Before starting a new user group and "reinventing
the wheel" you may want to check to make certain that there
is not another group that could be expanded to fill your needs.
Generally, existing groups are eager to form additional smaller
SIGs for specific platforms or topics. Existing user groups usually have
an administration in place, a newsletter, a web page that can be shared, and
other resources in place and functioning. If your community or workplace
doesn't have a user group and you want to get involved in one, you also might
consider talking with a larger group from a neighboring city, region or country
about forming a satellite group in your area.
If joining with an existing group doesn't work for you, then "jump-in" and follow our guide to starting a new NT user group.
First check the WANTUG list of existing NT User Groups.
This list is continually updated and lists all known NT-based user groups. There are many successful groups that are
willing to assist you in starting a new computer user group. They are eager to share
their successes and failures with others interested in building NT-based user groups. You are encouraged
to contact these successful groups.
Other online sources listing NT user groups and other user groups are
WANTUG's Quick Checklist for Starting NT User Groups
This may be enough to get you started, but we suggest you at least browse the rest of this document
for background material and information about each of these checklist items. The remainder of this guide contains suggestions and tips beneficial
to both those starting a new user group and to those maintaining
existing user groups.
Good strategic planning, written documentation, and directions
are as beneficial to volunteer user groups as they are necessary
to large corporations. Those groups that take the time to plan
are often the most successful. In starting a new group, planning
committees are often involved in drafting Articles of Incorporation
and the Constitution and Bylaws. Regardless of how planning
is accomplished, it is most important that planning is a part
of the process and that input is sought from all who are interested.
Have an initial planning session and include a review of a mission
statement or statement of purpose on your agenda. A mission statement
is often helpful to keep a group on track when considering new
activities. Also, the stated purposes or goals in a mission statement
can help prevent misunderstandings. Keep in mind that a mission
statement can be as simple as "to provide direct support
and assistance to users."
As an example, the stated purpose of the >Association of Windows NT
Systems Professionals (NT*Pro), Washington, DC, is:
"The Association of Windows NT Systems Professionals (NT*Pro) is a professional organization
dedicated to education and the advancement of NT-based technology and solutions."
The name of the group is important. You'll use it in
all publicity and promotions--it should be one that is both
descriptive and recognizable to the public. As your group grows and develops its
personality you may find that you will want to consider re-naming the group to better
reflect its mission and goals. Take a look at what others are doing with group names, but
don't be constrained by it. Be inventive and creative!
You should also give some thought to the acronym that the group will use--in many cases the group will
become as well known by that acronym and by its official name.
Some examples (from WANTUG Board members local groups...) of current NT group names (and acronyms...) are:
Association of Windows NT Systems Professionals (NT*Pro)
Although user groups are often structured in various ways depending
on size, most have officers and a board of directors. The needs
and services of your group will determine the positions you establish
in the beginning. Other positions provided for in the Constitution
and Bylaws can be added as the need arises. Some groups also
have advisors and steering committees. A business structure is
necessary to present a viable professional proposition to vendors
and other supporting organizations. At the very minimum, officer
positions should include a president, secretary, and treasurer.
Bylaws spell out the basic structure of the group--membership
criteria and dues; when and how the group meets; the governing
bodies (directors, officers, committees), how they are selected,
roles and responsibilities; procedures for elections; handling
income and expenses; and how the group makes decisions and delegates
responsibilities. Bylaws are the operating procedures of the group,
with rules for operating together and a process to change these
rules. Appoint a small group to review the bylaws of other groups
and draft your version to bring before the members for discussion
and ratification.
A sample user group bylaws can be found in the
Appendix.
Officers can either be elected or appointed, but it is important
to clearly define the responsibilities of each job or task at
the start so that members know what the expectations are before
agreeing to serve.
