Chapters

Every chapter will operate differently based on their focus (service, education, and/or advocacy), and will therefore have different roles to fulfill different needs. However, we do recommend that every chapter designates roles that cover a point person for leadership, finances, social media, and events.

** Note: You can have several people dedicated to each role!

An example structure is:

• Chapter President
  • Applies to be a chapter, coordinates meetings, delegates tasks, etc.
• Treasurer
  • Manages fundraising, money, and expenses. Coordinates with partners to get product/funds.
• Communications
  • Communicates with the PERIOD National team, local partners, and & chapters.
  • Runs social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, etc.)
• Event coordinator
  • Plans events such as product drives, fundraisers, tabling events, educational programs, and more.

You can also choose to have a dedicated person for each of the pillars:

• Policy Coordinator
• Education Coordinator
• Service Coordinator

The positions above do not need to be filled exactly as described; the structure will depend primarily on the number of chapter members, interest, and size. Find what works for your chapter, making sure everyone is involved; elections are a great & fair way to decide on roles! However, it is important that during your first meeting you decide which pillar/s (Service, Advocacy, Education) you will focus on, as well as which positions are most necessary and best suited for each chapter member. Make sure to take into account what your chapter’s members' interests and strengths are!

Template Volunteer Hours Form

Below you’ll find a template you can use to log your chapter member volunteer hours! Feel free to copy it into your drive and edit it to fit what you think is best for your chapter needs!

When it comes to your schedule for each month or semester, PERIOD National does not have any specific requirements. Build your schedule whichever way works best for you.

We have added an example month below that might be of help if you’re having trouble coming up with ideas or feel lost in terms of how to get the ball rolling!

January 2021 EXAMPLE MONTH

Building your chapter is important to provide resources & support for your chapter’s effort, as well as to include those in the area who want to be involved! We understand how recruiting and reaching out may seem daunting; we hope these tips help! Additionally, find some quotes and stories for what worked for other chapters below.

1. Utilize social media (especially Instagram)! Remember to post at least 1x per week, to gain traction and get people excited!
2. Coordinate with other activist groups in your school or neighborhood (School chapters: go to a club fair & communicate with affinity groups; Community chapters: find a non-profit branch, shelter, or church group)
3. Build partnerships with other companies and organizations in your community and spread the word about your chapter!
4. Plan workshops & panels with local grassroots organizations and activists in order to build momentum around menstrual equity and all its intersections.
5. Print posters & hang them around the building in which you meet- posters should include a contact, meeting time, and a brief description of the work you’re doing! Find examples & templates below.
6. TALK! Talk about PERIOD whenever you get the chance. It’s okay to be nervous! Just remember, the work you’re doing is important and matters- and people will appreciate the opportunity to hear about it!

We suggest you have a chapter meeting once or twice a month to update your peers on the work everyone has been doing, and to establish next steps and action items. Use this time to plan events, strategize fundraising, and discuss next steps and news about the menstrual movement.

Some of our chapters decide to hold a chapter meeting with their executive team earlier in the week and another one that is open to the public in order to better plan and make use of time! Of course, this is up to you and your chapter members.

If you are interested in helping PERIOD fundraise, make sure to read below about our 2 yearly events. These events help us support our chapters and other menstrual equity activists through staff time, development of programming, warehouse space, period products shipments, etc.

• State of the PERIOD, our Annual Fundraising Gala (this year it was virtual!) You can learn more about State of the PERIOD by heading over to our Campaigns & Events page on our website: period.org/campaigns-events
• Year End giving through GiveGuide is our year end fundraising effort! You can check it out through this link. Stay tuned for more detailed information on social media, and our newsletters, where we’ll give out assets and resources that you can share with your own communities.

Throughout the year we also have additional campaigns that pop up depending on our needs and programs! Like for example Period Action Day, our fundraising campaign for shipping costs during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our Periods for PERIOD campaign, which we will be launching in February 2021. You will be able to set and cap a donation amount for every “.” you type and donate it to PERIOD each month. Stay tuned for more information!

Because of our growing number of chapters, PERIOD National cannot financially support all of our chapters. This means that chapters are mostly responsible for fundraising for their chapter program. We encourage that you create a budget so you know how much money you need. Once you have done that, there are so many different ways for you to raise that money.

Social Media

Utilize social media use platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or even Venmo! This is a great way to reach a wide audience, especially during a pandemic. Other digital platforms such as GoFundMe are great ways to easily raise awareness and funds.

Click Here to Learn More About Venmo Fundraising

Example of Instagram Story Fundraising Template

Events

The possibilities are endless when it comes to fundraising events. Bake sales, benefit concerts, and art exhibitions…the list goes on. Any of these events can be made virtual as well, as we have seen with chapters doing zoom yoga and more.

Local Merchants

Another form of fundraising comes from partnering with local merchants. Some community stores or restaurants will designate a night where they’ll donate a percentage of their sales to your chapter! Some chapters have partnered with local retailers to hold events in their space. Merchants might also be willing to donate things like food or merch for your events.