This article is the sixth in a series of seven articles pertaining to the new Chapter Awards Program. The revised application process takes on a digital and more user-friendly approach, utilizing Excel®. The intent of the awards application is twofold: 1) to recognize a chapter’s accomplishments for the year, and more importantly, 2) to chart a chapter’s roadmap for planning, operation, and growth activities.
The following discusses the Philanthropic Support and Industry Outreach sections of the Chapter Award Program application:
All active RCI members are philanthropic simply due to the amount of time and effort they donate to RCI as volunteers. This charitable act is continued at the chapter level, not only through the volunteer efforts of the chapter members, but also by reaching out and helping others outside your chapter. This can be done through monetary donations such as a scholarship, fund, or donation to the RCI Foundation or other industry foundations. It can also be achieved through community service, such as volunteering time with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, helping U.S. veterans with critical home repairs, or possibly creating an outreach program to local colleges or universities and offering discounted or free attendance at chapter meetings or events to engineering and architectural students.
Developing a philanthropic committee to give back to the industry, as well as your local community, will provide your chapter membership with the pride of having helped others and can gain potentially rewarding exposure. A passing score of at least 75 points is required for the Philanthropic Support section, with total points available up to 100.
Industry outreach is a great way to augment both your membership and marketing committees by reaching out to related industry groups such as local chapters of the AIA, CSI, NRCA, or any other organization related to the performance of the building envelope to determine interest in holding a joint meeting or community service project.
Consider developing liaisons with members of these organizations where shared information could be provided through newsletters, e-mail invitations, or simply by word of mouth. This potentially offers additional educational opportunities for your membership through programs hosted by other organizations and could likely increase attendance at your programs.
Industry outreach will also assist in the marketing of RCI in general, as well as your local chapter, and possibly benefit your membership with new contacts and potential business opportunities in the future.
In addition to augmenting your marketing committee, outreach can also provide substantial leads to your membership committee to follow up on and continue to grow your organization. A passing score of at least 50 points is required for the Industry Outreach section, with 100 total points available.
Be on the lookout for the RCI Chapter Development Committee’s seventh and final article in the Chapter Awards Program article series. It will cover Section 12.0 – Chapter Awards of the program application. The Outstanding RCI Affiliated Chapter Awards Program Application is available for download at http://iibec.org/membership/downloads/ under “Chapter Leadership Tools.”
