Greek elections? Here’s 4 tips to help you win!

06/15/2011

StarGuest blog post written by Janelle Schroeder, graduate student advisory board member of Northwestern University. 

As someone who spent four years immersed in the Greek community, I was lucky enough to work my way through winning major elections. Social chairman and communications chairman were my biggest achievements, but I also served in a handful of smaller elected positions.  I’ve been the one making decisions about who would lead my chapter after our impending departure as the big kids on campus.  Winning Greek elections is incredibly satisfying, but it’s also a science.  Here are a few tips if you want to win a prized spot on your chapter’s executive board.

  1. Be Honest.  Even in the days before the Internet, people snooped.  Facebook and Google just make it that much easier.  If you weren’t student body president in high school, don’t lie and say you were because you think it’s what the board wants to hear.  Think of Greek elections as having the same vetting process as presidential elections.  People can and will check you out.  A 30-second online search will make or break your chances of getting elected, and getting caught in a lie proves you’re not trustworthy.  No matter what, honesty is the best policy.
  2. Befriend your elders.  No matter how you think your chapter works, the age hierarchy plays a big role in elections.  Not only do upperclassmen often give their recommendations for positions they’re vacating, but younger members take cues from older members.  Now, I’m not saying to alienate your pledge class, because those people will always be with you, but getting to closely know a few upperclassmen will go a long way.  Start with your big bro or big sis and a few of their close friends.
  3. Start small.  If your goal is to be your chapter’s president by your senior year, start campaigning now.  I don’t mean let everyone know that is your ultimate goal, but start showing interest.  In the first eligible election cycle, run for a smaller position.  If you prove yourself worthy, it’s easier to move up the ranks as the years go by.  Don’t expect to become president if you’ve never led your chapter in any capacity.  The state of your sorority or fraternity is too important to be led by an executive board rookie.
  4. Fear Facebook.  You’ve heard it a million times, but watch what shows up on your Facebook account.  You might think those party pictures are funny, and want to share them with your friends for a good laugh, but think twice.  Those pictures are a reflection of not only you, but of your chapter.  Even if you think your pictures are tame, go back and delete unflattering content.  Ask friends to delete questionable photos of you as well.  Even if they think you’re being paranoid, they’ll thank you later.

Don’t let Greek elections scare you.  It’s a great time to get to know yourself in terms of your strengths and abilities, and demonstrate those to your chapter as well.  Don’t decide not to run because you are worried about losing.  As cliché as is sounds, you won’t succeed if you don’t try.

Janelle was a four-year member of Pi Beta Phi at Pepperdine University, helping her chapter win multiple school and national awards.  After graduating with a public relations degree, she worked in marketing for five years before returning to school.  She is now a graduate student at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.  Janelle couldn’t get her Greek past out of her system, and now serves on the graduate student advisory council.

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Fraternities are seeing results with Billhighway

05/25/2011

Over the last few months, we’ve started noticing a trend in the Greek world of men’s organizations moving toward using an organized system to manage their finances rather than manual processes that vary across each chapter.

At Billhighway, we’ve seen a steady increase in signups from men’s Greek organizations, both at the chapter level and headquarter level. So what does this tell us?

“Men’s organizations are beginning to notice how much value financial management systems can bring by conversing with their female counterparts,” says Kellee Montgomery, Marketing and Social Media Lead at Billhighway. “Women’s organizations using Billhighway have seen an increase in their overall chapter cash that can now be put back into their organization, exactly what Fraternities are after. Being able to see drastic results from one system makes using Billhighway a no-brainer. “

With features like convenient member payment options (mail, echeck, phone, credit card or Facebook), advanced reporting tools, collection services and 24/7 online support, it’s not surprising that more and more men’s organizations are choosing Billhighway and experiencing immediate results within their organization.

Interested in learning about how Billhighway can help your chapter or organization? Send an email to sales@billhighway.com or tweet me at @billhighway.

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Lessons in Collecting Money from a Big Ten Fraternity Treasurer

04/26/2011

StarGuest blog post written by Ken Wohl, former collegiate Greek member and co-founder of Open Connection Media in Berkley, Mich.

