Services Provided to APNA Chapters

Online Networking

1. Chapters will be provided with a community on Member Bridge for networking. A link to this community appears at the side of every Chapter website.  All members are automatically subscribed to their chapter community.
2. Chapter leadership is provided with a private community to conduct their business.

Online Meetings/Calls

1. The time and date are sent to chaptersupport@apna.org and APNA will set up online meetings for Chapter leadership.
2. An Outlook appointment is sent to participants with instructions on how to connect to the online video call.
3. Agendas can be sent to participants if provided by the Chapter leadership.
4. A reminder is sent the day before the call.
5. Upon the Chapter’s request, APNA will poll Chapter leaders for availability using the Chapter’s designated contact person’s available times.
6. Zoom is the platform for conference calls.

Emails to Chapters

1. APNA will send out emails on behalf of the Chapter to the Chapter’s members.
2. The Chapter must send the requested message text/document (including a contact name and phone number) to chaptersupport@apna.org.
3. Include the sender’s name, email address, and phone number in the message text. Messages going to all the members in a chapter need to come from the chapter President.
4. Non-member contacts can be included in your message if requested.
5. APNA requests a window of 2 – 3 days for the email to be sent, but if workload allows, it will be sent as soon as possible.
6. APNA will format the message and proof before sending out.
7. If an attachment is included it is uploaded to the APNA website after being proofed for formatting and correctness. If appropriate, if an email is provided for the purpose of promoting a Chapter event, the entry may be posted on the Chapter pages for the event.
8. If you wish to send to areas outside the chapter you must first obtain approval from that area’s Chapter President before sending information to their members.
9. Sending an email to a region within in the chapter:
   1. Records for the applicable region must be coded in our database in order for an email to be sent to that group of people. If the representative reviews a roster and indicates the areas in their region we can code the records.
   2. A regional representative may request an email to be sent. However, requests should be submitted as directed above to chaptersupport@apna.org with a carbon copy (cc) sent to the Chapter President.
   3. A message is assumed to be approved unless we are notified otherwise by the Chapter President within 24 hours.
   4. Requests will only be sent to the members in that region. Emails signed by a regional representative cannot be sent to the entire chapter.

Surveys

1. See APNA policy about Member Surveys.
2. The Chapter must send questions for the survey and message text to chaptersupport@apna.org.
3. The survey is constructed by APNA using online survey software.
4. APNA will send a total of three messages/reminders to the Chapter to get the highest response rate possible.
5. APNA will post an announcement to the Chapter’s web page along with a link to complete the survey.
6. Chapter leadership will be provided with a link to view the responses and a summary of the responses will be provided in spreadsheet format.

Assistance with Selection of Chapter Leaders

1. Call for Nominations
   1. The Chapter must first send a request for a Call for Nominations (including open positions and text for the e-mail message) to chaptersupport@apna.org.
   2. APNA will create a nomination form using online survey software.
   3. The Chapter web page will be updated with the selection information and a link to the response form.
   4. APNA will send a total of three messages to Chapter members who have not responded using the response form.
   5. APNA will review the list of candidates to make sure that each person is a current APNA member.
   6. APNA will send a summary of the results to the Chapter’s designated contact person along with the actual responses in spreadsheet format.
2. Ballot
   1. The Chapter must submit a list of candidates and candidate statements if they so desire.
   2. APNA will create the survey as an electronic form online.
   3. APNA will create a web page for the candidate statements.
   4. APNA will post selection information on the Chapter website with a link to the survey and to the candidate statements.
   5. APNA will send three messages to Chapter members reminding them of the response deadline.
   6. Once the polls close, APNA will check to make sure that all who responded are current APNA members.
   7. A summary of the results are sent to the Chapter’s designated contact person along with a spreadsheet of results.
3. Per the APNA Chapter Rules & Regulations, selected leader names will be submitted to the APNA Board of Directors for endorsement and approval.

