Chapter Leaders

Fill the Hill 2020: Virtually Unflappable

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. CDT to Friday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m. CDT

Chapters with active scholarship programs will have the opportunity to fundraise during this fun, three-day virtual event. Every gift will be matched dollar for dollar — up to $3,000 per chapter — thanks to the George and Dorothy Pellegrin Wisconsin Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment Fund. Chapters can begin promoting Fill the Hill after October 2. Fill the Hill assets (banners, suggested posts, frames, filters, etc.) will be available for chapters beginning October 2. The copy you can use on your chapter communications can be found below.

CHAPTER NEWSLETTER COPY

Game Watch Update

With the recent announcement of Badger football starting at the end of October, many chapters have reached out inquiring about game watches. We believe it’s important to stay vigilant regarding the health and safety of our alumni and communities. WFAA, including the chapter network, will continue connecting with alumni and friends in a virtual-only format until at least January 2021; this will include chapter-sponsored game watch events.

If your chapter plans to host a virtual game watch event this season, please submit an event request above to provide an event description and links. Virtual game watch requests for Homecoming (10/24) are due no later than Monday, Oct. 12, at 12 p.m. CT. For all other games, virtual game watch requests are due no later than 12 p.m. CT on the Monday before the game.

Save the Date

Save the Date for this year’s virtual Badger Leaders conference, October 23, 2020. Stay tuned for more details!

Throughout the month of November, we will also be hosting Badger Leaders Conference: International. On the following Wednesdays from 7:30 am – 9:00 am CST, we will discuss topics specific to connecting and supporting international chapters.

• November 4
• November 11
• November 18

More details to come!

Scholarship Training Series

Throughout the month of September, we will host a special training series focusing on chapter scholarships and fundraising. Every Wednesday at 3 p.m. CDT, we will discuss topics to help you better support and sustain your chapter scholarship program. Please share this information with your scholarship and fundraising committees, and encourage all to attend. Registration will be required for each session. Registrants will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the session(s) they have registered to attend.

• September 2: Goal Setting for Chapter Scholarships and Fundraising
• Watch Now
• Meeting Password: Ehaectm6
• September 9: Fundraising Basics
• Watch Now
• Meeting Password: cMyPR44x
• September 16: How to Steward and Cultivate Donors
• September 23: Leveraging WAA Fundraising Support*
• Watch Now
• Meeting Password: wYZymZG4
• September 30: Tips, Tools, and Resources

*This session is also the monthly Chapter Leader Call.

REGISTER NOW

Athletics Update

It’s official! The Badgers’ season opener against Illinois will kick off Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. — right after Badger Leaders Conference. While there will be no fans at Camp Randall this fall, we have plenty of ways for alumni to keep their Badger spirits high from the safety and comfort of home. Share these opportunities with your chapter region on social media:

The Fifth Quarter — On Friday, Oct. 23, UW Homecoming is headed your way and bringing the famed Fifth Quarter with it. Featuring special appearances by Charlie Berens ’09 and Bucky Badger, plus a send-off by Tony Award winner and UW alumnus André De Shields ’70.

BADGER HUDDLE® Armchair Pregame — Promote this spirited video series, presented by the Wisconsin Alumni Association, to help your local alumni fill that Motion W–sized void in their hearts while keeping a safe and healthy distance. Episodes will arrive in the weeks following Homecoming.

Bucky Boards — Wish you could be at Camp Randall to show the team your support? With a Bucky Board fan cutout, you can still show your Badger pride (and your smiling face) inside the stadium.

Bucky’s Kids Club — Are your alumni looking for ways to keep their kids connected to the Badgers this fall? Tell them about the revamped Bucky’s Kids Club, featuring activity packets and fun events for families to enjoy together.

Virtual Events

We have been so impressed with the creativity of chapters around the world as they create virtual events to engage area alumni. In an effort to share these ideas and concepts, we have created a best practices document based on past virtual events. If your chapter hosts a virtual event, please expect a brief survey from your chapter representative to share details about your event. Thank you all for your ongoing enthusiasm, creativity, and engagement during these challenging times.

WFAA Update

The Wisconsin Alumni Association is hard at work planning virtual opportunities to connect in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our organization will work to offer delightful diversions and important information to our alumni and friends in innovative new ways—while not meeting in person through the end of the year.

The UW Now Livestream events have been covering the most timely subjects in the COVID-19 era with UW-specific expertise and exploring our favorite Badger traditions . We’re also creating ways to connect our alumni to campus with virtual backgrounds, and take you for a walk down memory lane with new online Badger Scrapbooks. You’ll be able to catch up on the news of the week with a new #UWWeekinReview on Instagram, and we’ve got plenty more programming in the works.

As always, if you have questions or would like to learn more about these virtual opportunities, reach out to your chapter representative.