During my sophomore year at Michigan State University, I decided to run for treasurer at my fraternity.  My best friend was running for President so together we decided to spearhead the challenge of getting our local fraternity out of debt.  From the outside in, the position seemed like a fun experience; however, I quickly realized that wasn’t the case.  They may have called the position “Treasurer” but the more proper term would have been “Collections”. I found myself constantly chasing current and past fraternity brothers around for dues and late fees.  As stressful and challenging as that year was, I learned several important things that I still reference today while I build and manage my company.

Top 3 Things I Learned From “Collecting”

 

3.  It takes a long time to build a good reputation but only seconds to destroy one.

When I became treasurer aka “collector”, I was only a sophomore in college.  Usually this position was held by upperclassman because of their ability to garner younger member’s attention and respect.  I decided that I would need to build a strict and firm reputation within my fraternity house if I was going to succeed in my role.  After several months of never backing down or letting brothers cut corners, I had achieved the reputation I was seeking.  I unfortunately took that for granted and let a couple members get by on late payments.  It took no time for my reputation to crumble after that.  Instantly brothers expected that I would be lenient with them too.

Lesson Learned: Reputation means a lot and it’s a never ending job to maintain.

2.  Building relationships is everything

It would be easy to assume that I already had a strong relationship with the people I was collecting from since we were all in the same fraternity, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.  Our fraternity house had over 100 active members and I still had to deal with another 50 non-active or graduated members who owed dues.  What I learned after some time was that building a strong relationship with the people I was collecting from meant everything.  When trying to get someone to do something for you (especially give you money), they’re more likely to comply and not write you off if they consider you a valuable friend.  Building these relationships not only made my job easier but it also led to a lot of great friendships that I might not have made.

Lesson learned: If you’re willing to go out of your way for someone, more often than not, they’ll go out of their way for you.

1.  Money and friends mix like oil and vinegar

The most important lesson I learned from my experience as treasurer (aka “collector”) was that friends and money simply don’t mix.  We usually go to our friends first when we find ourselves in a bind (even ones that include money) because we trust them most.  This however, creates a problem because money will instantly put trust to a whole new test.  I was fortunate enough to not burn too many friendships during my time in position but to say that I went the whole year friction free would be a stretch.

Lesson learned:  Avoid mixing money issues with friendships at all costs.  It puts your relationship to a whole new test….one that you may not be prepared to handle.

Having a system to organize your finances that can take the “personal” out of the business is highly recommended. Be open to new ideas, they may just make your life a little bit easier.

Ken Wohl is co-founder and managing partner of Open Connection Media, an online brand management agency that specializes in inbound marketing.  He can be reached at @KenWohl on Twitter or Kwohl@OpenConnectionMedia.com by email.

Photo credit: andrewgriffithsblog.com

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Keep Your Organization’s Donations Growing

04/11/2011

Donations drive change. When your business, nonprofit, club or team depends upon donations to function to the highest potential, your supporters are the fuel to your organization. With donation-giving on a decline, your organization should focus on improving the donor experience and engaging supporters in the fundraising process. Your organization can increase fundraising efforts with these three simple steps:

Interactive fundraising through social media allows donors to feel like they are part of the organization, and directly making a change. Youtube is a great forum where your organization can simply upload videos to promote your campaign at no cost. You can show the people you have helped and where past and future donations are going. People will see the difference they can make and want to help. Videos can easily be shared by viewers, and prompt those interested to visit your organization’s website.

Create a community of supporters. When people feel part of a community they feel an obligation to help when they are asked. Integrate a Message Board onto your organization’s website where your supporters can communicate with each other. Supporters can post pictures, share what the organization has done for them, and ideas to help further. Here supporters can invite friends to get involved and further grow your donation base.

Implementing these fundraising tactics can engage supporters and help your organization to create fruitful, long-lasting relationships with your donors. Try to focus not only on increasing donations, but increasing supporters and improving the donor experience. If supporters feel included, your organization will have no problem collecting donations.

