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Updated: Friday, January 4, 2008
Published: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 |
NABJ Chapter Toolkit
Click here for the NABJ Professional Affiliate Chapter Audit
(Online Form) due Dec. 31, 2007
Across the country, our dozens of local chapters are the backbone of NABJ. They do excellent work on behalf of black journalists. All NABJ members are urged to join a local professional or student chapter, and help to serve. If there isn't a chapter near you, then help start one. Benefits of becoming an affiliate chapter are numerous.
NABJ chapters are affiliated with a progressive, professional association dedicated to journalism excellence and diversity in newsroom staffing and news coverage. However, please understand that as a public, non-profit organization, NABJ needs to keep our house in order. So we require chapters to be compliant with the association's procedures and policies to maintain NABJ's integrity and mission. To that end, here is a one-stop online resource intended to help build, revive, grow and elevate local chapters:
I. Becoming a Professional Chapter or Student Chapter
Learn about all of the mandates required at the time of application. For starters, there's an affiliate application form -- remember, incomplete applications will not be considered -- and a need for a constitution and/or bylaws. Here are sample bylaws for professional chapters and sample bylaws for student chapters.
II. Annual Professional Chapter Audits
(Postmark deadline: Dec. 31)
All affiliate professional chapters must satisfy an annual audit that involves submission of more than a dozen forms to the NABJ national office.
Review the Professional Affiliate Chapter Audit Checklist intended to help all chapters satisfy this mandate.
For starters, there are bonding and financial procedures to ensure against misuse of funds; a request for a chapter officers list to make sure local President and Vice President (s) must be FULL members and the remaining officers MUST be NABJ members, and a verification form checking to see that chapters, among other things, are holding regular meetings and communicating with their members.
III. Annual Student Chapter Audits
(Postmark deadline: Nov. 1)
Each student chapter must complete an audit to verify, among other things, that it holds regular meetings and has an advisor who is a journalism professor or a NABJ member.The deadline is November 1. Be advised, the audit checklist, chapter officers list and verification form for student chapters differ from those required for professional chapters. Download the Student Chapter forms and get more information here »
NOTE: Professional and student chapters failing to satisfy audit requirements will be decertified and will have to reapply for affiliation.
IV. Chapter Resources
The Council of Presidents is a standing NABJ committee comprised of chapter presidents. The Council fosters effective chapter management, develops strategies for chapters to recruit and retain members as well as raising funds for scholarships and other award programs. It also aggressively recruits members to NABJ and works to reach a consensus and make recommendations on how issues and concerns can be addressed and resolved within NABJ. The Council communicates with its members, other NABJ leaders and otherwise shares chapter-related news primarily via a dedicated listserve. To join the listserve, contact Council Chair _Steve Jefferson_.
NABJ Constitution
Regional Conference Policies and Procedures
IV. Professional Chapter Grants
NABJ bestows financial awards of up to $500 to professional affiliate chapters to encourage programs that will benefit local members and sustain NABJ's mission of community outreach. The fall deadline is October 1 and the spring deadline is February 15. (Winners are announced within 60 days of the deadlines.)
Here's a list of grant winners:
2007 Fall Chapter Grants
Arizona Association of Black Journalists - $215.36
Arizona Media Diversity Awards Ceremony and Operation Costs
Palm Beach Association of Black Journalists - $500
2008 Poetry Slam
Northwest Ohio Black Media Association - $500
Fund their Student Projects covering the MLK Classic
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