University of Michigan Soft Launch ProspectusJanuary 2015

Carly FoxMarketing

Hannah WilliamsInfrastructure

Kelly CrossonEducation

Erika SilwakEducation

Mary GreslaFundraising

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Personal Goals and Expectations..............................................................page 1II. Infrastructure.............................................................................................page 2-3 i. Goals and Expectation -Finances -Budget -Logistics ii. TimelineIII. Fundraising..............................................................................................page 4 i. Goals and Expectations ii.TimelineIV. Education.................................................................................................page 5-6 i. Goals and Expectations ii.TimelineV. Marketing..................................................................................................page 7-10 i.Goals and Expectations ii. TimelineVI. Soft Launch Ideas...................................................................................page 10-13

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Personal Goals and Expectations..............................................................page 1II. Infrastructure.............................................................................................page 2-3 i. Goals and Expectation -Finances -Budget -Logistics ii. TimelineIII. Fundraising..............................................................................................page 4 i. Goals and Expectations ii.TimelineIV. Education.................................................................................................page 5-6 i. Goals and Expectations ii.TimelineV. Marketing..................................................................................................page 7-10 i.Goals and Expectations ii. TimelineVI. Soft Launch Ideas...................................................................................page 10-13

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Personal Goals and Expectations

Hannah Williams• Establish a safe, fun environment associated with the club• Improve my own financial literacy which will allow success in my future coursework, career, and life• Communicate with all undergraduate women and faculty to develop a network of passionate women dedicated to making a difference now and in the future• Create a strong foundation for the club that can realistically be built upon by our successors and be come a symbolic club at the University

Carly Fox• Get the word out about SWS to prospective members in a variety of areas across campus, especially utilizing connections with students in creative fields who could benefit from investment knowledge• Prepare marketing materials for events and manage our social media presence • Manage Google Drive and upload/accessibility of documents/resources

Mary Gresla• Increase women’s investment knowledge on campus to achieve greater financial equality among genders• Recruit interesting and credible speakers to address our new members in an effective way

Kelly Crosson• Increase my own knowledge of investment do’s and don’ts• Share the importance of female participation in investment education with the entire University of Michigan community, particularly encouraging students outside of the business community to expand their extracurricular horizons• Learn valuable information from prospective speakers at future SWS events

Erika Sliwak• Develop SWS presence and reputation on campus• Provide women with the necessary tools to make informed financial decisions• Make a positive change instituted on campus in my year and a half remaining at the University of Michigan• Allow women to feel comfortable entering the world of finance

Team’s Chapter Vision• Emphasize the importance of investment education among women of all academic interests.• Differentiate ourselves from other investment, women, and business-related organizations on campus.• Recruit members that genuinely care about the betterment of women’s investment education for the future and will remain active for the duration of their time at Michigan.

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Infrastructure - Hannah Williams

Duties: The infrastructure team, led by Hannah Williams, will ensure all operational aspects of the organization run smoothly. From acquiring university recognition to reserving room space for meetings, our infrastructure team will focus all of their attention on the operations so the other teams can focus on their tasks without worrying about the minor details.

Goals and Expectations

FinancesAppoint a Treasurer to head a team responsible for the following:• Open a checking account with the $200 stipend from SWS nationals• Input due amounts on our page on Maizepages, (our University’s club management website) o Safe, easily accessible and manageable system that students are accustomed to using• Track all transactions within the organization and keep records from the inception of the club onward• Reimburse members for club expenses they initially took upon themselves• Maintain a healthy budget and continuously update the categories as the club evolves• Open an investment fund at the appropriate stage of club development (after we have been running successfully for one year)

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Logistics Appoint a secretary to head a team responsible for the following:• If accepted, undergo the process of gaining official recognition as a club at the University of Michigan• Create and update a monthly SWS calendar with upcoming events, deadlines, and members’ birthdays that is readily accessible at all times to prospective members on our shared Google Drive• Book meeting spaces at the beginning of each semester to ensure we can schedule consistent meeting times that will result in a more reliable turnout o Take notes and update minutes after each meeting o Create summaries of each speaker series• Work with fundraising in team to get refreshments and food for meetings

