A TEMPLATE for the Annual Report 2015-2016

Affiliation with AMA Support Center (AMA National) requires that Collegiate Chapters remain current with their reports.

Some chapters, for various reasons, find the process of creating the annual Chapter Plan and Annual Report overwhelming. This could be due to a number of factors (a small number of chapter members, inexperience of the officers, the change in leadership of the chapter, etc.). The reason AMA Collegiate Chapters are required to prepare and submit the Plan and Report is because this PROCESS of creating the Plan and Report is a great way to build the sustainability of a collegiate chapter. As managers, we learn that the process of planning, implementing and reviewing our successes (and failures) provides a great safety net and really does help build a stronger organization. A collegiate chapter that makes the effort to PLAN is likely to be more successful in reaching its goals then a chapter that does not make a plan.

To aid collegiate chapters with this process of creating a Chapter Plan and Annual Report and fulfilling this basic requirements for affiliation with the AMA, a Word template has been created for chapters.

Completion and submission of this represents the MINIMUM reporting requirements of a chapter. The use of this template is intended for use by chapters which need some help getting started with the reporting process, or by chapters which have insufficient depth of resources for a richer Plan and Report.

NOTE- Chapters are encouraged to follow the instructions and Guidelines for preparing the CHAPTER PLAN and ANNUAL REPORT for content and style at https://www.ama.org/collegiate. (Chapter Reporting)

Starting the Process of Building the ANNUAL REPORT

The Annual Report covers the chapter's accomplishments and performance against its goals for the 2015-2016 academic year. The report adheres to the criteria and rules below. Remember, the Annual Report is judged according to the evaluation and achievement of the objectives as stated in the Chapter Plan.

At its core, a successful chapter ANNUAL REPORT clearly defines the accomplishments and measures these against the chapter’s plan. The Annual Report should reflect consideration of the successes and challenges faced by the chapter in executing its plan.

The collegiate chapter's annual report is due to the Collegiate Chapters Division of AMA Headquarters no later than NOON (CDT) February 17, 2016. Chapters electing to use the TEMPLATE are asked to submit at the new Wufoo upload link https://amaf.wufoo.com/forms/annual-report-and-verification-form-upload/

Chapters wishing additional assistance on the chapter planning process should contact Kyle Hernandez, Manager of Collegiate Chapters, (312.542.9077). A member of the AMA Collegiate Chapters Council will contact the chapter and/or a mentor chapter can be assigned.


Annual Report Template

Follow this outline to complete the chapter’s ANNUAL REPORT. Alternatively, the chapter may use the TEMPLATE created for the CHAPTER PLAN as the BASIC FRAMEWORK for the ANNUAL REPORT; in this case chapters add reports of results (both challenges and successes) by merely updating the PLAN FILE.

When the chapter is ready to submit the Annual Report (no LATER than NOON CST, Wednesday, February 17, 2016), the template should be converted to a PDF for submission to Collegiate Chapter Management:

·  The PDF file of the chapter Annual Report and verification form must be saved with the following file name sequence: Full School Name_2015_2016 Annual Report (Example: University of Northern Colorado, Monfort College of Business_2015_2016 Annual Report .PDF and University of Northern Colorado, Montfort College of Business_2015_2016 Annual Report Verification Form. PDF).

·  One (1) electronic PDF copy of the Annual Report and One (1) electronic PDF copy of the Annual Report Verification form must be submitted via the Wufoo link below:

https://amaf.wufoo.com/forms/annual-report-and-verification-form-upload/

A.  Name of Chapter and Official University Name:

B.  Summary

In a brief statement (no more than several paragraphs), summarize or outline the chapter’s activities for the year highlighting major accomplishments and successes.

As this is an overview, it should be written after all the functional areas have been addressed; this will allow a chapter to get a better picture of the overall performance of their chapter. Challenges (opportunities for improvement) should be addressed too; if the chapter faced some tough conditions or situations, discuss these so that it’s clear the chapter has learned from these experiences.

Overview of the Chapter’s Performance (assess both the positive and negative aspects of the year):

Discuss major challenges faced by the organization (and how these were addressed):

Boast about the success of the chapter in meeting (or surpassing) planned goals and objectives. Where possible, add METRICS to add power to the discussion. For example, membership increased by 50%, from to 20-30 members.

C.  Evaluate Functional Performance of the Chapter

Using the template (below) or the one created for the CHAPTER PLAN, evaluate the performance of the chapter against its plans; evaluate for success and challenges while expressing what was learned and gained. Think of the Annual Report as a summary of “what worked, what didn’t, and WHY”. This document will then provide institutional knowledge which chapter leadership can share with its next group of leaders so that subsequent plans can be stronger and more successful.

1.  Professional Development

Describe and evaluate programs or activities specifically designed to advance the professional skills and development of members including emphasis on examining the ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. Be as specific as possible in stating the target market and goals of the events. Details of strategies to achieve these goals are most helpful; strategies may include, but are not limited to, speaker programs, career skills workshops (e.g., resume writing, interview skills, etiquette programs, etc.), participation in the AMA competitions (e.g., AMA case competition, Marketing Week, website competition, etc.), marketing research activities and AMA Certificate Programs.

2.  Community and Social Impact
Discuss programs and activities that demonstrate the chapter’s commitment to the greater community in which it operates (e.g., the larger campus community, the local community, national philanthropies) and the social impact of these efforts. Although we encourage all altruistic and philanthropic initiatives, significantly higher points in this category will be allocated to chapters with Community and Social Impact efforts that utilize their marketing skills and how these skills contribution to society’s overall quality-of-life. Creation and social media sharing of a video in the Best Video for Community and Social Impact competition is one way chapters can use their marketing skills for social impact. Be sure to discuss if the chapter plans to mentor other AMA chapters. Please be aware that Annual Report judges are instructed to give much greater weight to community service with significant marketing and professional development elements. This includes activities that have a significant impact in the community and people’s lives.