Some job titles applicable to any user group are:
President/Director: chief executive officer
who chairs meetings and votes in the case of a tie
Vice President: assists the President or committees
Treasurer: maintains accounting records and files necessary reports
Secretary: records proceedings and handles records and correspondence
Membership Chair: registers new members and maintains membership
records
Program Director/Chairman: coordinates and schedules meeting
programs and coordinates with speakers for equipment as needed
Vendor Liaison: communicates with local dealers and vendors on
special offers
Public Relations: handles publicity for the group
SIG Coordinator: assists Special Interest Groups with formation,
meeting locations, and publicity
Newsletter Editor: produces user group newsletter
Advertising Manager/Director: solicits advertising for newsletter
Reviews Editor: Product Review Coordinator: coordinates reviews
for the newsletter by recording evaluation software received and sending
reviews to the vendor
Volunteer Coordinator: recruits members for user group tasks
Webmaster: maintains group's WWW home page
A small group, or a group that is just starting, will often combine
duties among fewer officers. Cross training, a succession plan,
and assistants for key officers should be planned so that the
group can continue without interruption if an officer should become
unavailable.
Officers, terms of office, and election procedures are detailed
in the bylaws. Positions such as editor or sysop are often appointed,
however other offices can be either appointed or elected. Some
groups elect a board of directors and the board then elects the
key officers from the board members. Other groups hold elections
for the officers and the board separately. However your group
decides to hold elections, it is important that this information
be made public knowledge and that all members have a chance to
participate.
Often NT User group members or officers are also employed in the
computer industry as consultants or in the retail channel. It
is important that these relationships are kept separate from user
group activities, especially for officers and other leaders. Some
groups have drafted a Code of Ethics to address this issue.
Sample User Group Code of Ethics
It is the mission of this group to maintain a high standard of ethical
conduct within the club and in relationships with the community
and business associates such as hardware vendors, software vendors,
etc. The Group and its Members adopt the below prescribed rules of conduct.
Failure of any Member to follow the prescribed rules of conduct will be
reviewed by a Board of Ethics Panel for continued Group Membership eligibility.
Members will not use the Group name or its registered Logo in any activity that
results in personal gain. The use of the Group name or the Group
Logo may not be used without the expressed written permission of the Group.
Members will not use their Group affiliation to solicit any products, equipment,
or favors from vendors without expressed permission of the Group.
Members will project an attitude of courtesy and respect for other Members, Group
activities, and Group property.
Members will maintain a high degree of integrity within the community, and always
act in the best interest of the Group when called upon.
Members will refrain from the exchange, copying, and distribution of copyrighted software.
Members will act in a polite and courteous manner during all Group activities. They
shall freely and openly share their computer knowledge with other Members.
Membership involves board decisions to set up the qualifications,
types, privileges, and dues structures for members. Usually membership
is open to all interested computer users in the community. Dues,
however, vary from group to group, with annual fees ranging from
$5 to $50 for individual members, and averaging $30. Special rates
may be available for students, senior citizens, spouses, and
additional family members, and multiple members in a corporation.
Dues are normally assessed to cover the anticipated expenses of
holding meaningful programs, agendas, and a monthly newsletter,
but are kept to a minimum. Additional funding is often available,
but should not be counted on for the normal meeting and newsletter
expenses.
Before setting membership dues, a group needs to determine the
activities and services they plan to provide. Dues need to reflect
these costs.
Typical User Group Services
General Meeting
Newsletter (Print or Electronic)
WWW Home Page
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
FTP Shareware Library
Training/Seminars
Resource Library or Center
Local Trade Shows
Help Desk (Online or via Phone)
Community Service Projects
Complete details of these typical activities are included in the
"Additional User Group Services"; section of this
guide.
After the services are identified and costs are
estimated, a general rule of thumb is that the projections are divided by the estimated number
of potential members to determine the necessary dues to be charged.
Disclaimer --These discussions about legal issues are provided only in a general and historical sense. Most of this is based on
experience within the US. Your countries legal requirements may vary greatly. If there is
any doubt about how these issues impact your group, please be sure to seek qualified legal counsel
licensed to practice in your country, region, or state.
Many user groups will incorporate with their state as a means
to avoid individual liability by the officers, as well as to protect
the group from lawsuits. Each state has different corporate laws
and sets minimum procedures that must be met. Contact your State
Department of Assessment and Taxation (or whatever its equivalent in your country or state is...)
for further details.
In general, incorporation is a good idea, especially if your group
has substantial assets and public exposure. As a state corporation,
you will probably have to file an annual return with the state
that may or may not require a filing fee. (This fee is often waived
or reduced for not-for-profit organizations.)