Timeline

• Week of February 1 and 8 o Open up checking account o Submit New Organization Application to Michigan Center for Campus Involvement (CCI)• Week of February 15 o Once approved by CCI, establish SWS Maizepage detailed with organization description, mission statement, and membership fees• Week of February 22 o Recruit ten enthusiastic members to join SWS Maizepages in order to gain formal recognition from University of Michigan as an organization (initial members will be exempt from membership dues during Soft Launch phase)• Week of March 1 o Schedule meeting with CCI representative to discuss rates and permissions, as well as funding options, that Michigan offers to new organizations on campus (this information will not be made available to us until we gain formal recognition)• Week of March 8 o Create tentative calendar on Google Drive for prospective new members (attracted through marketing efforts) and invite them via email database• Week of March 15 o Meet with Ross School of Business Career Services advisor to consider potential room reservation options as a non-Ross affiliated organization. Given that four of our five founding members are business students, we imagine this will be acceptable. o Additionally meet with CCI representative to further discuss room reserving options else where on campus to cater to various amounts of women, given that we are not sure how many members we will have yet. • Week of March 22 and 29 o Conclude SL events and do a final review and reflection. o Submit final Soft Launch Prospectus to SWS National pending approval

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Fundraising - Mary Gresla

Goals and Expectations

Duties: The fundraising team, led by Mary Gresla, will work with businesses and persons with-in our community to organize events beneficial for both them and us. With these extra funds, we will be able to organize various events in addition to meetings, such as trips to Detroit and Chicago or dinners with professionals.

• By enacting reasonable, new member and returning member chapter dues, we will not have to rely as heavily on fundraising. A growing trend on campus is for underclassmen to join organizations for the purpose of adding to their resumes, as opposed to contributing to the organization. A membership fee will ensure that all members truly care about Smart Woman Securities and will devote the time and effort to get the most out of their investment in the program. • The majority of campus organizations involve a membership fee, and without one, we may attract half-committed prospective members. • Contact local businesses to serve as our sponsors in exchange for food or monetary donations.• These extra funds will be used to support extra opportunities and perks for our members, not to support the main functioning of our organization. o Extra opportunities could include various career treks to either Detroit or Chicago. o Perks could include snacks at meetings, networking dinners, or prizes for competitions.

Timeline

• Week of February 1 o Meet with other campus groups to learn about how they have fundraised in the past and businesses they have worked with• Week of February 8 o Create a standardized letter/email that will be used to reach out to local businesses and inquire about fundraising opportunities and/or monetary donations• Week of February 15 and 22 o Begin meeting with interested businesses for fundraising opportunities

• Week of April 5 and 12 o Hold Executive Board meeting to discuss successes and failures of Soft Launch Phase and brainstorm ways to make transition to campus as seamless as possible• Week of April 19 o Schedule final meetings with Executive Board and mentors to finalize goals and expectations to be carried out over the summer and hopefully implemented in the fall o Set up conference call with existing chapter in the surrounding area (Midwest) to debate new ideas and receive valuable advice about successful events and standards to consider for the fall

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o Schedule meetings with organizations (academic/volunteer/Greek life) on campus to speak about possibly co-host fundraising events in fall• Week of March 1 o Inquire about food donations from lo Pizza House, Amer’s, Zingermann’s, Salads Up, Noodles and Company, Chipotle, and Burgerfi• Week of March 8 o Pending university approval, request rates and grants from Center for Campus Involvement to begin adjusting budget• Week of March 15 o Assess our financial status as we acquire information about fundraising opportunities, grants, and donations• Week of March 22 and 29 o Consult with faculty advisors to ensure budget is feasible for our launch• Week of April 5 and 12 o Work to maintain relationships with potential sponsors and fundraisers to ensure funding opportunities will exist in the Fall• Week of April 19 o Meet with leaders of other student organizations to discuss their success and failures throughout fundraising processes o Finalize adjusted budget after communication with other chapters and Executive Director• Week of April 26 o Keep in touch with interested businesses in the summer and contact them if we become an official chapter

Education - Erika Sliwak, Kelly Crosson

Goals and Expectations

Duties: Coordinate the speaker series and the educational track following. We will also pair mentors with mentees (second year of existence) to ensure a smooth transition between years and a closer knit group.

