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Start a Club

How to Start a Carolina Club

The GAA can’t be everywhere, so we rely on alumni volunteers to keep the Carolina spirit alive all over the world.

What Clubs Do

  • Each Carolina Club focuses on the goals listed below.

    • Encourage alumni and friends of UNC to continue an interest in the University.
    • Connect Tar Heels, in your area, with one another for social and business relationship building.
    • Provide continuing education and enrichment experiences for alumni and friends of the University, showcasing our faculty, administrators and athletic programs.
    • Provide alumni and friends of UNC with an opportunity to offer ideas back to the University.
    • Encourage alumni to become members of the General Alumni Association.
    • Provide scholarships and other support to UNC students from the local area.
    • Serve your community through sponsoring a community service activities that reflect the University’s mission of service.

What It Takes

Do you think Dean Smith could have run Four Corners with just one player? Neither do we. We believe the most effective structure for a Carolina Club is a task-specific committee structure, and we encourage two-year terms to sustain, broaden and diversify participation on the club leadership committee.

The following is a listing of positions that the General Alumni Association recommends each club fill to ensure a successful club program. Club leaders must be current members of the General Alumni Association. Realizing that clubs are not one size fits all, we understand that some clubs may thrive with the suggested essential positions listed below while others will require more leadership team members

Essential Positions:

You can form a committee by your own contacts and responses to a “club interest” email the GAA can send out at your request. This message informs alumni in the area regarding the organization of a local club and asks that they contact you if they are interested in serving as a club leader or volunteer. The responses generated from this communication are often a good start to getting things up and running.

How the GAA Supports Clubs

Although the General Alumni Association does not provide direct financial support for clubs, the General Alumni Association does provide significant services and support for clubs including:

  • Staff Support –  Staff members at the General Alumni Association assist club leaders. If you want to talk out an idea, get advice on events, etc.; please give us a call.
  • Club Website –  The General Alumni Association provides simple to use websites for each club.  This same website allows clubs to keep the GAA informed about activities without having to report separately.
  • Email Broadcasts and Listservs –  The GAA will send an e-mail to all alumni in the club’s defined area on behalf of the club once each month (per leader’s request) and provide an opt-in e-mail list for club use more frequently.
  • Trainings – Training and resources on various topics related to leading a Carolina Club will be available to club leaders. This may take the form of online trainings, webinars, conference calls, and the club leaders resource library.
  • Event Support –  Staff members at the General Alumni Association can build registration forms, including those involving credit card transactions, for any club event upon request. The General Alumni Association can also help identify and make arrangements for speakers from the University to attend a club event.
  • Mail Services –  The General Alumni Association will provide design, printing, and mailing services for large club events, reactivating clubs and scholarship dinners. (Please Note: These services do not include postage costs, for which clubs are responsible.)
  • Alumni Lists –  The GAA will provide club leaders with lists of local alumni.
  • Carolina Spirit Items –  The GAA will provide name tags, pom poms, table toppers, stickers and UNC and GAA information for any club with an upcoming event.
  • Tar Heel Merchandise –  Old Well and Bell Tower Clubs can work with the GAA to purchase these items at a discounted price.

Ready to Start a New Carolina Club?

Step 1 – Understand the commitment.

UNC is known for excellence and we want leadership teams and clubs that exemplify that. Carolina Clubs are expected to serve all alumni in their local area by offering regular programming throughout the year that spans the varied interests of our alumni. It’s important for our volunteers to know what it takes to serve our Carolina family to the best of its ability. Learn more about what that looks like by reviewing the information found at the links below:

Leadership Committee Responsibilities

Essential Leadership Positions

Club Agreement

Club Leader Agreement

Club Activity Designations

Club Programming

Step 2 – Complete the New Club Interest Form

Convinced you and your team have what it takes to start and successfully run a Carolina Club? Complete the New Carolina Club Interest Form.

Why We Love A Being Carolina Club Leader

We asked our current club leaders why they love being a leader, here’s what they had to say.

Point of Contact

Phone (919) 962-1208 or email activities@gaa.unc.edu