Dear Huskie Alumni –
Please note an exciting update regarding our membership program effective April 1, 2022: To offer the same benefits to all our alumni, while also forging tighter bonds with Huskies around the world, we have decided to discontinue the dues-paying portion of the membership program. This means that the same incredible benefits, discounts and access to partnerships that only paying alumni association members have enjoyed in the past will now be FREE to all alumni and friends starting in the summer of 2023.
Cardinal & Black members and Legacy members are still able to enjoy their same, exclusive benefits for the remainder of their term. Beginning in the summer of 2023 many of the benefits and discounts you receive, plus some new ones, will be available to you and all other alumni, for free when you create an account via myniu.com.
Moving forward, commencement will signify the beginning of automatic membership in the NIU Alumni Association, which will allow connection to more than 250,000 fellow alumni worldwide, as well as the all-alumni discounts and benefits.
While these discounts and benefits will soon be free to all, we recognize that our alumni may want to find other ways to give back to the University, and there are plenty of ways to do that!
• Volunteer – Giving your talents and time to Huskie students will help them achieve more and build our collective future for the better.
• Attend an Event – Stay connected to the University and with fellow Huskies by attending an upcoming event!
• Travel – Go on an adventure of a lifetime by taking a trip with the Alumni Association Travel Program LLC
• Give to the Northern Fund – Unrestricted donations allow the University to channel funds where they are needed most, taking advantage of more opportunities, and helping hard-working students in a timely way.
• Give to Scholarship Funds – Scholarships are so important to students, and hardships brought on by the current pandemic and economic difficulties only make these resources more necessary. Your generosity will allow for even more deserving students to receive the support they need to cross the finish line at graduation.
• Giving Societies – Giving societies bring NIU’s most passionate and dedicated alumni and friends together to keep the University moving forward through their generous support. You may consider joining one of our four societies:
• The Founders Forum recognizes, thanks and celebrates individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations with cumulative lifetime generosity of $50,000 or more.
• The Cornerstone Society recognizes those who have included Northern in their estate plans.
• The Leadership Society recognizes donors with cumulative annual gifts of $1,000 or more to any area of the University during the fiscal year (July 1-June 30).
• The Olive Goyle Society recognizes donors with consecutive fiscal year giving of more than three years of any amount to any area of the University.
To our current members, we thank you for your years of engagement and support. Together, we have dreamed of what our community of Huskies could accomplish, and each year, I am amazed at all we do to make positive change for students at NIU! It is because of your support that we are now able to move in this exciting new direction.
Sincerely,
Reggie Bustinza
Executive Director, Operations and Alumni Engagement
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the NIU Alumni Association decide to move from a dues-paying membership model to a free one?
After a year of research, data analysis and important discussions, we decided to move to an all-inclusive, free membership model to offer the same incredible benefits, discounts and access to partnerships to all alumni and friends. This change is a win-win for everyone involved! By moving to an inclusive membership, we can focus better on what really matters to our organization and Huskies worldwide: building connections and supporting NIU.
Since the new membership model is free to you, we recognize that you may want to give back to the University in other ways, and there are plenty of ways to do that!
• Volunteer – Giving your talents and time to Huskie students will help them achieve more and build our collective future for the better.
• Attend an Event – Stay connected to the University and with fellow Huskies by attending an upcoming event!
• Travel – Go on an adventure of a lifetime by taking a trip with the Alumni Association Travel Program LLC
• Give to the Northern Fund – Unrestricted donations allow the University to channel funds where they are needed most, taking advantage of more opportunities, and helping hard-working students in a timely way.
• Give to Scholarship Funds – Scholarships are so important to students, and hardships brought on by the current pandemic and economic difficulties only make these resources more necessary. Your generosity will allow for even more deserving students to receive the support they need to cross the finish line at graduation.
• Giving Societies – Giving societies bring NIU’s most passionate and dedicated alumni and friends together to keep the University moving forward through their generous support. You may consider joining one of our four societies:
• The Founders Forum recognizes, thanks and celebrates individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations with cumulative lifetime generosity of $50,000 or more.
• The Cornerstone Society recognizes those who have included Northern in their estate plans.
• The Leadership Society recognizes donors with cumulative annual gifts of $1,000 or more to any area of the University during the fiscal year (July 1-June 30).
• The Olive Goyle Society recognizes donors with consecutive fiscal year giving of more than three years of any amount to any area of the University.
Yes! Current Cardinal & Black members and Legacy members are still able to enjoy their same benefits for the remainder of their term. Starting in the summer of 2023 many of the benefits and discounts you receive now will be available to all alumni who graduated from Northern Illinois University, for free.
Starting in the summer of 2023, commencement will signify the beginning of automatic membership in the NIU Alumni Association. This will allow all graduating classes after April 1, 2022 access to the membership and free benefits.
Questions?
Please check if your question has been answered in our FAQs. If it has not, or you have any questions about the discontinuation of the paid membership, please contact Amy Ogden at aogden@niu.edu or 815-753-1449.