• Contact potential speakers via connections to the Ross faculty, MBA network, and the Ross alumni database. • Develop lasting, professional relationships with mentors and faculty with access to helpful resources and valuable advice.• Put together a sample of materials for potential speakers so that they have a sound idea of what they will be responsible for educating prospective SWS members.• Hold meetings with potential candidates that will serve as interviews for potential speaker candidates. • Contact other chapters and inquire about their experience transferring the curriculum from the SWS infrastructure to the handouts and speakers’ lectures.

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Timeline

• Week of February 1 o Reach out to the Ross School of Business alumni database, MBA network, and Ross faculty o Create a spreadsheet with possible speakers names and contact information• Week of February 8 o Develop a standardized email to be sent to all prospective speakers that explains who we are, what our mission is, and what they can contribute to the success of our club• Week of February 15 o Gauge interest and see if we need to reach out to more potential candidates or if we have a sufficient amount (~10) o Develop a packet of sample information/lectures (provided by SWS) to give the prospective speakers a better sense of what they will be working with o Finalize educational topics so we can clearly communicate expectations to prospective speakers• Week of February 22 o Begin contacting those interested to schedule meetings to further discuss our expectations and clarify any questions they have about the program• Week of March 1-15 o Continue meetings with interested candidates while gauging their interest, commitment, and specific topic knowledge• Week of March 15 o Begin reaching out to possible mentors through the Michigan Business Women MBA chapter and other MBA clubs o Continue meetings with interested candidates• Week of March 22- April 5 o Continue meetings with interested candidates• Week of April 5 o Narrow list of prospective speakers down to 5 strong candidates that can most likely commit to speaking for a 3-week time span and match them with the topics they are most knowledgeable about o Make a definitive plan to carry out the SWS curriculum by assigning specific topics to certain weeks• Week of April 12 o Schedule one speaker (most likely a professor who knows they will be in Ann Arbor) who can commit to speaking for September• Week of April 19 o Develop a system for matching mentees to mentors • Week of April 26 o Maintain relationship with prospective speakers over the summer and get a general sense of their availability as the summer progresses o Assign responsibilities to assess educational resources over the summer

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Marketing - Carly Fox

• Post on boards within Angell Hall, the Union, Pierpont Commons, and the Stamps School of Art and Design (the first two are located on the university’s Central Campus and the latter two are located on North Campus, which is primarily occupied by freshmen students). o We recognize that women who may be interested in joining SWS are located in various areas and schools across the campus, so we know that it will be beneficial to cover major sites.• Attach informational sheets to outdoor posting boards in Diag and Union, where high levels of student activity occur.• Hand out quarter sheets and flyers in the Diag (a central campus location) and chalking on the Diag sidewalks before events (a popular form of advertising for the Michigan community in this area).• Market online via social media such as our Facebook page, emailing list serves, posting on University of Michigan-affiliated pages (such as class pages, the Stamps School of Art and Design, and the Ross School of Business and other pages for different areas of study within the university). o Sample post: Do you wish you knew more about investing? Get out of your comfort zone and expand upon your financial knowledge, which is applicable to any field of study! Come out to Smart Woman Securities upcoming event to learn more about how to manage your personal finances and prepare for an exciting future. No experience necessary, and all female students are welcome! • While we will most definitely target investment and business-related groups for prospective members, a major team marketing goal is to reach a wide variety of students with diverse majors, backgrounds, and interests.• We see major marketing opportunities at business business-related events because we believe that students interested in entering the study of business will also be interested in SWS. • We are targeting relatively younger individuals (freshman and sophomores) because we think that they will be the most eager and interested about getting and staying involved for a longer period of time. At these various sessions, we plan on handing out flyers/quarter sheets advertising the club as well as information about our planned meetings and events.• Additionally, we would like to emphasize to undergraduate women that investment education is important for all women, regardless of the degree they are currently pursuing. We will be sure to cover a wide range of majors. • Once we become registered, we will have an established page on Maize Pages that will increase our exposure to anyone browsing the web for women’s rights, activities to join.

