Congratulations! You are now a part of your Chapter’s Leadership team. It’s time to get up to date with Chapter business and your new role in it. For many of us, the previous holder of that position will pass on their working knowledge and help you get acclimated to the policies and procedures of your Chapter. But how do you get up to speed if your predecessor isn’t around to show you the ropes? How do know what you don’t know?
Take Stock 
Find out what and where information exists for your Chapter. Are there boxes of paper files in a storage locker somewhere or is everything contained on google drive? Maybe there is an email inbox or member only section of your Chapter website that contains historical documents?
Look specifically for your Chapter bylaws. These should tell you how the Chapter is structured, leadership role responsibilities, and term limits for those positions.
Ask the Experts
Knowing your Chapter’s exact tax status is important. If you don’t have a copy of your original Internal Revenue Service Determination letter you can call the IRS directly. They won’t send you a copy of the original letter, but they will send you a letter referencing your tax status and what type of annual information return you may be required to file.
You may have to contact your state tax commission or in some cases the Secretary of State’s office to determine if you are registered with the state and/or are required to file an annual return. Not all states require certain types of non-profit organization types to register.
Consult APA's Local Chapter Guide and use this document to compare against any existing information you have found to check for gaps or areas that need updating. You can also visit APA’s website and the "Grow Your Chapter" page to help you out with chapter marketing, events, study groups, etc.
Follow the Money
Make sure the right people are on the chapter’s bank account. Old officers need to be removed and new officers added. This will take a trip to the bank to get new signatures, debit cards and/or checks.
Search through monthly bank statements to find automatic payments that come out of your account. This can help lead to the vendors for things such as your website hosting service, post office box, chapter insurance, printing service, etc. You can then individually contact those companies to confirm your associated fees and contract dates.
Reach Out
If you have contact information for any previous leaders, you can reach out to them with specific questions about how they handled certain responsibilities. If you don’t know who previously led the chapter, reach out to APA’s Chapter Relations team and they can help provide you with contact information.
You can also look to another local Chapter with questions – especially if you are in the same state.
Contact your chapter's APA Regional Advisor and the Chapter Relations office; they are here to help you and your chapter succeed!
Now that you are armed with all this information, create a Chapter Standard Operating Procedure to document everything so that the knowledge can be transferred to the leaders following in your footsteps and are set up for success.
Julie Steele, PHR, CPP is President and the Director of Education for the Oklahoma City Chapter.
Please share below if any of you have been left without support or documentation from previous leadership and what you did to get your chapter's feet on the ground.
