Civilian Partnerships Financial Boost for Chapters.

Every professional organization must establish goals to be successful. One of the first things we at the ASMC Sandhills Chapter, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, did was to commit to the betterment of the organization. Each officer, committee chair, and member vowed that the chapter would have a better year than the year before.

As part of our assessment, we realized that there had been some lack of membership support at our functions due to recurring costs (luncheons, Mini-PDI, etc.). Throughout this past year we have been successful in partnering with civilian vendors to sponsor our activities. These relationships have proved very beneficial for the chapter and the companies with whom we are allied. Here are a few specific things that worked well for us this year.

We identified keynote speakers early to participate in our chapter meetings. Since our chapter is located on Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, we have the opportunity to interact with multiple vendors who service our defense needs.

It was very easy to contact vendors who wanted to participate in our chapter activities. We did this through attending technology expositions. We met with the vendors and discussed our goals and plans for the upcoming year, and they were very excited about participating. As a result, we were able to offer no-cost luncheons for our members and nonmembers during some of our monthly general membership meetings.

Our chapter recently sponsored an Information Technology Exposition at Fort Bragg. The vendor was in control of all the plans and execution regarding the expo; our role was minimal. We used our chapter name to sponsor the vendor to our installation, and we assisted in some publicity. In return, the vendor provided a luncheon for our general meeting and donated substantially to our local scholarship fund.

A small word of caution: Always communicate with your legal assistance personnel on these matters.

To date, our greatest success in partnering with civilian sponsors was our Mini-PDI. We brought in a variety of professional speakers to participate. Our sponsor provided a briefing on the latest advances in technology available on the market. We negotiated with our sponsor to cover the cost of 200 catered meals at our installation's Officers' Club. We were able to share the savings with our general membership; we charged only a $10 registration fee for our entire Mini-PDI. The company also donated to our scholarship fund.

I am often asked how to coordinate corporate partnerships if a chapter is not on a military installation. Our experience shows that most sponsors are willing to absorb the costs on or off an installation.

We have found that by communicating with them, discussing our goals, and letting them play a role in our activities, the location and cost were not significant issues. As a result, our chapter is able to give more scholarships, donate more to charities, and play a more vital role within our community.

However, I cannot emphasize enough that you must seek legal assistance to ensure that your efforts are in accordance with installation regulations.

We look forward to continuing partnerships with civilian vendors who are interested in supporting our local chapter. What we are doing here is nothing different from what you can do in your chapter. All it takes is a little commitment from the officers, committee chairs, and members.

You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain!

Editor's Note: Please see the Chapter Handbook for more information on corporate membership. Corporate membership in ASMC is available by application. Contact ASMC HQ for an application

LTC Byron L. Cherry is President of the Sandhills Chapter of the American Society of Military Comptrollers, Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina.