Here's how to find the local chapter where you can join! Acting together with your neighbors and friends in your local chapter, you can really make a difference for your gay or transgendered loved one. The benefits of membership in your local PFLAG chapter include:
If there isn't a chapter near you, you can also join as an at-large member. To do so, fill out the application below, enclose your $30 annual dues and mail the application to:
PFLAG
P.O. Box 96519
Washington, DC 20090-6519 USA
Name:________________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Phone:_______________________________________________________
Payment type: ____Check ____Money Order ____Credit Card
Credit Card Type:____________________________________________
Credit Card Number:__________________________________________
Expiration date:_____________________________________________
Signature:___________________________________________________
(charges will appear as "PFLAG" on your credit card statement)
Amount Enclosed: ____$30 dues $____Contribution $____Total
[_] Send me information about a local affiliate in the
__________________________ ___ Area
[_] Send me a list of Pflag Publications
If you're willing to take on the committment of starting up a local chapter of PFLAG or becoming the Representative in your area, you may contact your regional director or the National PFLAG office at 1101 14th. St., Washington DC 20005. If you would like to call, the number is 202.638.4200 x217. Ask for Tom Cornell <tcornell@pflag.org> -- he's the Chapter Services Associate.
There are basically two types of affiliates in the PFLAG Grass Roots Network. They are local chapters and local representatives.
Local chapters meet periodically, and consist of four or more individuals. Their purpose is to offer support, education and advocacy. "Chartered" chapters are those which have tax exempt status and can (and occasionally do) apply for grants that are available only to non-profit organizations that are tax exempt.
A PFLAG Representative is someone who has arranged to represent PFLAG in the community, offering support and resources to those who need them. If you'd like to become a PFLAG Representative without starting a chapter, contact the National office as listed above.
Here are the steps to setting up a local chapter, and getting it affiliated:
1. Letter of Commitment. You'll need to write this one-time letter to show that you are committed to PFLAG's whole mission of support, education and advocacy.
2. Leadership Roster. You need to provide complete information on who your leadership is, and specify what information you would like to make public for the Public Referral Directory, which is public information mailed out in response to public inquiries. Other informations appears in The Internal Networking Directory which is for networking within the PFLAG organization, and is not made public. You'll need to supply information to PFLAG National anytime a change is made in your chapter's particulars, so the directories mentioned above can be kept current.
When the national office recieves the above documents, you will recieve the following materials:
Of course, your chapter information will be included in future releases of the above directories!
3. Membership & Dues Record. To be sure your chapter's members recieve information from the National office, including the The PFLAGpole and other materials, you'll need to submit this information initially and anytime a member joins and then when they renew their membership annually.
4. Annual Plan of Activities. So that the National office and your Regional Director and the Field Services staff can help you provide resources and support your work, you'll need to submit annually a plan of what your chapter is going to do for the following year.
5. Special Outreach Survey. To help you with grassroots networking and referrals, you'll need to submit to the national office a survey of local resources the public can be directed to. You'll need to send in a new Survey whenever changes occur.
6. Bylaws. So that the national office knows how you get things done, you'll need to submit a copy of your bylaws. If you make any changes in your bylaws, you'll need to resubmit them.
Once you've gone through these six steps, your new chapter will be formally recogized by the PFLAG Board of Directors, and your Regional Director will be notified. You'll recieve an acknowledgement, and your Regional Director and the Field Services staff from the National office will continue to help you with your efforts at support, education and advocacy. You'll also be eligible to upgrade your chapter to a Chartered Chapter, with tax exempt status!
The PFLAG national organization is a 501(c)3 Tax Exempt organization under U.S tax law. Local chapters in the U.S. can fall under that tax exempt umbrella if they are Chartered Chapters. Here is what this status can do for your chapter:
If you use the PFLAG Tax Exempt Umbrella, there are no fees to pay to National, and it is the easiest way to become a tax exempt chapter. The Field Services staff handles all the correspondence with the Internal Revenue Service.
Once you are recognized as a Recognized Chapter, you'll need to go through five additional steps to become a tax-exempt Chartered Chapter. All the documents listed below except the financial statement need be submitted only once.
1. Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Association. In order to satisfy the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service for a formal organizing document, you'll need to file Articles of Incorporation or Association with the National office.
2. Employer Identification Number (EIN). This is so your chapter can open a bank account and/or apply for a bulk mail permit. This is your chapter's "Social Security" number.
3. Letter of Verification. This is a document required by the IRS, and it states your chapter's purpose, and that its activities are in accordance its bylaws, and that you've submitted a financial statement.
4. Group Exemption Letter. This is your formal request letter, saying something like "we wish to become a Chartered Chapter."
5. Financial Statement In order to secure and retain your tax exempt status, you'll need to send in your financial statement initially and then annually. This is required annually by the Internal Revenue Service for U.S. tax exempt chapters.
After you've gone through the above five steps, the PFLAG Board of Directors will formally acknowledge your chapter as Chartered, and your Regional Director will be notified, and your chapter will be recognized at the PFLAG annual convention.
The Regional Directors' Council is PFLAG's grassroots leadership body, creating a vision for PFLAG's grassroots field.
Each Regional Director (RD) oversees one of PFLAG's 15 regions, and helps in the establishment and development of local affiliates.
The RD also assists local affiliates and organizers in implementing support, education and advocacy programs. Regional Directors have all served as PFLAG chapter leaders. Sharing the workload among 15 regions enables PFLAG to effectively organize and communicate with PFLAG affiliates on issues like field activities, relationships with PFLAG's national office, regional trends, programming concerns and public policy. The Regional Directors' Council is engaged in national strategic planning, resulting in one- and three-year goal/action plans for each respective region.
revised October 28, 2000