Are you an experienced Chapter Leader looking to further the reach of your chapter? Perhaps you’re a Chapter Volunteer who’s new to the role and wondering how best you can make the most of your chapter’s potential? Then you’re in luck, because this is the guide for you!
In this guide, you’ll learn how to optimize and leverage the guidelines you’ve been given by your association, how to make sure your chapter is flourishing and which tools and templates are essential to any successful chapter leader.
Your chapter can, (and will make some noise) and this is how to do it!
GETTING STARTED. IT’S AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3.
Are you starting your chapter from the ground up? Often, a successful chapter can be broken down into five categories. Let’s talk about what makes a healthy chapter, from day one.
GATHERING YOUR PEOPLE
The best way to build any chapter is to begin by gathering like-minded people who can help you out. These might be members, volunteers or other chapter leaders who are willing to lend a helping hand.
ESTABLISHING LOCAL INTEREST
Your chapter is only as strong as the people in it, so you’ll need to look into whether or not you can garner sufficient local interest. However, if the interest isn’t initially there, it’s not the end of the road. You’ll just have to work a little harder on your marketing; we’ll come to that later.
If you already have a chapter established, evaluating your engagement levels and potential interest from non-members should be on your radar.
REACHING OUT TO NATIONAL
All organizations should have a point-of-contact at the national level who looks after chapters. Find out who that is, and get in touch with them to validate and discuss the next steps you’ll need to take.
SHOUTING ABOUT YOUR CHAPTER
This is where the fun begins. Once you’ve established your chapter you can start to market it and grow your membership.
PLANNING SUCCESSFUL EVENTS
The final hurdle is a show-stopping event where you can launch your chapter, increase your membership and maximize your revenue. Events are a hugely valuable part of every chapter’s strategy, because chapters have the unique advantage of being part of their local community, giving them big potential in terms of networking.
If running an event seems like a big ask, don’t fear! We’ll take you through how to plan your first chapter event later in this guide.