If your organization would like to use Billhighway’s donations functionality, including the ability to create a custom donations URL to share with your donors, please contact us at sales@billhighway.com or call 248-273-0074.

Photo credit: microfinanceinfo.com

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Kappa Kappa Gamma Partners with Billhighway to Manage Finances

03/07/2011

Women’s fraternity will utilize the system to raise the bar in online banking and accounting management.

 

TROY, Mich., March 7, 2011– Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity (KKG) has chosen Billhighway, the leader in Financial Performance Optimization solutions for membership-based organizations, as their web-based financial and accounting partner. With this formalized partnership, Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters will join the Billhighway system by Fall 2011. Kappa Kappa Gamma will use Billhighway’s Global product to manage general ledger accounting, cash management and tracking overall chapter finances.
“Kappa Kappa Gamma strives to provide the most efficient tools to assist our chapters in managing their finances,” says Kari Kittrell, Executive Director of Kappa Kappa Gamma.  “We are pleased to join in a partnership with Billhighway to assist in providing a more robust support system for our Chapter Treasurers, with a focus on increasing collections. We look forward to building our relationship with this trusted and proven financial management company.”

“We are very excited about our partnership with Kappa Kappa Gamma.  Billhighway takes great pride in helping organizations achieve significant financial improvements,” says Aaron Schmid, Chief Product Officer of Billhighway. “The results are real, and in a long-term partnership like Kappa Kappa Gamma, the impact is transformational.”
Founded in 1870 at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, Kappa Kappa Gamma is a social organization that embraces friendship, leadership and scholarship among its women. Kappa Kappa Gamma currently serves more than 150,000 alumna members with 300 alumnae associations and serves 17,500 collegiate members through its 137 collegiate chapters in North America. KKG headquarters are located in Columbus, Ohio.  To learn more about Kappa Kappa Gamma, visit www.kappakappagamma.org.

Billhighway is the leader in Financial Performance Optimization for membership-based groups, providing a web-based system that helps organizations enjoy improved financial health, operate more efficiently and reduce the risk of fraud. The company’s proprietary, all-in-one system comprehensively manages group finances and accounting – offering a powerful combination that enables organizations to spend more time advancing their mission rather than managing finances. This improved operational efficiency and financial performance has delivered results in organizations of various sizes and types, including professional associations, social clubs, athletic and fraternal organizations.

To learn more about Billhighway, visit www.billhighway.com or call 1.866.BILLHWY.

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Creating a Budget for Yourself and your Organization

02/07/2011

StarGuest blog post written by Grace Ruskin, writer for Financial Solutions Hub network.

Tips on budgeting for one and all – Common man and organizations

Budgeting is equally important for all – may it be the common man or the business organizations. Budgeting helps a man to stay within his limits and save money from the everyday expenditures. It also helps a company or an organization to maintain the business in a more balanced way. Budgeting is important as it helps you to spend money in a structured way and thus maintain a debt-free life.

Budgeting for the common man

Budgeting is the basis of staying debt free. When you formulate a budget you are able to see the exact income and the expenditure. When you are able to see the total income and the total expenditure, you realize what your affordability is and how much you should actually expend. You may be able to cut down on your expenses as per your affordability. So, prepare a budget based on your income and expenditures and also remember to modify it according to the changes in both the fields.

Budgeting for organizations

If you are a small organization, budgeting is important for your business. If you want to run your organization successfully, you should formulate a budget. A well planned budget can help you to get an actual idea of what your income is. Thus, you will be able to plan your expenditures accordingly in relation to your goals. This will help you to stay away from debt and thus in all probability your business may not fail. So, how can you create a budget?

