As a certified Alumni Network you hold an annual meeting once a year. It’s a vital cornerstone in an active and inclusive network and mandatory for certifying your network.
About the toolkit
Below you find all material you need including a step by step manual and a template for the agenda on how to organise an annual meeting. The purpose of the annual meeting is to elect or re-elect a board and set up an activity plan for the coming year. It is important that:
- All members are invited and get a chance to be part of the board
- The invitation goed out at least three weeks in advance
- You strive for a 50/50 gender balance in the board
- You follow the instructions, even if you do not apply for funding for your annual meeting
Make sure to hold the annual meeting in time to meet the deadline for SI certification of your network (January) as the meeting notes from the annual meeting is to be sent in along with the application documents. Read more about certification here.
Instructions and manuals
Step by step manual (further down on this page)
Application form
Reporting Instructions
Alumni network certification
Guide for electing a board – the inclusive way!
Building blocks and templates
Pictures to be used for marketing of your event
Template – Annual Meeting agenda and notes
Template – Yearly report
Step by step manual:
- Find a good venue, maybe the Swedish Embassy in your country can host you? If you are not already in contact, SI can help you to establish contact.
- Set the date, time and agenda for the annual meeting together with the rest of the board members or with the rest of the active alumni members. Decide whether you prefer physical or online meeting. Both physical and online meetings are ok.
- Inform your contact person at the Swedish Embassy about your annual meeting.
- Create a page for your event so that people can register. We suggest you use
confetti.events or a similar service but it can be a Facebook event or Google forms or any other service that you find suitable. - Send an invitation to all network members and post it in your network communication channel along with the agenda and the page for registration. Make sure to invite all network members at least three weeks before the annual meeting takes place. If you need help with reaching out to members, get in touch with SI.
- Make sure that everyone who wants can express interest in being part of the coming board before the meeting takes place. One way of doing so is communicating the call for candidacy (where potential board members can express interest in being a part of the board) in the invitation. For more information see this separate guide and video for electing a board.
- If you were certified last year, you can apply for financial support to conduct your annual meeting. Make sure to apply at least five weeks before you hold the meeting.
- If you were certified the past year – prepare and send in a yearly report describing and evaluating last year’s activities. This should ideally be presented at the annual meeting to all members attending.
- Arrange for food and drinks. This step is optional but can be a good way of attracting participants.
- Make sure all board member candidates get a chance to present themselves, this can be done beforehand in a digital format or physically at the annual meeting. Make sure that the voting can be done in a democratic way on the day of the annual meeting. If you want help from someone impartial to coordinate the voting, you can ask your contact at the Swedish Embassy.
- Send in the acitvity report to SI, not more than two weeks after the event.
- Send in the meeting notes and list of participants as a complement to your certification application.
Electing a board – the inclusive way:
This video is guide for electing a board in a democratic and inclusive way. Watch it before your organising your annual meeting to ensure a democratic election process.
Contact
For more information, contact alumni@si.se.