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Timeline

• Week of February 1 o Figure out which co-sponsorship ideas are feasible• Week of February 8 o Target prospective members by attending a business school information dedicated to freshmen on February 10th and one focused on applicants for the minor in business on February 12th• Week of February 15 o Layout designs for vinyl banner, posters, and other handouts• Week of February 22 o Finalize designs of promotional items and place orders for materials• Week of March 1 o Schedule meeting with Student Organization Resource Center to explore advertising funding options through University of Michigan• Week of March 8 o Sit down with Fundraising Chair to discuss advertising funds available• Week of March 15 o Distribute flyers to women interested in business at the Michigan Business Women Ross School of Business Application Review• Week of March 22 o Post flyers on surrounding posting boards on high trafficked areas of campus• Week of March 29 o Distribute flyers to women of all majors at the minor in business information session on March 31st

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• Week of April 5 o Reach out to the staff of the Michigan Daily newspaper and inquire about advertising opportunities for SWS• Week of April 12 and 19 o Finalize formatting in Facebook group and other social media channels to prepare for informational posts over summer to attract new members• Week of April 26 o Maintain relationship with Student Organization Resource Center over the summer and focus attention on the social media aspects of marketing to ensure a strong turnout at the start of Fall semester

(Right image)Sample double-sided quarter sheet we havecreated for a hypothetical event that we would hand out to students

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Soft Launch Ideas

1. Distributing flyers to women at:• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Information Session - January 28 • BBA Application Workshop - February 10 • Minor in Business Information Sessions - February 12 & March 31• Michigan Business Women Ross School of Business Application Review - March 18th

2. Advertise for and hold two information sessions in early February to gauge interest and increase presence on campus among undergraduates.

3. Due to the fact that we cannot attend the Winter Activities Fair (Winterfest took place on January 13th), we will have to make direct appeals to specific organizations on campus. Most academic, vol-unteer, and Greek life groups meet weekly, so preparing a short pitch to deliver would be an easy way to target prospective members.

4. Pair with Ross School of Business Mentorship Program to expand resource base for prospective members. Using a general interests survey, we will manually match mentors with mem-bers in the Fall. During the Soft Launch phase, we would establish slightly less direct, but meaningful connections between the mentors and prospective members to demonstrate a sense of community. We will consider both men and women for mentor positions.

5. Recruit a speaker and host a short seminar highlighting the importance of investment knowledge for women. This would give prospective members a good idea of how the seminar series will be run and will also gauge interest. Emphasizing the lack of investment knowledge on campus will motivate women to seek investment education when SWS is brought to campus pending approval.

6. Co-sponsoring an event with an organization that already has a well known presence on campus such as the Center for Campus Involvement (CCI), which hosts the PROFS (Professors Reaching Out For Students) series each semester, where they bring in professors from different academic backgrounds to host lectures on interesting, relevant topics in their fields. This will be an inexpensive, easy way to attract students to SWS, which will of course have a lecture component similar to PROFS.

o Another event hosted by CCI is the annual Finals Survival Breakfast, which is well-attended by close to 1,000 students and happens near the end of the semester on April 24. We could easily have a booth at this event in order to spread club awareness. o Another alternative option is to co-sponsor a philanthropic event with the Panhellenic Council at Michigan, given that a large portion of our university participates in Greek Life. This would allow us to reach a large community of women (roughly 3,000) to communicate details.

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o Co-sponsoring an event may also be possible with the student organization DECA, a business interest club which is an educational resource for students hoping to get into business programs here at the university and/or enter business fields. For this reason, we imagine that many of its members would be enthusiastic about SWS as well.

7. Plan a social event for prospective members to get to know Executive Boards and voice any concerns or questions they may have about Smart Woman Securities. This may involve ice cream, a light dinner, or other options depending on to what extent local businesses would like to contribute to the Soft Launch events.