From time to time, we receive questions, or expressions of confusion, about the roles of our two organizations. Here are some answers to those questions to set the record straight.
Q: Isn’t the Alumni Association part of Hudson Catholic High School?
A: Actually, no. Hudson Catholic and the Alumni Association are separately incorporated 501c3 non-profit organizations. The official name of the Alumni organization is Alumni Association Hudson Catholic High School, Inc. Contributions to either will earn you an IRS-qualified tax deduction. This set up is somewhat unusual in comparison to other high schools and colleges, where Alumni Relations tends to reside within Advancement.
Q: What is the main purpose of the Alumni Association?
A: The Constitution of the Alumni Association is instructive as regards its purpose and mission, separate and distinct from that of Hudson Catholic Regional High School. The Alumni Association is committed to preserving the ongoing mission of a LaSallian education, established by the Brothers of Christian Schools in 1964, at Hudson Catholic.
Q: How did this uncommon arrangement arise?
A: A little bit of history: In the early 1980s, before our school had given any thought to creating a development or advancement office, young alumni jumped into the void with the foresight to incorporate as a fiduciary and begin fundraising on behalf of the school -- an annual phonothon, a golf outing, reunions, and the Alumni Leadership Program. Activities such as these are typically the domain of a school’s Advancement function, so careful coordination is sometimes necessary so that the two organizations do not wind up competing or duplicating efforts.
Q: What do Advancement and the Alumni Association have in common?
A: You! Our beloved alumni and friends. Without you, neither organization could be successful. Both the school from which you graduated, and the Alumni Association that you became a member of upon graduation, have a vested interest in remaining in communication with you. The school needs your ongoing support, without which we would have a difficult time continuing operations and providing the top echelon education with which Hudson Catholic is synonymous. The Alumni Association is a social organization that seeks to build comaraderie among all graduates and fidelity to alma mater.
Q: As an alumnus or alumnae, why do I receive communications from Hudson Catholic and the Alumni Association?
A: Sometimes, you may receive communications that overlap, or follow each other closely into your inbox. We certainly try to coordinate on communications, but mainly on those of greater importance. Doing so for each one would not be an optimal use of time.
Q: What’s with the Building The Legacy email publication?
A: This is a publication by the Office of Advancement established in July 2020 as a way to enable our alumni and friends to stay connected with the school and among each other. After working our way through design variations and publication frequency, we've managed to settle on consistent branding and cadence for bi-weekly issuance. Everyone should feel free to suggest future topics or offer content for sharing with the readership.
Q: Where do I send my contribution?
A: To the Office of Advancement, which is set up within the school for the purpose of cultivating donations, conducting fundraising and friend-raising activities and events, and sourcing non-tuition revenue for the school. The Association is not in competition with the school in a fundraising sense, but does raise funds for its own operations, primarily through the annual alumni golf outing, which has been operating for 27 years. Most of the money raised from this event, as well as other funds given to the Association by donors, ultimately pass through to the school in the form of gifts that enable the school to meet unanticipated costs or to fund needed purchases that are outside the school’s operating budget. This is why the Alumni Association is often referred to as the school’s ‘Guardian Angels’.
Q: Why are there two golf outings?
A: Each organization offers an annual golf event for fundraising related to its operations. We try to avoid competition between the events among golfers and sponsors, but certainly welcome overlap if support is offered to both. On the calendar, the Annual Alumni Outing comes up in June, while the school’s Black & Gold Golf Classic, in its 8th year, is offered in September. The events can be distinguished by their price points and venues, with the Association encouraging wider support among all caliber of golfers at a public course, whereas the B&G event is more exclusive due to its private course venue and limited field, which tends to draw the most avid of golfers.
Whatever your level of affinity for Hudson Catholic, you are sure to find enough to draw you back to alma mater by some combination of activities conducted by the Office of Advancement and the Alumni Association.
