President’s Message – Summer 2024

Our Challenge is Here and Now

I hope it’s time for my soapbox to make a critical impact. Some of us have been supportive alums for decades. Some have gotten involved in activities, giving and outreach to other alums. I applaud each and every one of you who have done your share. But many have not. Today I’m asking all Alumni to come to the table if you care about our Association and our school.  Here is why:

Second to the Latin Schools’ Alumni groups, The English High School Association is the only other Boston high school Alumni organization that is active and contributes to its alma mater. This year we are on pace in direct support to the school to the tune of $85,000. This school support is what your generosity provides to our English High students.

Our office funding operations must be self-sustaining and then some. The ‘then some’ means we have the capability to add donations above and beyond our operations budget to our endowment. This affords us the capacity to grow, recruit more graduates and offer more services such as reunions, alumni breakfasts, speakers and more).

Maintaining a database of 17,000 English High Alumni and keeping the data current is a big challenge. Making sure we can service all Alumni is another challenge worth talking about. Our most involved and giving Alumni base is graduates from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. The challenge is attracting graduates from the 1980’s forward to become involved in our Association. Yet another challenge is contacting alums in business who can help with mentoring, lecturing and contributing to our school programs through the Association’s efforts.

While more than half way through our budget year, we’ve raised only about one third of revenue needed to stay operational. Here is what being operational entails:

• Managing a database of 17,000 alumni many of whom we do not have emails for and miss receiving this newsletter which is emailed to 8,500. Our goal is 10,000 emails.
• Fundraising on all fronts including rank and file alumni, businesses and high-capacity alumni donors. Our goal is increased giving from all classes with emphasis on outreach through social media.
• Ongoing development of new scholarship sponsors. We are excited that 2024 saw five new alumni-based student scholarships for our graduates! Our goal for 2025 is to take this to ten alumni-based scholarships.
• Producing monthly Alumni Newsletters like this one, which highlight student and alumni stories, requires five writing contributors, two monthly meetings and countless hours of tracking down alums and students.
• Working with the High School for up-to-date information for newsletters and spreading the academic word; supporting school programs (i.e., our Alumni & Friends Tutoring Center, Pathways course lecturers), sports and school staff. Our goal is to bring alumni more school information and increase the number of students served in the Tutoring Center.
• Providing Alumni condolence letter when requested by families of alums who have passed.
• Donor ‘thank you’ follow-ups; engaging donors for future gifting with a personal touch towards stewardship.  Our goal is a ‘thank you’ to each donor, regardless of the amount of the gift.
• Responding to inbox emails of all sorts such as requests for yearbooks, event information, school schedules, classmates, high school transcripts, etc.
• Managing finances: accounting, IRS tax filings, government filings, payroll, PO mailbox, etc. We plan to streamline this process even more.
• Attending sports events both at school and at tournaments.  Our goal is to build a bigger Alumni turnout at the Thanksgiving Day Game vs. Latin.
• Managing our Board of Directors’ meetings, rules, regulations and follow-up
• Managing some 25 outside vendors for service accuracy. Our goal is to downsize the number of vendors.

This list could go on and on. The point is your Association needs your support to survive, thrive and be an important resource for the entire English High community.

We’ve had slow summer months of fundraising despite more outreach communications via email blasts than ever before. I ask, “Are we trying to do too much? Have we ‘worn out our asking welcome’ as my mother used to say?” To help, tell us what is on your mind.

I hope my message is crystal clear especially to those 8,500 alumni who receive this newsletter which our highly-reputable Boston Globe quoted from in a recent Herb Chambers-Boston Pops story, no kidding!

Ask yourself if this is the best our Alumni Association can be? And then show us your answer in support to ensure our future together!

With deepest appreciation,