Networking Tools

Once you've got members signed up, the next step is to increase their regular involvement in your community. IAC's networking tools increase online and offline participation by providing communications forums, added-value services and time-saving organizational tools.

The first step in creating an interactive online community is to get your members talking to each other. IAC offers several tools that let members share information, interests and news.

Bulletin Boards, Chats & Listservs
Bulletin Boards and Chats are an easy and efficient way to get your members talking. Members can share opinions, debate, hold ongoing discussions or talk with a featured speaker. Even “lurkers” who don't post their own messages can have fun following the conversations!

Chapter/Club Pages with BLOX Technology
IAC's proprietary BLOX technology allows individual chapters or clubs within your larger organization to set up their own flexible, customizable “mini communities” to share and exchange data; email chapter members; create local content such as event calendars, opinion polls, and post photo albums; etc. - benefiting your organization through increased data flow, constituent participation, gifts, and usage tracking.

Class Notes
Our clients tell us that one of the most popular areas on their sites is Class Notes, because alumni can quickly and easily update others on marriages, births or job promotions. By filling out a form, alumni can enter information online or view other classmates' news using a class-year search. All class notes are forwarded to your contact person for inclusion in your printed publications. When combined with the Photo Upload service, the Class Notes program allows alumni to post approved images with their note.

Invite Others to Join
Promote your alumni web site by encouraging your alumni to invite others to join. Alumni enter the email addresses of friends, and an email letter listing the benefits of the online community is automatically sent. Your web address is linked at the bottom of the email for quick access.

Adding value to your members' experience keeps them coming back and renewing their membership. IAC's Networking Tools offer several services that improve members' experience:

Business Card Exchange
Business Card Exchange enables your members to promote their businesses and network with other professional members online. Constituents can search the database by keyword, or choose the “Featured Business” of the day.

Career Center
Registered users can post resumes for other members and approved businesses to review by completing an online resume form (entering information directly, or cutting and pasting sections from a text document). Resumes can be searched by category or keyword. Approved businesses or members can post job listings and search alumni resumes by category or keyword.

Email Addresses
Offer your members their own personalized full functioning web-based email address with your organization. Email users can check their email from any computer with an Internet connection, and is a free service to registered users. Email Forwarding, File Folders and Vacation Notices are available as part of the service.

Mentoring
Your members are a wonderful resource for each other as well as prospects. Provide a mentoring network that is easy to become a join and use. To become a mentor, members fill out a brief questionnaire outlining their interests and areas of expertise, and contact is made by email. At any time, mentors can remove themselves from the mentoring database, or just set themselves as inactive.

Recruitment
What a better way to find prospective students or members than through your current members? Your members know your organization best, and can identify good candidates for admission or membership. By filling out a form, members can refer the prospect to your Admissions Office or Membership Director.

Volunteer
List all of your volunteer needs with a complete description of what the job entails. Constituents can then add themselves to your list by selecting areas in which they would like to participate. Once submitted, an email is sent to your organization to alert you of their interest.

Getting people together can be tough – there's a lot of information to distribute, dates to coordinate and logistics to plan. IAC's Meeting Planning makes planning reunions and events much easier.

Meeting Planning
Members can view and use a wide range of information, which can include: committee contact information; travel, dining and accommodation information; local attractions; frequently asked questions; and a list of other attendees. This feature also includes a registration form and integrates with the calendar and event registration programs. After the event, posted photographs show meeting highlights.