Creating a budget

In order to create a budget, you will have to:

  • Record sources of income – In order to prepare a budget you will have to record all of the sources of your income – monthly salary, any other part time jobs, income from investments, web marketing, selling items online, etc. In case of a business too, you will have to include all of the sources of income.
  • Make a list of all the expenses – Then you will have to list all of the monthly expenses – fixed and variable. Fixed expenses are those that remain the same each month while variable expenses are the additional ones that can change each month. Both common men and businesses have fixed expenses and variable expenses.
  • Gather all of your financial statements – Financial statements include bank account statements, investment account statements, utility bills, statement on source of income and expenditures.
  • Total income and expenses – After this sum up the total income and expenditure separately. After you do this, you get a more or less clear idea on your total income that is your affordability and your expenses.
  • Adjust expenses as per your income – When you get a rough idea on your affordability, it helps you to adjust your expenses accordingly. If you adjust the expenses according to your affordability, it may help you to stop incurring huge debts. Thus you will be able to maintain a debt free life.
  • Review the budget – It is also important for you to review your budget from time to time according to the changes in your financial condition. Your income may increase or decrease with time. Your expenditures can even go out of control. Thus, it is important to review and modify your budget according to the changes in your income and expenditures.

You can also make use of budgeting software and a budgeting calculator to formulate an error free budget. Moreover, such calculators are available online for free. Thus, you can see the importance of budgeting in your everyday life and for your business.

About The Author

Grace Ruskin is a contributing financial writer of Financial Solutions Hub . She provides Information on debt related issues and has also written many articles on topics related to finance. http://financialsolutionshub.blogspot.com/

 

Photo credit: americantourismonline.com

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Billhighway and American Medical Association Alliance Form Partnership

01/24/2011

AMA Alliance raises the bar in membership management.

TROY, Mich., January 24, 2011 – American Medical Association Alliance (AMA Alliance) is pleased to announce it has entered into a pilot agreement with Billhighway as its web-based Financial Performance Optimization partner. This agreement will allow the AMA Alliance to improve its billing process, provide an opportunity for better membership management, increase payment options and improve overall collection rates.

“By utilizing Billhighway’s services, we are going to be able to focus more resources on our mission of supporting medical families through advocacy and education,” says AMA Alliance Managing Director of Operations, Beth Ware, CAE. “The entire Billhighway team has been great to work with at each step of the process.”

“We are thrilled to be entering into this relationship with the American Medical Association Alliance,” says Vince Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Billhighway. “Billhighway takes great pride in helping organizations achieve positive financial results, increased efficiency and greater focus on their mission. The results are real and the impact is transformational.”

Founded in 1922, the AMA Alliance is the largest organization representing the family of medicine in the United States. The Alliance network of medical families represents all stages of the medical life cycle, from training years to retirement.  In addition, the Alliance strives to be the volunteer voice for healthy families in local communities across the country. An early advocate against childhood bullying, Alliance members have developed more than 700 antiviolence programs, including mentoring programs, teen hotline cards and mental health seminars, and distributed more than 2 million pieces of antiviolence materials for children. For additional information please visit: www.amaalliance.org.

Billhighway is the leader in Financial Performance Optimization for membership-based groups, providing the web-based system that helps organizations enjoy improved financial health, operate more efficiently, and reduce the risk of fraud.  The company’s pioneer system combines online banking features akin to the likes of PayPal® with integrated, real-time accounting functionality like QuickBooks®. This proprietary, all-in-one ‘cash and accounting’ system enables organizations to experience significant increases in cash, drastic reduction in expenses, and more time spent advancing their mission rather than managing finances. These improved efficiencies and financial performance are achieved in organizations of nearly any size and type, including professional associations, community-based organizations, athletic leagues, and Greek organizations.

To learn more about Billhighway, visit www.billhighway.com or call 1.866.BILLHWY.

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Billhighway reached a milestone!

01/18/2011

Billhighway.com just passed a user milestone and had a record number of users with Billhighway accounts.  Thank you to all of our users! We are proud to be your Financial Performance Optimization solution and we look forward to continuing to serve you and improving the financial health for your organization.

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The Greeks That Save Together, Stay Together

09/23/2010

StarArticle Submitted by guest blogger Alicia Magda from Greek For Me in Middletown, DE.

Sure, a Greek organization is ultimately underneath the college’s umbrella, but when it comes to maintaining your organization’s finances and having enough money left over for those perks we all love, it’s important that each and every member of your fraternity or sorority take ownership over the organization’s financial state and work to put it in the black! Here’s some ways to get your finances back on track.

Be Frugal Together.

