start a swep chapter

Though SWEP is now a national organization, its roots are right here in the Greater Philadelphia chapter! SWEP has several sister chapters throughout the country, and we seek to continue growing our ranks, resources, and reputation! If you have found our organization fruitful and would like to carry its mission to another region, consider starting a new SWEP chapter!

Those of us who started the Greater Philadelphia chapter 1995 have found the experience extremely rewarding. Based upon our experiences, and the experiences of our sister chapters, we suggest that potential regional chapter founders undertake the following steps:

• Host an organizational meeting at your offices: We suggest holding a brown bag luncheon meeting and inviting 15 to 30 friends, colleagues, and business associates who you think may be interested in joining SWEP. You should prepare an agenda for the meeting, including an introduction to SWEP, our mission statement, and a discussion of the goals of your regional chapter. At the close of the discussion, you should seek volunteers who are interested in forming an interim Steering Committee to organize the chapter.
• Convene a meeting of the Steering Committee: We suggest that you meet with the Steering Committee to outline your chapter's organization. This could include the structure of your chapter, what committees you should form (such as DEI, programs, or outreach), and what types of events you wish to sponsor.
• Compile a mailing list: Begin to compile an email list of people who may be interested in your chapter's events or management. The Steering Committee may be the main source of contacts; however, you can gather names from other professional directories for your area. The mailing list is crucial to your chapter and should be maintained in a form which is easy to use and update.
• Plan your first event: Make a splash with your first public event. In Philadelphia, we chose a timely, substantive topic and invited two well-known women to speak about it at a brown bag luncheon. A breakfast meeting or evening activity may work better in your area. In any event, publicize the event by issuing a press release, getting local professional publications to announce the event, sending out flyers to your mailing list and calling people who may be interested. If the event is successful, then you will be well on your way to establishing your new regional chapter.

The members of SWEP GP are here to support and encourage you if you decide to start a new chapter in your area! If you would like more information, please feel free to email Sonya Ward, the National SWEP Chairperson (syward@comcast.net) or call 267-852-0277. We hope to welcome you to the growing ranks of SWEP soon!