Revitalization/Establishment

1. This service will be provided by APNA when members indicate an interest in the revitalization or establishment of a Chapter (see policy).
2. Interested parties should contact Chapter Support at chaptersupport@apna.org and express an interest in the revitalization process. A call with the Chapter & Council Support Manager will follow to cover general process and to ascertain continued interest in revitalization/establishment.  The next step is to hold a call between the Executive Director, Chapter & Council Support Manager, and all interested parties will be scheduled to discuss this process to include the Chapter Affiliation Agreement.
3. A Temporary Leadership Committee (TLC) of 3 to 5 people depending on chapter size is created. The committee decides upon a Chapter Leader.
4. The TLC submits a Chapter Affiliation Agreement signed by the Chapter Leader. If one was already in place, the agreement is reviewed.
5. Develop a chapter conference (for larger chapters) or to create regular meetings (for smaller chapters) that will include diverse geographic regions.
6. This committee will be in place for a year before elections will be held.

Liability Coverage

As an internal division of APNA, Chapter will be included under the umbrella of APNA’s general office liability insurance provided that Chapter complies with the terms of this Agreement and APNA has such insurance in effect for itself and for its chapters.

Finances

1. APNA will serve as the holder of chapter finances. This provides continuity when the chapter leadership changes.  The Banking Information document outlines the processes.
2. A Chapter Information Form should be submitted whenever there’s a change in chapter leadership. The form lets APNA know who can sign disbursement forms for the chapter. Typically this is the Chapter President and Treasurer.  However, there also needs to be a third person listed who can sign in the event that the Chapter President and Treasurer have expenses to submit.
3. Disbursement of chapter funds can be requested at any time using this form.
4. APNA will collect $0 for this service.
5. Monthly reports are issued on the 20th of every month and are emailed to the Chapter Leader and Treasurer.  Reports can be requested as often as needed.
6. As an internal division of APNA, the Chapter will be included under the umbrella of APNA’s tax-exempt status as long as the Chapter complies with the terms of this Agreement.

Meetings/Conferences

1. Space is provided at the APNA Annual Conference for face-to-face Chapter meetings.
2. APNA can handle the registration process for chapter conferences. Members will be able to register via the APNA website as they do for APNA conferences. Registration reports will be sent to the chapter.
3. Membership recruitment information is provided for use at Chapter meetings.

Board Development/Networking

1. Conference Calls: Calls are held with Chapter Presidents and President-Elects during the year as needed. This is an opportunity to get updates on APNA activities and for open discussion.
2. Networking with Other Chapter Leaders:
   1) A community on Member Bridge is available for Chapter leadership to share ideas and network with their peers.
   2) Time is set aside for a face-to-face meeting of Chapter leaders at the APNA Annual Conference.
3. Chapter Toolkit: Here’s a link to a virtual toolbox for running a Chapter.

Rosters/Database Management

1. Chapter rosters generated during the first week of the month and sent to the Chapter Leader.  These reports can also be generated as needed by the chapter leader.
2. New, Expired, and Reinstated Chapter memberships are noted on the report.
3. Regions can be coded in the APNA database. Chapter representatives can then contact chaptersupport@apna.org to request that e-mails be sent to their area.
4. Rosters do not include email addresses, but ANPA staff will facilitate sending emails to Chapter members.
5. Personalized e-mails can be sent to new Chapter members and to those with an expired membership. Requests should be sent to chaptersupport@apna.org along with the message text.

Member Recruitment

1. Membership recruitment and retention is an operational area handled by APNA staff. Members join and renew their membership to APNA (not the chapter) so it is the APNA national organization’s responsibility to maintain and recruit members. APNA staff have a developed membership retention strategy that is consistent with association management best practices.
2. Non-members can be included in any Chapter communication. If requested, a separate email can go out to them with a “Join Now” link.
3. Personalized e-mails can be sent to new Chapter members and to those with an expired membership. Requests should be sent to chaptersupport@apna.org along with the message text.
4. Membership information in PDF format is provided upon request for use at Chapter meetings or conferences.

Online Presence/Web Page

1. APNA will provide a main page for the Chapter as well as pages for Events, Bylaws, Leaders, Photos, and can personalize this for the Chapter’s needs.
2. Friendly URLs (ex: www.apna.org/Illinois) have been created for each Chapter.
3. We suggest you audit the chapter web pages periodically to see if updates are required. Changes are made upon request when edits are sent to chaptersupport@apna.org.

Revised 08.09.17