Starting a New Local Club

Starting a new local club is easy! Don't miss out on the opportunity to positively impact your local, state and national communities by creating a Republican women's club.

For 70 years, the NFRW has been affecting politics at the grassroots level through our local clubs and state federations. You can be a part of this tradition - help increase the strength of the Republican Party in your community by creating a local club today!

  To access the list of member benefits, click here.

 

ORGANIZING A NEW CLUB

Membership in the National Federation of Republican Women is available to any Republican woman. If no federated club exists in a community, and there are 10 or more registered Republican women who wish to organize a permanent club, the following guidelines should be followed. In states that do not register voters by party, the potential members should be considered based on their commitment to Republican ideals and issues.

  To check to see if a local club exists in your area, enter your zip code here:

To start a new club, you will need to:

  Have a minimum of 10 Republican women dedicated to the new club.

  Create a set of bylaws. Bylaws are the governing rules of any organization and are essential to its success. Club bylaws must be in concert with both state and NFRW bylaws. NFRW will provide a sample set of bylaws to help you in this process.
  To access a sample set of bylaws, click here. [PDF, 9 pages]

  Determine the dues level for your club. Dues will cover membership in all three levels of the Federation. NFRW dues are $8 per member per year. State federation dues vary (consult the federation president of your state). Your new club will also want to determine an amount of dues that will benefit your club. Local club dues (for all three federation levels) typically run between $25 and $35 per year. A $15 service charge is also due from each local club to NFRW each year.

  Elect Officers! It is essential to create effective leadership for a new club.
  To read about typical duties of officers, click here. [PDF, 6 pages]

  For NFRW's Tips on Organizing a New Club, click here. [PDF, 2 pages]

  For NFRW's Tips on Recruiting and Retaining Members, click here. [PDF, 5 pages]

 

UTILIZING THE STATE FEDERATION

When considering starting a new local club, be sure to consult the federation president of your state.

  For a list of state federations and their presidents, click here.

Your state president can offer valuable advice and support, and she may know of women in your area who would be interested in joining your new club.

State federation presidents will help you make sure that you adhere to all state and National Federation rules and regulations. State federations must also approve new local clubs, and by utilizing your state federation president early, you will help to make the process as smooth as possible.

Once your new club has been organized and approved by the state federation, your state president will sign a New Local Club Application for Membership. This application will be forwarded to NFRW, along with the new club bylaws and officer roster. Upon approval of the new club by NFRW, a charter and club number will be issued, making the new club an official Federation affiliate.

  To download a copy of the New Local Club Application for Membership, click here. [PDF, 1 page]

 

ASK FOR HELP!

NFRW is available to answer questions and provide help Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm (ET). Contact us at (800) 373-9688 or membership@nfrw.org with questions and concerns.

A Local Club Starter Kit is also available from NFRW. The kit includes the information seen here, copies of the most recent edition of the Republican Woman magazine, NFRW's bylaws, and other helpful tools.

 

MAKE DIVERSITY A PRIORITY

Having entered the 21st Century, our Republican Party must evaluate our past, present, and future. Have we accomplished our goals? Is our nation heading in a positive direction? Do our elected officials and our Party reflect the rich heritage and diversity of our nation?

For years, the Republican Party has announced its "Big Tent" philosophy; i.e., there is room for all Americans who believe in the Party's principles to become part of the GOP. However, when one takes a look at the Party structure either at the national or the grassroots level, one sees that the racial and ethnic composition has been slow to change.

To truly be a strong, vibrant and effective political party, we must represent people from all walks of life - regardless of sex, age, culture or ethnicity. With our national grassroots network of 100,000 women, the National Federation of Republican Women has an opportunity to play a key role in reaching out to all communities and attracting diversity at the local, state and national level. In other words, NFRW can put the Party's money where its mouth is by developing a special membership drive to bring more Republican women of African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino and Native American backgrounds into its federated clubs.

  To learn more about embracing diversity through your new local club, download NFRW's Tips on Diversity. [PDF, 3 pages]

 

HELP FOR NEW CLUB PRESIDENTS

You've done it!!! You've created a new federated club to positively impact your community. Now what?

NFRW has created many avenues for new presidents to find help as they lead their local clubs. The following tools will be available to you once your new club is officially chartered by NFRW.

  NFRW's weekly e-newsletter and political briefing are available to any Federation member with e-mail. The newsletter covers Federation, White House and Congressional news. The political briefing addresses an important political topic that is in the news.
  NFRW's Republican Woman magazine is full of information, ideas and helpful tools.
  The NFRW Leader's Guide and Officer Training Manual is the comprehensive guide to running your local club. The guide includes information on officer's duties, committees, generating positive press and PR, recruiting members, and many other topics. A complimentary copy of the Leader's Guide is mailed to the president of each newly chartered club.
  The Member Web Site is available to all new members. New club presidents will find it especially helpful, as it contains information on NFRW's awards programs, the NFRW Member Center, and sample publications for local clubs, including a sample brochure and newsletter. Also included is the Club President's Survival Toolkit, a collection of materials for new club presidents compiled by NFRW's Leadership Development Committee. The toolkit includes information on successful media coverage, parliamentary procedure, and having a good meeting.

These are just a few examples of the help available to new club presidents. NFRW is constantly evaluating and updating its materials and information.

Your participation is important to us. Together we can work to increase the strength and size of the Republican Party in America, and to make sure the voice of America's women is strong and heard. We look forward to your involvement. Contact NFRW today to begin preparations for your new local club.