Start a Club Website

A website can be a great tool to increase your club’s brand, but only if you have the resources to maintain it on a regular basis! A website may be right for your club if you:

• Already have a club structure in place. This can include bylaws, a leadership team, and other elements as described in Wharton’s Minimum Standards for Wharton clubs. Full details can be found in the Club Manual.
  
  
• Have a minimum of one event, or other piece of new content, to share with alumni in your area on at least a quarterly basis.
  
  
• Have thoroughly considered your goals for a website. See “First Steps” in our Website Launch Checklist for ideas on developing goals for your club’s online presence.
  
  
• Have volunteers who can dedicate time to learning the website tools, keeping the website content updated on a regular basis, and responding to alumni who need help or have questions. We recommend selecting two individuals for this role. To learn more about what will be needed of a webmaster, click here. 

A website on the School’s platform offers a database of alumni in the region/affinity. This database receives regular data updates from the School. It also features email marketing, event registration tools, and tools for measuring activity and membership. Payment processing can also be integrated into the website to collect event registration fees and membership dues.

Yes. Our platform provides a nightly data sync between club websites and alumni data in the School’s records.

The time needed to launch a website varies greatly and can take anywhere from six weeks to four months. The length is largely dependent on the amount of time the club volunteers involved can dedicate to the project. A club president often has other club commitments and may not be the right candidate.

The required time and resources to maintain a website will depend on the activity level of your club. Volunteers can expect to spend 1-2 hours per week working on the website, at minimum.

First, your club must be formally recognized by the School. As a club, discuss general goals for what you would like to accomplish with your online presence, and your club’s available resources to launch and support a website. Once you’ve thought about the best option for your club, contact us to get started.

Many clubs, especially those with a smaller alumni base, find that a Facebook page or group is a low-maintenance way to meet their needs for an online presence. If interested, our Social Media Guide can help you get started.

Alternatively, Wharton offers a landing page website option. This is a page for your club that features contact information, an officer list, a welcome message to alumni and any links you would like to provide. Our office can create this for you, and there is no ongoing maintenance for your club. Contact us for more information.