NIGP's Chapter Resource Library

Membership

Membership Brochures
Membership brochures provide quick, at-a-glance information about your chapter and can distributed to local businesses and organizations to advertise your chapter.

While every chapter will take its own spin on a brochure, they all have certain things in common. Make sure your membership brochure includes information about membership pricing, meeting schedules, and the executive committee. Your brochure should include contact information so interested parties can easily call or email someone to ask questions or register as a member.

Here are some brochures that local NIGP chapters have used to successfully attract new recruits. Use them as inspiration to create your own unique brochure.
New Member Packets and Certificate
Joining a new organization can be intimidating for anybody. Make new members feel welcome by creating new member packets that give them all the information they need to get the most out of a NIGP chapter membership. Here are a few examples you can use as inspiration to create your chapter’s new member packets.
Giving members certificates will make membership official and help members feel included in your NIGP chapter. Here is an example of a membership certificate that you can personalize and use to confirm membership in your chapter.

Consider changing the wording of your membership recruitment/retention/invoices communication. See how the Copper Chapter changed their wording from “member dues” to “membership investment.
- Copper Chapter Member Investment
Member Recruitment and Retention

South Carolina Assoc, of Governmental Purchasing Officials – Member Recruitment, Retention and Engagement

Central Florida – Member Benefits and Recruitment
Scholarship Program
Mentoring Program

Arizona State Capital

North Carolina Association

Washington DC Chapter

Alaska/Hawaii Chapter Mentor Guide
Recognizing Members
Other Resources
- Copper Chapter Member Investment Renewal
- Washington DC Member survey

Annual Reporting Forms

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Governance

Bylaws, Succession Planning, Sample Job Descriptions, Policy Manuals, Strategic Plans

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Financial Management

Banking, Record Retention, Debit Cards, Financial Documentation

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Marketing & Advovacy

Marketing Toolkit, Social Media

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Events & Conferences

Reverse Trade Shows, Speed Buying

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Legal, Taxes & Insurance

Insurance, Meeting Contracts, Policy & Agreement Documents

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Webinars

For Chapter Leaders

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Member Engagement

= Best Practices from the Outstanding Chapter Awards

Incorporating Students into Your Chapter

Students are the future of procurement, so successful NIGP chapters take the time to incorporate students into their chapters. The first step to incorporating a student membership category within your chapter is to set up the criteria for defining a student membership and its eligibility requirements.

NIGP encourages a non-fee based student category and promotion of a dual membership at both the national and chapter levels. Make sure your by-laws state the inclusion of student members under your individual membership category.

NIGP Policy for Individual Student Membership
Marketing Strategy for Student Membership
How to Engage Students in Your NIGP Chapter

Individuals who are enrolled part-time or full-time in an accredited community college, college, or university and actively pursuing an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in business or public administration, public purchasing, materials management, or related field of study are classified as a “Student Member” for a twelve-month period; renewable annually. Full-time enrollment is defined as twelve (12) or more credit hours for undergraduate students and six (6) or more hours for graduate students.

This criteria also qualifies students for national memberships, allowing students to carry dual membership with NIGP national and their local NIGP chapter.

All chapters should provide NIGP with information about new student memberships so we can contact the students directly and offer complimentary NIGP membership.

How to Market Your Local NIGP Chapter

Your local colleges and universities will be your best partners for recruiting student members. Here are some ideas for how you can market upcoming meetings and events:

Host a booth at college career fairs
Post fliers at local college hangouts
Post fliers inside student career offices
Meet directly with relevant clubs on campus
Develop creative campaigns on chapter social media channels
Advertise upcoming chapter events in student newspapers and local papers
Reach out to college marketing programs to promote the procurement profession
Speak to the campus webmaster to get your chapter included on the campus website
Participate at student career days at earlier levels (grade school, middle school, high school)
Create a targeted postcard campaign by pulling a list of students enrolled in local business degree programs
Tap into existing business programs at the high school level (such as DECA or FBLA) to introduce the profession and let them know how they can get involved with your chapter

What to Market to Students

Here are some ideas of what to include in your fliers and promotional materials to attract students and encourage them to check out your next chapter event.

Resume-building experience
Opportunity to run a project during an internship
Free national membership, which can be added to a resume
Access to research tools, list serves, and reduced-cost training
Free attendance at chapter meetings and events to learn about the profession
Opportunity to build a network in the local professional community to help with future employment
Access to pressing issues for the profession, which could be used in current school projects
Real-life experience understanding the day-to-day realities of the profession

Getting students to attend a chapter event is one part of the equation. To turn students into chapter members, you need to find ways to engage them and inspire them to seek careers in public procurement.

Here are some ideas of how you can engage students in your chapter.

Create a members-only online job board
Incorporate a scholarship program for student members
Develop a professional mentoring program for students to help them transition from school to career
Host a chapter career fair for students that includes speakers from various agencies within the chapter
Host training sessions on topics students are interested in and that could apply to other professional interests (project management, leadership, etc.)
Open up select leadership positions for students to give them a voice in your chapter’s governance (e.g., a seat on the Board or a student committee)
Give students the information they need to decide if a career in public procurement is right for them: Why choose Public Procurement as a Career

You can order a student kit for your next chapter event by contacting membershipinfo@nigp.org