Starting a Netherlands Alumni Association

22 Oct 2009

If you want to start a Netherlands Alumni Association (NAA), please read some of the experiences of the ones already existing:

Find four or five other enthusiastic alumni: together you will be the founding members.
Define the alumni association’s objectives.
Write a strategic plan using the template (see 'Format Strategic Plan NAA' under Downloads below).
Formulate a concrete action plan which focuses on recruitment of members, activities that can be explored and expanded, and anything else you can think of.
Contact an existing NAA for advice. For addresses please look at the list of existing NAAs.
Register your alumni association by obtaining Official Registration (see 'Format By-laws NAA' under Downloads below).
Contact the Netherlands Embassy in your country (you can find the contact information on the website of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Missions abroad) and invite them to become an official partner, e.g. as an external advisor or an Honorary Board Member.
Find potential members of your NAA through StudentBase.
Try and establish contact with your former institution in the Netherlands for other alumni addresses in your country.
Consider formalizing a standard, annual subscription fee for members in order to facilitate the organization and financing of activities.