Saving money is always more successful if you commit to it as a group. Emphasize the value of being savers over spenders, and look to plan activities that are fun, but low cost. Fun examples include dinner party nights, where instead of going out to a fancy restaurant, each fraternity or sorority member contributes $5 to the meal, helps cook, and brings their own wine or beverage! It’s a night full of great food and laughter! Other cheap ideas include picnics in the warm weather and movie nights, where the chapter supplies the popcorn, and members bring whatever else they would like. Other ideas include group walks and hikes and house scavenger hunts.

Plan It Out.

The most successful fraternity and sorority chapters consider themselves planners. Spontaneity is always nice, but when it comes to deciding on the fundraiser you’d love to have, start planning that fundraiser at least three months in advance. Elect members to be on various committee positions for planning the fundraiser, as this creates a sense of ownership and commitment to the success of the fundraiser. You will be able to take the time to research materials and supplies that are low cost, rather than having to purchase materials on the spur of the moment. You’ll also be able to spread the word out about your fundraiser well in advance to really hit it out of the park.

Organization Is Key.

In addition to being planners, successful fraternity and sorority chapters are also well-organized. They use financial planning tools and software, even if it’s something as simple as an Excel spreadsheet, to record all money coming in to the organization, money going out, the cost of materials or activities, and what their current balance is. Go over this balance, as well as a summary of recent expenses, with your fraternity and sorority members at regular meetings, so all members have a clear picture of the chapter’s finances. This keeps your members in touch with the state of your expenses, and as a result, can increase the likelihood they will all participate in fundraisers and work to make your organization more profitable!

Share The Wealth.

It’s nice to have a good-sized nest egg for your fraternity or sorority, but it’s also important to give back to the people who are actively working to boost your organization’s funds. Surprise them with affordable and fun Sorority Apparel and Fraternity Apparel from time to time – it’s a walking advertisement for how great your chapter is! Greek Merchandise, such as Fraternity and Sorority Ornaments, Greek Glassware, Greek Jewelry, and more also make great gifts that really show your appreciation. You can also treat your fraternity or sorority members to small day trips and fun activities outside campus to reward them for their hard work in making your organization a success!

How do you encourage your fellow fraternity and sorority members to stay frugal? What are some low cost ways to have fun together?

*Photo Credit: evironmenteast.org

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Billhighway and Alpha Omicron Pi Agree to Five Year Partnership

05/05/2009

Billhighway Alpha Omicron Pi fraternity and Billhighway to help manage their organization’s chapter and housing corporation finances.


Billhighway has formed a five year partnership with Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII) Fraternity. Billhighway provides member based organizations web based finance and accounting software to better manage, easily track and quickly collect their membership funds.

AOII is currently transitioning its collegiate chapters to Billhighway’s Global solution. In addition, there are 56 housing corporations that will be using Billhighway’s Quick RouteSM solution to manage and route their funds and collectively bill their membership.

“We are very excited to be working with Billhighway” said Melanie Lampertz, Executive Director of AOII, “We are looking forward to the increased organization, operational efficiencies and positive impact on our chapters and housing corporations. The transition has already begun, and our chapters are very positive about our new partnership.”

With AOII’s transition to Billhighway, the organization will benefit from complete visibility of every chapter and their housing corporations which is a capability that is new for AOII. AOII’s member billing will now be combined into one simple statement and executives and advisors will now have complete access to view and manage their funds, 24/7.

From increased cash balances and collection rates to reduced operating costs within an organization, Billhighway has been working with Greek organizations for nearly ten years and has reported significant results within those organizations.

“Our partnership with AOII is unique because of the addition of their housing corporations and I am excited to see the results they achieve. AOII has been excellent to work with. We have begun the transition and have been getting very positive feedback from their chapter officers due to the benefits to them directly” said Aaron Schmid, Chief Products Officer at Billhighway.

Alpha Omicron Pi was founded in 1897 at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York City. AOII has over 141,000 initiated members in 187 collegiate chapters and over 135 alumnae chapters across the United States and Canada. Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women’s fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the fraternity and community.  For more information about AOII, visit www.alphaomicronpi.org.

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