1. Women’s university Club of Seattle
Founded in 1914
Sixth and Spring Street

2. The premier club in Seattle for dynamic, educated women
Mission
To form a closer union of university women in order to promote outstanding educational, cultural and social activities
Vision
The premier club in Seattle for dynamic, educated women

3. Purpose Programs Interest Groups Fine Dining
To offer classes, social activities and dining for members, guests and spouses.
Offerings: Classes
book reviews, film, poetry, classical literature, religions of the world, philosophy, bridge, mah jong,
foreign languages, creative writing, computing, current events, watercolor, oil painting
Programs
international/national/local speakers and performances
Interest Groups
antiques, investments, family activities
Fine Dining

4. Member Only Private Club
College educated and/or professional women of all ages.
Spouses are considered members and regularly attend classes and events, but do not have voting rights.
Thirty staff members: Executive manager, controller, bookkeeper, office staff, housekeepers, kitchen and dining staff.

5. Demographics
Number of Members
Age in Years

6. Organizational Structure
Most private clubs are classified as “Social and Recreational Clubs” and
organized under Federal Tax code 501(c)(7).
According to the IRS a private club is:
Organized for pleasure, recreation, and other non-profitable purposes;
Substantially all of the activities are for such purposes;
No part of the net earnings inures to the benefit of any private member and
The club does not have a written policy which discriminates against individuals seeking membership based on race, color, or religion.
The advantage to this form of organization is that clubs are exempt from federal income tax.
Examples of Private Clubs: City Clubs, Dining Clubs, Golf and Recreational Clubs.

7. IRS Limitations on 501 (c) (7) Org.
The IRS has imposed challenging limitations on 501(c)(7) clubs:
Club cannot be a “public facility.”
There are limitations on the amount of “Non-member” or “Non-traditional” revenues a club can earn.
Private clubs need to be careful in regards to advertising to the public for membership.
Non-members must be guests of members in order to attend club events.
Membership is by invitation. This requires a potential member to fill out an application.
No part of the organization's net earnings inures to the benefit of any member.
A Club should not do something on its website that it would not do in print. Thus, advertising or discussion of club events should be done in a “Member’s Only” password-protected format.

8. CURRENT USE OF MEDIA Email In House Internet
Printed Member Newsletter (hardcopy) or E-Newsletter
Electronic Reader Board
Bulletin Board
Poster Boards
Internet
Website
Public
About Us/Private Events/Guest information/ Contact Us/Members Only
Members Only
Calendar/Newsletter/Directory/Bulletin Board/Photos/Class & Event Info/Accounts/Club Info (Directory, Forms, Bylaws)/Staff/Buddy Lists
Blasts Highlighting Upcoming Events(bimonthly)
Club Communications to Members as Needed
Personal Communications (member to member)

9. WEBSITE DEVELOPER MembersFirst Maintains website
Recently developed a mobile app (we do not have this app, as yet.)
New website design with extra features currently in process; we hope to implement this new design this summer.

10. Private Club & Social Media
Private clubs present a unique challenge in the area of Social Media:
Conservative by nature (resistant to change)
Social Clubs often value privacy & exclusivity
Changing demographics: younger generation communicates differently than older members. Younger members use social media more. Older members are not as familiar with social media.
IRS restrictions

11. Issues for Student Group
Private clubs need to increase member satisfaction and increase membership. How can social media enhance what private clubs offer their members and how can social media increase the visibility of private clubs in the surrounding community while adhering to 501 (c) (7) status restrictions? The Women’s University Club would also like to decrease the median age of our membership by attracting younger members.
Measure success by increasing membership above current expectations. Decrease of median age. Increase of visibility in the community.
We can do outside business (15%), so we want the community to think of us for their events: weddings, etc. We need an online presence.

12. Students Will Need To:
Familiarize themselves with the organizational culture of the Women’s University Club.
Learn the legal/professional restrictions of 501 (c) (7) organizations.
Develop a plan for the Women’s University Club to maximize the benefits of social media usage, while adhering to IRS restrictions.

13. Advantages of Working with the Women’s University Club as a Social Media Project
Many private businesses already have technology people on staff to help direct their social media projects. For the large part, private clubs are an underdeveloped/untapped market for social media experts. Social media experts are in high demand as private clubs begin to explore their options.

14. CONTACTS
EXECUTIVE MANAGER: Judy Donnelly, PRESIDENT Bonnie Miller, MEMBERSHIP TRUSTEE Pam Riem, PUBLICATION TRUSTEE Sheri Bloch,