Nonprofit Chapter Starter Kit

Austin, TX · target charter date 90 days out · draft for the chapter lead

Chartering a new chapter runs in three phases: stand up governance first, open membership once officers are in place, then hold the first two events to activate the base. The thresholds below come straight from the handbook, so nothing here needs a separate approval you didn't already plan for.

Phase 1: Governance (Days 1–30).

• File the chapter charter application with National (Handbook §2.1). Requires a slate of at least three officers and a signed code of conduct.
• Seat a President, Treasurer, and Secretary by member vote; the Treasurer must complete the financial-controls acknowledgment (Bylaws Art. IV §3).
• Open the chapter bank account and register with National's insurance program (Handbook §5.4). This is the item new chapters most often forget.

Phase 2: Membership (Days 31–60).

• Publish the local dues rate within the National band of $40–$75 per year (Bylaws Art. III §2).
• Hit the 25-member minimum required to hold a chartered charter, not a provisional one (Handbook §2.3).
• Set up the roster in your member system and confirm dues are reconciling monthly.

Phase 3: First events (Days 61–90).

• Hold a public kickoff event; use the event-safety checklist and the co-branding rules in the brand guide (Handbook §7.2).
• Book one recurring monthly event so members have a reason to renew.

The two dates that gate everything else are the §2.1 charter filing and the 25-member threshold. If either slips, the 90-day charter date moves with it, so I'd put both on the calendar first.