Reasons to Support Us

So why support us? First and foremost, the Cincy Ivy Club serves a segment of Ivy League graduates not engaged by traditional club activities. Cincinnati has been called "a great place to raise a family," and, not surprisingly, many club events are geared either toward graduates with families or toward long-time Cincinnati-area residents already familiar with each other. But for recent graduates, many of whom are new arrivals to the city, existing club activities may not be the right fit, and not many local clubs have the raw numbers necessary to throw events exclusively geared towards their recent graduates. Cincy Ivy Club events can meet the social needs of recent graduates who do not traditionally attend club events, and at the same time bring together the critical mass necessary to have fun and sustainable gatherings.

This carries into our belief that the strengths of Ivy educations have stemmed not only from quality undergraduate experiences, but also from continuous engagement in alumni affairs, from the point of graduation, that foster lifelong loyalties and connections to our almae matres. Right now, this is missing for many recent graduates. They may not feel engaged by their clubs, nor are they given the chance to form close friendships with other recent graduates, and hence many cease to regard their alumni clubs or universities as sources of high-value connections and fellowship. Further, many recent graduates, educated with strong interests in community service, arts, sports and education, look to their clubs to find fellow recent graduates with whom to carry on these interests, but they are unable to find such a vehicle. Involvement in Cincy Ivy Club activities can fill that void and generate support among recent graduates for becoming active and enthusiastic members of their local alumni clubs as they recognize the benefits of being involved with fellow grads and in turn bring their enthusiasm to the clubs. As such, local clubs can foster a new generation of core members by supporting the Cincy Ivy Club.

Generating enthusiasm and involvement among recent graduates can have an exponential benefit to the university by getting a larger pool of new alumni involved in college interviewing and college recruiting. Recent graduates have the best take on university programs and life, and they are usually more equipped to answer questions about undergraduate programs for interested high school students; recent graduates are also able to connect more easily with high school students. Thus support of recent graduate activities can facilitate recent graduate involvement in college representation and recruiting, serving to improve the presence of Ivy League schools locally, and, by raising interest, to increase, diversify and improve the applicant pool. This can be a notable concern in the Midwest where regionalism sometimes results in talented students not being aware of opportunities at far away Ivy League schools because of misconceptions and a lack of advocacy, a problem which could be solved by a more recent Ivy presence in recruiting.

Very importantly, the Cincy Ivy Club has already helped identify recent graduates who live in the Greater Cincinnati area unbeknownst to club leadership. These are recent graduates who, for various reasons, have not been listed in alumni databases or whose addresses have not been updated, and who, therefore, are left out of club activities. The Cincy Ivy Club, through its own efforts to reach target members and through word of mouth, has found (or been found by) recent graduates not on local rosters, and has referred them to their local clubs.

Another reason to support us stems from the fact that right now Cincinnati is facing problems in attracting and keeping outside and inside talent. Many new arrivals to this city of all ages can spend their time in Cincinnati as outsiders, and as such, never make a real connection to the area. It certainly does not help when macro issues around the city incite questions of livability, and spur the inevitable question from classmates in other towns -- "Why in the world are you in Cincinnati?" Resident recent graduates can pass on these doubts and perceptions to recruits considering working in Cincinnati. And interns, accustomed to strong Ivy social support networks in large coastal cities, often quickly notice a lack of a recent graduate community in medium sized cities and perceive it as a weakness. By engaging talented, recent graduates who come to Cincinnati and by providing them with a new social network outside of work where they can meet new non-work friends (a critical factor for recent graduates), the Cincy Ivy Club can help the city to keep top talent and truly make Cincinnati a more livable city.

Sponsorship questions can be directed to our Club President.