Chapter Operations 101: Understanding ONS Requirements for Chapters and CHIPs Brian Taylor, CAE Manager, Chapter Relations

Did You Know? There are eleven (11) minimum requirements chapters must meet in order to receive their annual charter ONS Board of Directors review all chapters for charter compliance (March each year)

What are the 11 Requirements? Maintain a roster of at least 25 ONS members (current year’s dues paid) Submit a completed Annual Chapter Report by January 31 each year Submit a completed Annual Treasurer Report by January 31 each year Have paid the previous year’s charter renewal fee Have sent at least one (1) chapter board member to the annual Chapter Leadership Workshop (formerly Mentorship Weekend) to represent the chapter and participate in the workshop Hold an election by mail or ballot insuring that each member has one vote

What are the 11 Requirements? Elect a minimum of three (3) officers: President, President-elect or Vice-president, and Secretary/Treasurer (Secretary and Treasurer may be separate positions)* Elect (or appoint) Committee Chairs for the three (3) required standing committees: Membership, Nominating, and Program* Hold a minimum of four (4) meetings of the Board of Directors each year Hold a minimum of four (4) meetings of the membership each year. One meeting must include a business meeting Maintain a form of communication between the chapter and the membership: meeting announcements or newsletters * These six (6) required positions must be separate individuals who meet the ONS membership grade requirements

And What Are the CHIP Requirements? CHIP: ‘Chapter In Progress’ – the required first- phase before becoming a chapter Must have at least 15 members to get started Two-year probationary period, and during that time the CHIP must grow to at least 25 members Must have a designated CHIP leadership team in place, to include president, treasurer, program chair and membership (minimum)

And What Are the CHIP Requirements? CHIPs do not receive member dues reimbursements during the 2-year probation, but will receive all applicable dues reimbursements upon successful completion of 2-year period During the 2-year probationary period, CHIPs are required to adhere to all 11 Chapter Minimum Requirements (exception: 15 minimum members) CHIPs are required to apply for full-charter status the year immediately following their two-year probationary period

Relationship of Chapters to ONS National ONS and all chapters are classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit ‘business league’ organization, NOT a 501(c)(3). ONS is not a charitable organization Chapters do not file separate federal tax returns – ONS national files one return for the organization (includes chapter information) Some states require chapters to file a state tax return

Relationship of Chapters to ONS National All chapters are required to have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) ONS is incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania The ONS national Board of Directors oversee all chapter policies and procedures, including the annual chapter charter review process ONS Board reserves the right to disband or revert chapters back to CHIP status for non-compliance of the 11 minimum chartering requirements

Universal Chapter Membership Went into effect July 1, 2013 All 40,000 ONS members now belong to at least one of 225 Chapters or 14 CHIPS* Members can belong to multiple chapters Chapter boundaries are defined by using U.S. Postal Service Zip Codes * except at-large locations where there’s no chapter

Chapter Dues Rebates Went into effect July 1, 2013 Since then, chapters no longer collect their own chapter dues – collected by ONS National Chapters (not CHIPs) receive a $10 dues rebate per paid member each year Paid to the chapter quarterly via EFT (electronic funds transfer) Based on the date the member renewed or joined

Chapter Size Divisions Small Chapter Category: 50 members or less Medium Chapter Category: members Large Chapter Category: members X-Large Chapter Category: members Mega Chapter Category: 400 members plus

What are the Chapter Size Categories Used For? Chapter eligibility for annual Chapter Awards based on the five membership size categories Awards presented to five (5) chapters, one per size category * Awards: Chapter Excellence Award, Recruitment & Retention Award, Newsletter Award, and Chapter Voting Award * if eligible and approved by ONS Awards Advisory Panel

What are the Chapter Size Categories Used For? Also used for determining each chapter’s annual Chapter Charter Renewal fee: Small: $400 per year Medium: $500 per year Large: $600 per year X-Large: $700 per year Mega: $800 per year

Revised Chapter Meetings Attendance Policy ONS Board approved a revision to Section 7, Part 2a., of the ONS Chapter Policy Manual, as follows: A minimum of four (4) meetings of the chapter membership shall be held each year. This minimum number of meetings must be open to all chapter members in good standing, regardless of member type, employment status, or other demographic characteristic.

Write This Down (please!) Chapter Officers Virtual Community: Chapter Policy Manual – Must read! Chapter Treasurers Handbook – Must read, even if you’re not the Treasurer! Monthly editions of the Chapter Leaders e-News

Write This Down (please!) Sept 30, 2016 – Deadline date for ONS award nominations January 31, 2017 – Annual due-date for chapter reports 2017 Chapter Leadership Workshop: July 28-30, 2017, Pittsburgh Chapter Relations staff contact info: (412)

2016 Regional Chapter Officer Programs Sept 17 – Lansing, Michigan Oct 15 – Phoenix, Arizona Nov 12 – Napa Valley, California Dec 3 – Orlando, Florida Dec 24 – North Pole (just seeing if you’re paying attention!)

Questions? Thank You!