If you couldn’t make it to Leadership Workshop 2010, you — and your branch — can still benefit from the information and resources presented at the full-day session at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware on Aug. 14.

Check out the information our speakers shared with us — and plan to pass it on to your branch members.

Public policy resources on trafficking

Jackie Evangelista, public policy chair, coordinated a keynote presentation on human trafficking that included:

• Ohio State Senator Theresa Fedor’s presentation on Human Trafficking in the U.S.
• Samar Kaukab Ahmad, executive director of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, shared a presentation on Ohio’s statewide anti-sexual violence coalition.
• Human Trafficking Web Links

Find more public policy resources online, including “The New Hotbed of Human Trafficking Is … Ohio.”

For more information about public policy advocacy for your branch, contact Jackie Evangelista.

Successful branch membership activities and ideas

Gillian Holzhauser-Graber, AAUW Ohio vice president of membership, and Susan Williams shared these membership ideas:

1. We are part of an organization that can do more than we can as an individual; AAUW Ohio gives us a voice we otherwise would not have.
2. Small interest groups keep members involved and active and attract new members.
3. Basing programs on your local community resources sparks interest, while giving the branch recognition when covered by local media. Programs such as a “Candidate & Issues Night” provide a valued service to the community.
4. “International Night” with exchange students from all the local high schools, brings media coverage, parents and prospective members.
5. Use the MAL list from AAUW Ohio and send invitations to local MALs.
6. Work with local universities and colleges to be a presence on campus at events handing out AAUW information for undergraduate and graduate students, plus Student Affiliates, even possibly forming a Student Affiliate Branch or offering free E-Memberships.
7. “Give a Grad a Gift” helps AAUW members give FREE national AAUW memberships to college graduates who graduated in the past year, both for Undergraduate and Graduate School degrees. Each branch can create a fund to pay the graduate’s state and branch dues, if they choose.
8. Get new, young members involved in short-term projects, if they do not want to attend monthly meetings.
9. A separate branch fund can be established to help prospective members pay their dues, if they have a real need.
10. Used book sales are good fundraisers.
11. Highlight one member in each newsletter and/or ask members why they joined AAUW, and put it in the newsletter.
12. Women-In-History Interest Group provides a service to local schools and gives the Branch recognition.
13. Send a follow-up letter to visiting prospective members.
14. Create a new Board position to get new members active in the Branch.
15. Use the “Women’s Studies” department at local colleges and universities for support in forming a branch.
16. AAUW Ohio President Pat Millhoff encouraged branches to apply for grants from the state board’s newly established fund to encourage membership growth.
17. President Millhoff announced an Every Member Survey will be sent out soon asking members to say what they want for their dues and what they want from the state board.

Get more membership recruitment tips and ideas online. To schedule a Making Membership Meaningful session for your branch, contact Gillian Holzhauser-Graber.

How to get your branch online

Paula Maggio, public information officer for AAUW Ohio, put together resources to help you launch a free and easy branch website.

The handout, “How to launch a totally cool, free, easy website for your AAUW branch” can help you do just that. It is available on our website and as a downloadable PDF.

The step-by-step instructions will walk you through launching a website for your AAUW branch using  wordpress.com. Included are details on how to include links to AAUW news and action updates.

You can also see what AAUW Ohio branch websites look like by visiting our Branch websites Facebook photo album. There you will find screen shots of branch webpages and links to them.

Other website information shared at the session included:

• Recommended text to include on your AAUW Ohio branch website
• Recommended links to include on your AAUW Ohio branch website
• Graphics to include on your AAUW Ohio branch website
• AAUW Tools for Web Site Development

Additional handouts shared information about using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to publicize your branch and its events:

• Basics of Facebook
• Facebook for AAUW
• AAUW Twitter Resources and Do You Speak Twitter?
• “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live“
• Website and social media help

Contact Paula Maggio with questions.