AMA New Professional Chapter Development Guidelines and Requirements

The American Marketing Association (AMA) encourages the growth of marketing professionals through the formation and development of new AMA professional chapters. This document contains information and forms to assist in creating a new chapter of the AMA.

Table of Contents

Page

Information

AMA Constitution and Bylaws2

Chapter Charter Process Overview3

ChapterTerritory4

Chapter Identification5

Formation Committee6

Chapter Elections7

Chapter Constitution and Bylaws8

AMA Membership Classifications9

Chapter Dues10

Membership Recruitment11

Chapter Operating Standards12

Guidelines, Timelines, and Requirements

Phase I – Exploration13

Phase II – Groundwork14

Phase III – Chapter Development15

Phase VI – Charter and Official Recognition16

Development Advice17

Forms

New Chapter Self-Assessment22

New Chapter Member Interest25

Chapter Bank Information for EFT26

Petition for Developing Chapter27

Petition for Chapter Affiliation28
AMA Constitution and Bylaws

The American Marketing Association's ruling document is its Constitution and Bylaws (a full copy can be found in the Chapter Officers Guide). The following sections of the AMA Constitution and Bylawsprovide for the formation of new professional chapters:

American Marketing Association
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE VI
Professional Chapters

Section 1.Formation of New Professional Chapters

The Association's Board of Directors grants chapter charters subsequent to the local formation committee's fulfillment of the requirements as laid out in the New Chapter Development Guidelines and Required Documents. An affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the Association's Board of Directors is required for granting a chapter charter. A chapter shall also give information regarding the local situation as may be required by the Board of Directors and shall, among other things, indicate that there are at least 50 professionals residing or working within the ultimate market area interested in joining the Association as a professional member of a new developing chapter and such petition shall contain a list of market area zip codes for the chapter territory. Non U.S. Chapters shall abide by laws comparable to those in the U.S. with respect to incorporation and tax exemption as are applicable to the subject chapter. No petition for membership in or formation of a local chapter shall be denied because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Every member of a chapter shall be a voting member of the Association. Except as described below, every voting member shall be a member of the chapter in the member's geographic area (unless grandfathered prior to July 1, 1987). Members who belong to the National Academic Council are exempt from mandatory chapter membership in the geographic area where a new chapter is being formed. Individual exemptions to chapter membership shall be examined by and decided upon by the Association's staff in consultation with the respective local chapter subsequent to written request and justification.

American Marketing Association

BYLAWS

ARTICLE IV

Professional Chapters

Section 2.Affiliation

The AMA Board of Directors grants chapter charters subsequent to the local formation committee's fulfillment of the requirements as laid out in the New Chapter Development Guidelines and Required Documents. An affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the AMA Board of Directors is required for granting a chapter charter.

Chapter Charter Process Overview

In order to create a new professional chapter of the American Marketing Association, several key actions must be taken:

  • Specific guidelines, timelines, and requirements for submitting a Chapter Exploration Proposal to the AMA Support Center can be found in this document. Elections of the Chapter Explorations Proposal must include:
  • Key contact
  • Proposed list of market area zip codes for chapter territory
  • Market analysis and/or New Chapter Self-Assessment form
  • PCC Rep assigned
  • Specific guidelines, timelines, and requirements for submitting aPetition for Developing Chapter to AMA Support Centercan be found in this document. Items accompanying the Petition for Developing Chapter must include:
  • Signatures and printed names of at least 75 professionals residing or working within a chapter’s ultimate market area interested in joining the AMA as a professional member of a new developing chapter
  • Formation Committee list
  • Local dues amounts for professional members and collegiate members
  • Chapter Bank Information for EFT form
  • Chapter social media group and/or website address

Approval of the petition is at the discretion of AMA Support Center and the Professional Chapters Council.

  • Upon approval of the Petition for Developing Chapter, the new market area will be titled as a “Developing Chapter of the American Marketing Association.” At this stage, AMA Support Centerwill provide the developing chapter with membership recruitment materials necessary to acquire the membership of 50 professional members in the developing chapter. Developing chapters will have 4 months from the time of approval of their Petition for Developing Chapter to build their membership base to a minimum of 50 professional members. Members of the initial chapter formation committee and any subsequent chapter officers must become members of AMA to continue in their role.
  • Specific guidelines, timelines, and requirements for submitting a Petition for Chapter Affiliationto AMA Support Center can be found in this document. Items accompanying the Petition for Chapter Affiliation must include:
  • Names and membership numbers of at least 50 voting chapter members
  • Chapter Constitution and Bylaws
  • Chapter Board Roster Form
  • Annual operating plan andbudget
  • Chapter website address

Other supporting materials may also accompany this petition, including any materials documenting the chapter activity, such as past events, announcements, or newsletters.

