Best Practices for Branches - kindly review :)

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
U.S. Section

Best Practices for Branches

So much of the work of WILPF US is accomplished at the branch level! Our goal is always to foster and support healthy, active, growing branches. In looking at the history of WILPF branches in the U.S., we've found several attributes that help keep a branch energetic and viable.

• Meetings: It's important that branches actually meet! Sometimes it might seem just as easy to work over the phone or Internet, but a bedrock characteristic of a successful branch is the sisterhood and community of its members. We request that branches meet at least four times a year -- both to strengthen connections among members and to provide opportunities for new people to come find out more about you and your activities.

• Leadership: One of the marks of a strong branch is that many members have been trained to take on leadership roles. We ask that your branch leadership change at least every three years and that "new" or "younger" members share leadership positions with more experienced members. This helps ensure that you have capable candidates to fill leadership roles.

Some branches use a traditional chair, treasurer, secretary format for leadership. Others have branch convenors or some similar title. It strengthens the branch to have an established format for changing leadership, providing both a steady means of transition and a pathway for new members to gain skills and put them into practice in the branch.

Over the years, your branch has probably accumulated a wealth of archival materials, banners and signs for demonstrations, books and videos, maybe even a file cabinet (or several) full of materials. You probably also have computer lists, accounting records, bank accounts, etc. It is always wise to have more than one person with access to all this information. Sharing this should be part of the training for new leadership.

• Actions: We are often amazed at how few people know about WILPF. That makes it doubly important that branches take part in public actions or events that are clearly and boldly labeled WILPF. We need to take our work out onto the sidewalks or streets or into conferences and presentations. We ask that every branch take part in at least two such events or actions each year. And that you let the Peace and Freedom branch news editor know what you did!

• Connections across WILPF: Sometimes new members can't quite get the idea that they are now members of an international organization. It's important to keep branch members connected both with the national US Section of WILPF and with the international work of WILPF. We expect that you will share information from the national office, from the office in Geneva, from PeaceWomen, Reaching Critical Will, and from the US issue committees with all in the branch.

As with your branch, meetings on the national and international level are also important. Encourage your branch to send representatives to the U.S. Section Congress and to the International Congress. Some branches set up a line in their annual budgets where they set aside money to help members make those trips. And it's always good to encourage a newer member to go to a congress to reinforce the concept of national and international connections and work.

• Connecting to mission: As branches are part of an international and national network, the work of branches should align wherever possible with the broader network. It's good to review the WILPF mission and vision statements from time to time, perhaps at your branch's annual planning retreat (see below). It's also important to share information about national and international campaigns and make connections with your local work. One of WILPF's greatest strengths is making connections among issues. Be sure those connections are highlighted in your local/national/
international work.

• Budget: Raising and managing money to support our work is critical to be an active, thriving branch. It's essential to make an annual plan of actions, events, campaigns, recurring costs, and contingencies. This budget should reflect rentals, newsletter and other printing, special projects (travel fund for congress!), purchase of Jane Addams Children's Book Award texts, paying it forward, etc.

Once you have an agreed-upon budget, fundraising is the next hurdle. You might charge for newsletter subscriptions, send out an annual appeal, hold a special fundraising event, apply for a WILPF mini-grant for a particular project, or appeal to an individual who is interested and capable of helping with funding.

It's important to keep "branch budget needs" and "WILPF membership" distinct, both in your planning and in publicity.
-Membership is in the international organization, through the US Section. Dues paid to your branch must be forwarded to the national office. Each branch receives an annual rebate of its paid memberships.
-Branch expenses are met by the fundraising activities of the branch as described above.

Making a donation to the national section is certainly a good idea. Some branches "tithe" and send a percentage of every branch fundraiser to the national office. Some branches make an annual donation to the national office in support of the issue committees and national campaigns. Some do both.

• Communication: Even for a small branch, a newsletter is very important. It helps ensure that all members are hearing and understanding the same things about the branch and its work. It's also a great way to reach out to potential members by showing them what your WILPF branch is all about. It can be a one-page publication or for larger branches, eight or ten pages. It can be electronic and/or printed. Some branches produce their newsletter by committee and others have an individual editor. Staying connected with all members, even those who may not attend all your branch meetings, is necessary to help keep your branch vital and exciting.

ALWAYS be sure that the WILPF Archives at Swarthmore AND the Branch News Editor of Peace and Freedom are on your newsletter mail list.

• Planning:

• Website:

• Using DIA: