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Company: West Point Association of Graduates, West Point, NY
Nomination Submitted by: Melissa Sones Consulting
Company Description: Founded in 1869, West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG), to which all graduates belong, is the Military Academy’s alumni association dedicated to furthering the ideals and the welfare of the Academy. WPAOG's vision to be “the most highly connected alumni body in the world,” building relationships with all graduates, many currently serving our country in its most dangerous zones worldwide.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Organization of the Year - Non-Profit or Government - Small
 Nomination Title: West Point Association of Graduates
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated organization since January 1 2020, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 200 words used.
Founded in 1869 West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) is the U.S. Military Academy’s alumni association and foundation, dedicated to furthering the ideals and promoting the welfare of the Academy, and supporting and serving its 54,627 living graduates, current cadets, surviving spouses and other family members of those who have died. In addition to the usual focus on fundraising, WPAOG extends a helping hand with the vision of being “the most highly connected alumni body in the world.” Fast forward to President/CEO Todd Browne, who has put WPAOG on the map for groundbreaking outreach; beautiful publications at a time when most have gone digital and heartfelt support programs. In 2018, WPAOG launched Grad Link. Call it West Point’s LinkedIn, it allowed graduates, including those stationed overseas, to “connect,” some for the first time. 8,830 signed up immediately. The Gripping Hands program was established to help graduates connect during catastrophic emergencies. And Surviving Spouse Engagement became the first alumni program to help this oft-ignored group have one-on-one contact with dedicated fellow graduates. By 2019’s end, WPAOG’s funds under endowment topped $422 million - from graduates who have come to see West Point as a second home.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the organization's achievements since the beginning of 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
Readiness has long been an Army motto; for WPAOG, Covid-19 was no exception. At a time when graduations were cancelled nationwide, West Point instead conducted an in-depth safety-protocol analysis and executing it at their in-person graduation. While guests were not permitted, WPAOG produced a video “to give them a front seat anyway.” Over 213 million people saw TV news segments using WPAOG's live-streamed video footage. 2021 saw another touchstone in the “Long Gray Line” when WPAOG published its biggest issue of TAPS (335 articles), the nation’s only alumni magazine featuring memorial articles honoring the deceased. So, too, WPAOG pivoted when its most important event – Founders Day, the annual celebration of the academy’s founding in 1802 and a tradition since then - faced Covid-related safety issues. Normally celebrated locally by WPAOG’s regional “Societies,” this time WPAOG took it over. 1750 attended including older participants who would never otherwise have participated. When, at 103 (Class of ’39), Francis Newcomer formally spoke, testimonials poured in. It was WPAOG’s largest virtual event. Todd Browne also knew Covid meant that businesses owned by graduate entrepreneurs were floundering, thus the intentionally in-person 2021 Entrepreneur Summit powered by alumni speakers from Apple, Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, among others. Participation went from 77 at the 2020 virtual event to 175 at 2021's in-person one. The Entrepreneur Shared Interest Group grew from 350 to 1250 graduates. A byproduct of this caring approach? Graduates voluntarily gave whatever was needed to support every WPAOG program, even during Covid.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
As alumni associations go, WPAOG’s mission is significant. As President/CEO Browne has said, “We face death a lot here because our graduates serve our country in the worlds’ danger zones. We serve them through unique support programs.” For WPAOG, to “pivot” is to serve this mission boldly. West Point had that rare live graduation; and in-person semesters from fall 2020 on. It conducted an in-depth safety-protocol analysis and executed it, the only campus to do so. Only WPAOG, in its special 2021 10th Anniversary issue of its West Point magazine took readers word-by-word down the hallways of its institution, warts and all, with disarming candor regarding the challenges of “Academics under Covid-19.” As Colonel David Lyle frankly stated in the issue, “we are very critical of ourselves, constantly evaluating and adjusting as conditions change.”
The Long Gray Line has always included keeping friends and family connected so when guests were not permitted at graduation, WPAOG created a “Pre-Graduation Video.” A whopping 213 million people viewed news segments of WPAOG's live-streamed footage on day one; then 105 million the next day and 51 million the next. In 2020 WPAOG turned its two-year-old Entrepreneur Summit into an ongoing monthly speaker series that benefited 900 entrepreneurs - even before its 2021 blockbuster took place. As for fundraising that “falls into place,” $152 million came in in gifts and pledges in 2021 alone, a year when donations often plummeted. This association and its mission are like no other.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 104 words used.
This nomination includes:
--WPAOG - general website link
--WPAOG's TAPS Magazine - PDF of It
--WPAOG Virtual Founders Day Agenda
--WPAOG Virtual Founders Day - video of Event Itself
--WPAOG - video of oldest grad speaking at Virtual Founders Day Celebration
--WPAOG - Pre-Graduation Video - link to It
--Entrepreneur Summit - Agenda
--Entrepeneur Summit - video of Entrepreneur Attendee Tyler Merritt and the remarkable work he's done reinventing face mask technology
--WPAOG's West Point Magazine - showing it's direct coverage of Covid-19 beginning in 2020 and leading up to its Anniversary coverage in 2021
--More on President Todd Browne - as background only
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