  • Once received, the petition, accompanying items and any supporting materials are reviewed by the AMA Support Center and theAMA Professional Chapters Council, followed by a vote of the AMA InternationalBoard of Directors. The normal timeline for this process is roughly four weeks. Any comments made by those voting will be forwarded to the chapter for their use. Approved chapters are provided with aCharter of Affiliation certificate for their records.
  • Once approved as a charter chapter of the AMA, the chapter has a period of no more than 2 years to raise its membership level to a minimum of 75 professional members. During this time period, the chapter will receive support from the AMA Support Center and the AMA Professional Chapters Council as outlined in detail within these guidelines.

Chapter Territory

AMA chapters represent members in a defined geographical territory. The territory of a chapter is assigned by the Association. Generally, the territory is the area defined by the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of the major city within that chapter’s market area. If there is interest in building a chapter in an area which does not fall within a defined MSA, the chapter territory is determined by a 50-mile radius from the major city or home base. Those interested in developing a new chapter are asked to submit a list of market area zip codes for their potential chapter territory to AMASupport Center. These zip codes will be reviewed to insure that they fall outside of the territory of current AMA chapters.

Within the Petition for Developing Chapter, the prospective chapter will be able to justify, through proper documentation and/or supportive materials, that there is a sufficient number of marketing professionals in its geographic area to build and sustain a chapter.

All chapters have mandatory membership for those professional members residing in their defined territories. Any person joining the AMA as a professional member who lives within the defined chapter territory is required to become a member of the local chapter and pay chapter dues. AMA International-onlymembers already living in the area when a new chapter is developing have the option of being exempted through a "grandfather" clause. If they wish not to join the local chapter, they can request exemption from AMA Support Center. Exemption decisions will be made jointly by AMA Support Center and the local chapter.

Membership in the chapter is not limited to the official territory. Marketing professionals living outside a local chapter territory may join any chapter and participate in chapter activities. Chapters may solicit membership outside their established territories as long as such solicitation does not infringe on another chapter’s territory.

Chapter Identification

All chapter names must be reflective of the geographical territory they serve and must be approved by AMA Support Center. A chapter is identified as the “Geographic Name Chapter of the American Marketing Association.”

A chapter in its formative stages cannot be called (or represent itself as) a “Chapter of the American Marketing Association” until its Petition for Developing Chapter has been approved by the Association. Once approved, the chapter may only refer to itself as a “Developing Chapter of the American Marketing Association.” Once a chapter has attained its minimum 50 members and has had its Petition for Chapter Affiliation approved by the Association, the chapter may then refer to itself as a “Chapter of the American Marketing Association” and may begin using approved AMA logos and identity materials. Even after chartering, the organizations are autonomous and do not commit or accept the obligations of the other chapters. It is important in promoting the development of a new organization that this distinction is made.

Prior to approval as a developing chapter, startup organizations may refer to any meetings or gatherings as "a group of marketing professionals interested in developing a chapter of the American Marketing Association in the (insert the name of your geographic area here) area.” The group should decide on the term they want and then use it consistently. AMA Support Center can advise on any appropriate reference names for chapters in process of formation.

Formation Committee

When starting a chapter, the first step is to identify a core group of leaders to serve as the formation committee. These committee members should be chosen with care because many are likely become the potential chapter’s first officers and board members.

The formation committee, consisting of a minimum of 5 people, should develop an initial structure for the group. The committee can be structured as follows:

  • Chair
  • Membership
  • Programming Events and Activities
  • Communications
  • Finance and Record-keeping

When choosing committee members, identifying recognized community leaders will help insure a following early in the important development period. It is also wise to have committee members representing a variety of marketing backgrounds, as this will help engage a broad membership base in the new chapter. Finally, consider the ability of those interested in serving to make the actual time commitment to the new chapter.

While functioning as one overall committee, assigning individual responsibilities will lessen the overall workload on the entire committee. An agreementoutlining the committee structure and other policies should be developed. In addition to using Robert's Rules of Order, chapter housekeeping and legal requirements should be documented with clear guidelines, particularly for preparing meeting minutes and financial reporting.

Members of the formation committee are not representatives of the AMA. Once approved as a developing chapter, members of the formation committee must be full professional members of the AMA to become elected chapter officers or board members. Only elected officers and directors, members of appointed committees, and staff can officially represent the Association.

Chapter Elections

Chapter officers must be elected before the Petition for Affiliated Chapter can be submitted.

Selecting Candidates
Identify candidates as outlined in the chapter’s constitution and bylaws. A minimum of 4 chapter officers must be elected annually: 3 of these must be the president, the president-elect and the secretary/treasurer. If the secretary/treasurer position is held by the same person, one more board member must be elected to total 4 officers. Additional elected officers are specified by each chapter in its constitution and bylaws.