3. Fundraising

Evaluate the fundraising programs conducted by the chapter; include profitability analysis as well as examine the contribution of these activities to other goals/objectives (e.g., professional development, chapter cohesion, etc.) of the chapter. Remember, Chapters are encouraged to schedule events that utilize members’ marketing skills to raise funds and to discuss this in the report.

4.  Membership

Analyze the chapter membership (totals) as well as the membership mix (consider Year – i.e. freshman, sophomore, junior, seniors or gender). Assess membership trends over time (are membership numbers growing, or declining, are members renewing?) and seek to explain and evaluate the chapter's membership recruitment and engagement strategies. Analysis should review efforts to recruit new members, as well as retaining members and increasing the involvement of members in chapter activities (e.g., promotions and incentives).

As AMA bylaws require, a chapter’s membership numbers must reflect that all chapter members are student members at the AMA Support Center level. If unsure of the chapter’s membership numbers please email to receive a current roster.

5.  Internal/External Communications

Describe the promotional programs and internal communications of the chapter and evaluate how these were implemented; activities can include electronic initiatives (e.g., websites, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) as well as traditional communications (printed newsletters, posters, flyers, etc.). Be sure to include an evaluation of efforts and successes at achieving the chapter’s communication goals; specifically discuss activities directed toward external constituents (speakers, employers, alumni, etc.).

6.  Chapter Operations

Describe and analyze the management strategies and activities of the collegiate chapter; these include management functions such as planning, coordinating, controlling, officer transition strategies, organizing the chapter and chapter activities. Organizational structure and officer training programs may be discussed.

A summary of financial results should be included and results should illustrate income by source, expense by major category, and beginning and ending balances. There should be consistency between the Budget in the Chapter Plan and the Financial Statement in the Annual Report; the opening figure in both documents should be the same. Major variances from the chapter plan should be explained. A separate template was provided for the Chapter Plan, this can be updated with actuals (another template is provided here).

Two Notes:

About scheduling Chapter Activities - So that the report is as complete as possible, chapters should seek to plan the majority of the chapters' activities prior to the report submission date. Certainly, not all activities can be completed prior to the report date, but a majority of the activities should be completed or in evaluation phase.

Other Criteria:

1.  Where possible, use metrics and numbers throughout the annual report to communicate the chapter’s performance against the chapter plan.

2.  Comparing PLANNED goals/objectives against ACHIEVED or ACTUAL numbers or results; this will provide an opportunity to assess the chapter’s success and opportunities for chapter improvement. This doesn’t mean that activities which didn’t not in the plan should be ignored; include them in the Annual Report but explain why the chapter deviated from plan (maybe a great opportunity arose which fit with the chapter’s mission).

3.  Chapters may use appendices to display additional material; annual reports may include multiple tables/charts/ figures on a single page, but consider how this might affect report readability. Note: Each page counts as one page of the annual report and pages must not exceed 8½” x 11” page size limit.

4.  Font size must be 10 or greater; a 12 point font is preferred.

Chapters may use the CHAPTER PLAN template used previously and simply add the two extra columns (“Evaluate the Success” and “What was Learned”) or the following template may be used.

Fill in the table with a listing of any activities which had been planned (and if there was an activity not originally planned, add those activities). Be honest in evaluating the chapter’s success (if it was a HIT and well above expectations – give it “three thumbs up out of four” or “4 stars out of 5” or a “score of 4 on a scale of 1-5”) but equally as important, reflect on what the chapter learned about the activity; is it something the chapter should do again? Could it do it better? Should it plan it differently, etc. Did the activity build, strengthen or polish member’s marketing skills? Did it provide a professional development or networking opportunity? Did it raise the profile of your school or chapter in the community (did you do well by doing good)?

Area / Specific Goal / Action Plan and Date for Completion / Evaluate the Success of the Activity or Event (use a scale or rating ( i.e. star rating or number) / What was Learned by the chapter in implementing this activity? Would the chapter repeat this activity or change it?
Professional Development
Community and Social Impact
Fundraising
Membership
Internal Communications (anything targeted to existing members)
External Communications
(anything targeted to stakeholders)
Chapter Operations

Include an income statement evaluated against the PLAN. Remember, an income statement tracks the money coming in and going out of the organization (inflows are membership dues, sponsorships or donations from corporate sponsors, allocations from your school or university; outflows include payment of membership dues to AMA International Headquarters, payment for office supplies or fund raising supplies, copying of flyers or printing of posters).

Income Statement (Comparing Budget to Actual)
Budgeted
(FROM PLAN) / ACTUAL
ITEM / INFLOW / OUTFLOW / INFLOW / OUTFLOW
Total each column, Subtract the Outflow total from the Inflow total / Net Income ACTUAL ONLY


The PDF file of the chapter Annual Report and verification form must be saved with the following file name sequence: Full School Name_2015_2016 Annual Report (Example: University of Northern Colorado, Monfort College of Business_2015_2016 Annual Report .PDF and University of Northern Colorado, Montfort College of Business_2015_2016 Annual Report Verification Form. PDF).

·  One (1) electronic PDF copy of the Annual Report and One (1) electronic PDF copy of the Annual Report Verification form must be submitted via the Wufoo link below:

https://amaf.wufoo.com/forms/annual-report-and-verification-form-upload/