What is anAlumni Group?Cambridge Alumni Groups come in all shapes andsizes. From regional social gatherings to high-techbusiness networking the 400-strong network ofCambridge Alumni Groups caters to everyone whoattended Cambridge. Many of these Groups holdregular events, meetings and activities, encouragingalumni to network, socialise and become supportersof the University.

Alumni Volunteer Resources

There is no one size fits all approach to running an Alumni Group, however, to help ensure that volunteer-ledAlumni Groups continue to offer valuable support to theUniversity of Cambridge, and that CARO provides the bestpossible services to Alumni Groups. Around the worldAlumni Groups must:

1. Adhere to the University’s Core values of freedom ofthought and expression as well as freedom fromdiscrimination.

2. Act as advocates and ambassadors for the University.

3. Organise regular events and initiatives with the aim of providing an opportunity for alumni to:• continue their education• offer their skills, expertise and networks to other

alumni or the wider community• socialise with one another

We would expect a Group to organise a minimum of two events a year.

4. Actively encourage alumni to join the Group (withoutdiscrimination or prejudice).

5. Follow the University branding guidelines.

6. Be legally independent and financially self-sustaining.

7. Create and maintain a database of alumni members.1

8. Appoint a Primary Contact to liaise with CARO. The Primary Contact is responsible for ensuring thatCARO is updated about the Group’s activities and contact details. He or she does not need to be the leader of the Group and in many cases is not.

Each Alumni Group will have one, or more, convenorswho run events, manage the mailing lists and advertisethe Group. To make it easier for us at CARO to keep intouch with the correct Group member, we require oneperson from the Group to be CARO’s Primary Contact.

The role of the Primary Contact

1. Receive the monthly email from CARO and distributenews accordingly to the Group’s committee and/ ormembers.

2. Update CARO with news of Group events and changes of contact details so that they can bepublicised on the CARO website.

3. Respond to occasional surveys and requests forinformation for publications from CARO, including case studies.

4. Attend CARO leadership training events if possible.

5. Update CARO if he or she is unable to continue as the Primary Contact and provide details of the new Primary Contact.

1 Please note that data protection laws currently preventCARO from exchanging alumni contact details with Groups.

What is an Alumni Group?

Alumni Volunteer Resources

alumni.cam.ac.uk/groups