Registering Your Chapter

For Students

Most colleges and universities require student groups to register on campus in order to receive funding, reserve rooms, and access other resources. There may be an administrative body in charge of overseeing on-campus student organizations, whether it’s the Student Government or the Office of Student Affairs/Activities. 

Potential requirements/materials: (these will vary depending on your institution so make sure to double-check what you need to register!)

• Forms
• Organization Bylaws
• Membership type
• Annual Budget 
• Advisor - check out our advisor page for best practices   
• Leadership Team
• Official documents like the Chapter Affiliation agreement 

Once you’re registered and officially recognized on campus, make sure to check out all the resources and support materials you can access as a registered student organization. 

Questions to consider asking about:

• What types of resources are available to student organizations?
• Funding resources
• Room reservations
• A/V resources
• Posting on school bulletin boards and newsletters, other marketing channels
• Marketing resources (printed materials, digital flyers, etc.)
• How do we get in touch with other organizations to connect? Is there a online directory?

If you need additional support with the registration process, please contact Net Impact Central (chapters@netimpact.org).

Bylaws

As part of the registration process, you may need to create bylaws. Bylaws are used to generally define the Chapter’s name, purpose, membership requirements, leadership structure and roles, and help to resolve any potential issues in the future. The Annual Plan is a great starting point for deciding what information to add to your Chapter bylaws. The bylaws document is also good place to embed your Chapter's values around justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion along with any additional core values of the Chapter. The final version of the document should be kept in a shared digital format accessible to members. 

Things to consider when drafting Bylaws:

• What information from the Annual Plan is critical to include?
• Are roles and responsibilities clearly outlined?
• Are we using inclusive language?
• Do the bylaws effectively communicate our chapter missions, values, and goals?

Sample Bylaws Templates:

• Student Chapter Bylaws
• Professional Chapter Bylaws