The Nutshell - News for Alumni Group Leaders
The Nutshell
News and resources for Alumni Group Leaders
Welcome
With the fresh momentum of May, thank you for the time, talent and passion you bring to your alumni community. New tools and resources are coming soon to help you connect Buckeyes and achieve your goals. Your impact makes Buckeye spirit thrive. Thank you!
Announcements for alumni group leaders
Ohio State Guest Accounts
We’re pleased to announce that Ohio State Guest Accounts will soon be available for select volunteer leaders on each alumni club and society board. These guest accounts will provide access to key osu.edu systems such as Workfront, Teams, BuckeyeLearn and more, helping your group meet its goals more effectively.
To prepare for this rollout, each board must select two volunteer leaders to receive guest account access. These individuals should be the primary contacts for submitting marketing and communication requests and should work closely with your OSUAA liaison. We recommend selecting your President and Communications Chair.
Please note: Even if you already have and actively use an osu.edu email address, you are still required to submit your alumni club or society information. You will soon receive instructions on how to submit the names of the two selected volunteers who should receive guest account access for your alumni club or society.
This information must be submitted by July 1. Clubs or societies that do not submit the required information by this deadline will lose access to additional tools and resources rolling out in the coming months. Please work with your board to determine the appropriate volunteers and be prepared to submit the required information below.
Opportunities for alumni groups
Required training for alumni group leaders
To help prepare for new tools and resources launching in the coming months, please complete this 10-minute training with your board members. After watching the video, each board member must submit a verification form. The deadline to complete both steps is August 31.
Secure your game watch location by July 17
Lock in your game watch location by July 17 and score a merch box for your group! The first 50 groups to confirm their location and update their OSUAA game watch page will receive free Buckeye gear.
Save the date for Ohio State vs. Texas
Ohio State heads to Austin to face the University of Texas September 11–12. Join the Alumni Club of Austin at our game watch location and cheer on the Buckeyes together! Away-game tickets are available to Ohio State season ticket holders and are distributed according to priority giving levels and priority points.
Pelotonia – join Team Buckeye
Join Team Buckeye Alumni and Friends Peloton as a Challenger or a group of Challengers. Our goal in 2026 is increased participation. Challengers pay no registration fee, set their own fundraising goal ($100 minimum), and we'll support your fundraising efforts.
Tech tattoos for your alumni group
Interested in ordering tech tattoos to promote your alumni group? Reach out to your REO to learn more about quantities and pricing.
Student Social Media Intern
Do you know a creative student interested in social media or community engagement? We’re looking for a student intern to help support our alumni clubs and societies across social platforms.
Alumni group spotlights - let's celebrate your impact
Have a shoutout for your group or a best practice you'd like to share? Tell us!
Shoutout to the Cincinnati Alumni Club for submitting multiple event listings across April, May and June! This group continues to find creative ways to keep alumni engaged and has done a great job highlighting those opportunities on their events page. Their efforts paid off with their highest-performing email to date, driving 363 clicks to their events page and achieving a 4.44% content click rate. Go Cincy! Kudos to your team for engaging your alumni community and making strong progress in your communications.
Thank you to the 29 alumni clubs and societies that participated in Day of Giving 2026! Together, you raised over $14,000 in support of scholarships and programs, an incredible achievement. The top fundraisers were the Alumni Club of Detroit raising $3,015 and Stadium Scholars Alumni Society raising $6,550. As winners of the Day of Giving Challenge, Detroit and Stadium Scholars will each receive an additional $1,000 matching gift toward their scholarship funds. Three groups reached the $500 challenge: Aviation Alumni Society, Dance Alumni Society, and TBDBITL Alumni Club. From a random drawing, Aviation and TBDBITL were selected to each receive an extra $250 matching gift.
Congratulations and thank you to all who participated. Your impact makes a difference! Watch our congratulatory video.
Standing ovation for the Scarlet and Gay Alumni Society! 112 applicants. 21 scholarships. $55,879 awarded. This is impact in action! Congratulations and thank you for your work.
What does being part of your alumni club or society mean to you? Share your favorite memory and the impact your group has had on your community. Your story could be featured in future marketing materials to inspire Buckeyes everywhere!
Scholarship news for you
Scholarship Success
The Franklin County Alumni Club has developed a highly successful approach to managing its scholarship program and has generously agreed to share its keys to success.
The Franklin County Club receives more scholarship applications than any other club with 232 this year, following more than 270 last year. Planning begins each fall with volunteer recruitment to review applications. Using the club newsletter, email, and Facebook the club recruited 34 volunteers this year. Scholarship leader Frank Stoy emphasizes proactive communication, clear instructions and regular updates to keep volunteers engaged. The volunteer pool is notably diverse, with many contributing specifically to the scholarship process. Alternates are also identified as needed. Each spring, the board hosts a thank-you lunch, which has proven effective in sustaining participation. Feedback gathered during the lunch helps inform planning for the next year.
Volunteers independently read and score applications using their own criteria, such as GPA, family circumstances, involvement, extracurriculars or work experience. No formal scoring rubric is used, and the process has consistently produced strong results. Volunteers have 10 days to review applications and submit their top 10 students. Each application is read by three volunteers. The top seven candidates advance to interviews with four scholarship committee members, resulting in three recommended scholarship recipients.
Recipients are invited to speak at the club’s June membership appreciation celebration. A future option used by other clubs is presenting certificates at recipients’ high school awards assemblies, which also serves as a recruitment tool for future applicants.
The scholarship leader role requires about one hour per month most of the year, increasing to 10–15 hours in February and March. Volunteers spend 4–5 hours reviewing applications during the 10 day period. Committee members assist by coordinating logistics, communications with high schools and recognition events.
The program’s success is supported by a strong transition plan established by former scholarship leader and current president Brad Farmer. Clear processes and shared knowledge help ensure continuity. Frank is available to speak with other presidents or scholarship leaders; contact information is available through emailing Leslie Smith.
Ohio State to continue tuition guarantee for 2026–27
Please review the university’s article outlining student finances for the upcoming academic year. The out-of-state surcharge for non-Ohio residents has not yet been announced. For questions, contact Leslie Smith, Stewardship Coordinator, Alumni Scholarships Program
Volunteers in action
Highlighting alumni groups around the world! Have a photo you want to submit? Contact Kelly Greene.
