Compiled by Ardis Bazyn, ACB Membership Chair
The January 28 focus call topic was “How your affiliate can handle social media.” Speakers were Katie Frederick, ACB of Ohio; Jeff Bishop, Blind Information Technology Specialists; Anthony Corona, Blind Pride International; Belinda Collins, ACB Community; and Dianna Leonard, Bay State Council of the Blind. Some tips presented are below.
- Have your mission in mind when posting.
- Decide which media sites to use (consider your readers).
- Post consistently.
- Link social media to your website.
- Find volunteers who can post relevant info.
The February 25 focus call topic was “How to apply and update an affiliate’s 501(c)(3).” Speakers were Nancy Becker, ACB CFO; Lisa George, Washington Council of the Blind; and Marie Brinas, ACB of Virginia. Valuable points mentioned are below.
- Documents needed to file for 501(c)(3) are financial reports, list of officers, affiliate constitution, and sometimes meeting minutes. When you go to IRS.gov, look for the 1023 form; what you need will be highlighted.
- Once established, make sure the nonprofit form is filed annually. Most affiliates can use the EZ form.
- If any affiliate wants to get a 501(c)(3), contact Nancy Becker in the Minneapolis office at (612) 332-4232.
The March 24 topic was “How to leverage membership in organizations supporting the blind.” Allan Peterson, North Dakota Association of the Blind, talked about how NDAB worked with the Lions Clubs in North Dakota. They asked Lions for grants to support their summer camp. The Lions Club assisted them with transportation to the summer camp, as well as other support. Bill Scholl and Andy Arvidson, Washington Council of the Blind, explained their efforts with the Knights of the Blind affiliated with Lions Clubs. They used a book called “Grandpa’s White Cane” to talk to students about blindness and what techniques blind people use. Cassie Trosper, Veterans of ACB, spoke of her contacts with the Blinded Veterans Association. She let them know the affiliate would assist any veterans who had recently lost their sight. Cassandra Jessie, Florida Council of the Blind, identified some blind sports organizations where members might participate and share membership benefits about their ACB affiliate. Some sports mentioned were beep baseball, Blind Golfers Association, American Blind Bowling Association, and blind soccer.
The April 28 topic was “Starting, maintaining, and expanding your state or special-interest affiliate.” Speakers were Frank Welte, president, California Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss, on starting an affiliate; Danette Dixon, president, Washington Diabetics in Action, on maintaining an affiliate; and Doug Powell, president, Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss, on expanding an affiliate. Frank Welte outlined the steps for starting an affiliate. First, find enough potential members for the proposed chapter or affiliate. Research constitutions of the affiliates you wish to join to learn what requirements these affiliates have for affiliation. Once you have more than the minimum number of people interested, appoint a committee or small group to take the next steps. Then, write a constitution. You can use the constitutions of affiliated chapters or affiliates. Find willing officers for the affiliate. Then, gather dues to send to the parent organization once you have the necessary documents. When you have all the paperwork and dues together, apply for affiliation with the parent organization(s). (See Frank’s article in the May 2024 issue of the Forum.)
Danette Dixon said affiliates and chapters should ask members what their interests are. Listen to members’ ideas about activities they’d enjoy. You can recommend possible speakers of interest to the affiliate. She said it’s important to follow the mission and create ongoing interest in the affiliate by having different activities and speakers.
Doug Powell listed some ways to expand an affiliate. Listing the year’s goals helps the affiliate focus. He suggested inviting members to make contacts for reaching specific goals. Asking numerous people to work on specific projects helped keep members interested. Other tips mentioned were making all feel welcome, asking for ideas from members, allowing members to volunteer for projects but making sure they have the attributes needed for committees or project work. If a member volunteers for an inappropriate project, suggest another committee or project.
All ACB Membership Committee “Membership Focus” calls are streamed and podcasted for listening later. Stay tuned for upcoming “Membership Focus” calls. If you have suggestions on topics, please send them to a member of the committee.