If you intend to apply for state or federal tax-exempt status
(see following sections), incorporation is generally a prerequisite.
State and Local--Most user groups are operated as not-for-profit,
all-volunteer organizations. In many cases, individual states,
counties, or local jurisdictions will provide special benefits
and/or considerations for such groups. If this is the case for
the state or community in which your group is located, it might
be advantageous for your group to avail itself of these benefits.
Contact your state offices for further information.
Federal--If your group is organized as a not-for-profit
organization, you may want to consider applying for tax-exempt
status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Section 501(a)
of the Internal Revenue Code sets provisions by which qualifying
organizations may be exempt from paying federal income tax on
their net income.
To a user group, tax-exempt status can make more resources available
for the educational or social purposes for which the group was
established. And by choosing the proper exemption classification,
the group can reap additional benefits that will enable it to
improve both the quality and the quantity of the services that
it provides to its members and the community.
Basically, there are three categories under which user groups
may qualify:
501(c)(3) Educational organization
501(c)(4) Civic league
501(c)(7) Social club
Each section has its own qualifications and benefits. Most groups
consider Section 501(c)(3) to be the most desirable--and also
the most difficult classification to obtain. As a qualified 501(c)(3)
organization, for example, a user group would have access to the
following benefits:
Net income from group's activities is free
from federal (and possibly state) taxes;
Property donated to group may be tax deductible;
Volunteers can deduct un-reimbursed expenses and mileage;
Group qualifies for lower second- and third-class postage rates; and
The group may be eligible to use federal, state,
and local government and other nonprofit organizations' facilities.
For additional information in the US, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040
and request IRS Publication 557, Tax-exempt Status for Your
Organization. Another good source for Tax-Exempt information is
The User Group Guide to Tax-Exempt Status by Joan Cummings, CPA (now an officer with the
User Group Connection).
In this day and age of liability lawsuits, you must protect your
assets. If someone comes to a meeting or sponsored activity and
breaks an ankle falling over a hazardously placed piece of equipment
and seeks to hold the group responsible, are you protected by
insurance? How costly would it be to replace property, equipment,
etc., due to fire or theft? Too costly? Investigate the cost and
invest in adequate insurance coverage. One group got the go-ahead
for free use of space at a civic center for an event only because
the group agreed to provide a certificate of one million dollars'
liability insurance. Many user groups, especially those that hold
large public meetings, have substantial assets, or are otherwise
actively involved in computer shows and fairs, carry an insurance
policy for the group.
Some common insurance coverages include:
Damage to user group-owned property
(fire, theft, water, vandalism, etc.). For a user group, such
coverage should include locations specifically designated on the
insurance policy; unnamed locations to cover property moved from
location to location; and property damaged while in transit. Coverage
for damage to owned property and non-owned property for which
the group may be responsible (damage to a members' computer
used for group purposes, for example) should be tailored to meet
individual group requirements.
Employee Dishonesty. This coverage protects
the group from things such as theft of funds, equipment, etc.,
by an individual officer or director. For most user groups, the
definition of employee must be amended to include noncompensated
officers and directors.
Commercial General Liability. This coverage
protects the insured for its legal liability in causing bodily
injury or property damage to the public. For example, if someone
should slip and fall and injure himself while attending a user
group activity, the user group would likely be liable for any
damage incurred. Similarly, such coverage would also insure the
group against any damage done by members to the meeting hall or site.
Automobile Liability. This coverage protects
the group from any liability arising out of the use of a vehicle
not owned by the group that is used on its behalf. For example,
if a user group officer is involved in an automobile accident
in his or her own car while engaged in user group business, the
user group could be held liable for the damages.
Workers' Compensation. This coverage
is only applicable to those user groups that have paid employees
or staff.
Other insurance coverage that may be of interest to some groups--but
are generally extremely expensive and difficult to obtain for
all-volunteer organizations--are Professional Liability,
Directors' and Officers' Liability, and Publishers'
Liability.
For further information, you should contact an insurance underwriter
or agency in your country, region, state or local jurisdiction. If your group is
interested in obtaining insurance, it is advisable to seek several
quotes from different insurance companies.