All elected or appointed officers must be members of the AMA with dues paid. There are no exceptions to this policy, and it is the chapter’s responsibility to verify membership before reporting officers to AMASupport Center. Student members may hold only appointed offices, and they have no voting privileges.

Conducting Elections

In all elections, candidates should run individually, not as an entire slate. Candidates should be proposed on a ballot along with a space designated for writein candidates for each office. Ballots must be distributed to all chapter members in good standing (excluding student members, who do not have voting rights)

According to Robert's Rules of Order, all mail ballots must be signed (to protect privacy, a signature location can be put on the reverse of the ballot or even requested on the return envelope). If your state and your chapter’s constitution and bylaws allow it, voting may be conducted via email, using the email address as verification of those members’ right to vote.

Election ballots should be returned to a specifically appointed member within two to three weeks of the distribution date. Never return ballots to the candidates.

Once elections are finalized, complete the Officer Report Form to be submitted along with the Petition for Chapter Affiliation to AMA Support Center.

Chapter Constitution and Bylaws

The guiding documents for each professional AMA chapter are its individual constitution and bylaws. Similarly, the International AMA's ruling document is its Constitution and Bylaws (a copy is included in the Chapter Officers Guide). Individual chapter constitutions and bylaws should be based on the International AMA Constitution and Bylaws, modified as necessary by local legal requirements. Additional provisions may be added to a chapter’s individual constitution and bylaws provided that these provisions are not in conflict the International AMA’s Constitution and Bylaws.

A developing chapter must draft a constitution and bylaws to submit along with the Petition for Chapter Affiliation. A chapter’s individual constitution and bylaws should be fairly concise, easy to understand, and readily available to the membership. They should be neither so specific that they require frequent amending, nor so vague that they create uncertainty. In addition to basing the chapter’s constitution and bylaws on those of the International AMA, the organizing committee might consider examining the constitutions and bylaws of other AMA chapters for content and format. It is also helpful to consult a lawyer or skilled consultant in this area.

AMA Membership Classifications

Individual Membership

Several classifications of AMA membership do not require that the member join the local professional chapter. It is important to understand which categories require membership in the local professional chapter to ensure chapters can maximize membership by fully recruiting members in all categories. Membership classifications are:

  • Professional Membership – Professional Membership is open to any person engaged in or having an interest in marketing. Professional Members join local professional chapters and must pay local professional chapter dues (as set by the chapter).
  • Collegiate Membership – Collegiate Membership is open to any full-time or part-time student who is attending a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution of higher learning, working toward a degree, and is not concurrently employed in a full time professional position. Collegiate Members join their local collegiate chapter. They may also join a professional chapter (this is optional). If they choose to join a professional chapter, they must pay the student dues rate (as set by the chapter) in addition to their national dues.
  • Young Professional Membership –Young Professional Membership is a three-year transitional program for recent graduates. It is available to individuals up to three years after their undergraduate graduation. Professional chapter dues are mandatory for all three years of this membership.
  • Doctoral Student Membership –Doctoral Student Membership is open to students actively pursuing marketing doctorates. Doctoral Student members may also join a professional chapter (this is optional). If they choose to join a professional chapter, they must pay the student dues rate (as set by the chapter) in addition to their national dues.
  • Academic Membership –Academic membership is open to any person holding full-time faculty status in an institution of higher learning with an interest in the science and practice of marketing. Academic members must pay local professional chapter dues, but instead of joining the chapter, they may elect to allocate that portion of their dues to the Academic Division.

Group Membership

The objective of the Group MembershipProgram is to grow AMA membership by providing financial incentives to organizations with four or more AMA members.The AMA Group Membership program is available to professional marketers and academics in the same organization or parent company regardless of geographic location. A "Group" is defined as four or more people receiving a paycheck from the same employer.

Chapter Dues

In addition to dues payable to the AMA for international membership, dues are also assessed on the local chapter level. Dues are an integral part of the chapter operating budget and supplement meeting/event fees, sponsorships, and advertising partnerships as a source of income for the chapter.

Selecting a Chapter Dues Amount

Chapter dues should reflect the needs of the chapter members and the overall plan of the chapter. Chapter dues differ from chapter to chapterdependenton location, size of chapter, and market conditions.

Chapters need to determine local chapter dues for both professional members and collegiate members who join the chapter. To see what other professional chapters charge for local dues, review membership applications available online.

The amount charged for dues is a decision that should be made by the formation committee. The amount of local chapter dues is included in the chapter bylaws, and this amount must be voted on and approved by the chapter membership at the same time as the bylaws.

Once a chapter is chartered, any change in the amount charged for local chapter dues must be voted on and approved by the chapter membership. The procedure for changing chapter dues can be found in the Chapter Officers Guide.