Charter Club Partnership Program

In 2009 the WWA Board of Directors approved the Charter Club Partnership Program as an incentive to recruit new members, encourage writers groups around the state to join the WWA as single units, promote membership renewals, and provide the WWA with a few more volunteers. Following a test period to assure we had a proper implementation process in place, the program was announced at our 2010 Spring Conference in Manitowoc with four initial Charter Clubs. There are now 14 clubs. We promote the program on our website and in our publications.

Any local writing club, critique group, or gathering of five or more people, including online groups, interested in the writing craft can enroll as a Charter Club in the WWA. When enrolled, each member of a Charter Club will receive a 20% discount on his or her WWA annual membership fee. That’s $7 off the individual membership of $35. The discount will apply as long as the Charter Club exists. There is no enrollment fee for a Charter Club to sign up.

In addition, once enrolled, members of a Charter Club receive a 20% discount on their registration fee to a WWA conference if a minimum of four Charter Club members register together. A club’s contact person should coordinate this with the Conference Registrar. Other benefits also are offered.

A Charter Club is required to provide a contact person who is responsible for updating the club’s membership and informing the WWA of any changes in the number of WWA members in the club. The WWA will only acknowledge the addition of a new individual member to a Charter Club (in other words, someone requesting a WWA membership fee discount) when the Charter Club contact person verifies that individual is a member of the Charter Club.

Each Charter Club retains its independence and autonomy of operations. We do ask our Charter Clubs to consider offering a helping hand when we need assistance for a WWA-sponsored activity and to encourage other individuals to join the WWA.

For more information on the Charter Club Partnership Program, contact the program manager, Dave Rank. Email preferred: vpres[at]wiwrite.org. Phone number: 262-334-8790.

Following is a Q&A about the program, you may find helpful:

Q. I’m already a WWA member, if my group becomes a Charter Club do I get a refund on my membership fee this year?
A. Sorry, no refund. That would complicate our recordkeeping and lead to possible errors that could affect your membership. Your individual Charter Club discount will be applied starting next year.

Q. Does my writing group need to have five current WWA members before we can apply for a Charter Club designation?
A. No. If your group already has five or more members who also are members of the WWA, it certainly makes applying for a Charter Club designation simpler, but it is not required. Members of your writing group can join the WWA at the same time the group applies for a Charter Club and receive the 20% membership discount immediately. It works best if your group’s contact person coordinates such new WWA membership submissions with our Membership Recorder.

Q. Do members of my group who will be joining the WWA for the first time be allowed to join using the 20% discount rate?
A. The short answer is yes. It works best if you send all new registration fee checks at the time you submit your Charter Club Partnership Program application. That avoids confusion and delays in processing your Charter Club application. Checks should be made payable to: WWA, Inc. Mail the checks to Loretta Kottke, Membership Recorder, P.O. Box 085270, Racine, WI 53408-5270. Loretta’s email is mbr[at]wiwrite.org.

Q. I don’t belong to a group, how can I get the discount?
A. The Charter Club Program is intended to encourage groups interested in the writing craft to join and work together for the benefit of their members. If you know of four or more individuals who like to write, organize a group and apply for a Charter Club designation. It also is possible to form a virtual Charter Club with writing friends you converse with over the Internet.

Q. Can a club add or remove eligible members?
A. Yes. Each club is required to designate a Club contact person. That contact person, and only that designated contact person, can inform the WWA Membership Recorder about any changes in the club’s membership. Remember, a club must maintain a minimum of five members to remain eligible as a Charter Club, so it’s to the club’s benefit that its members remain paid WWA members.

Q. What’s in it for the WWA?
A. First, more members. Of the 80 or so writing groups around the state we are aware of, we believe it is rare that more than a few of their members also join the WWA. We hope this program increases that percentage. Second, we hope we can interest Charter Club members to volunteer and help us run the programs we offer our membership. We are a volunteer organization and can always use a few more willing hands pitching in. Finally, we hope our Charter Clubs will encourage other individuals to join the WWA.

Q. What’s in it for the writing group?
A. Saving money and winning prizes. Charter Club members can enroll in the WWA for 20% less than an individual annual enrollment fee. Also, participating clubs in the WWA Charter Club Partnership Program may claim a 20% discount off the registration fee for their enrolled members to attend any WWA-sanctioned conference if a minimum of four Charter Club members or more registers for a conference. Charter Club members also receive a 20% discount on their initial entry to any of our annual WWA-sponsored writing contests. We also offer incentive prizes for clubs that recruit more WWA members, attend our fall Wisconsin Writers Conference, and for participating in the WWA writing contests.

Q. A Charter Club will be run by the WWA?
A. No. Each writing group maintains its autonomy. The name of the program is the Charter Club Partnership Program. The WWA has no interest in directing the way you run your writing group. We only hope you join the WWA to take advantage of the services we provide.

Q. How many WWA Charter Clubs are there?
A. At this time there are 14 Charter Clubs with more than 115 individuals enrolled. They are:

1. Minds Without Boundaries, Manitowoc, Northeast Region; anniversary, February 22, 2010.
2. Yarnspinners, Hayward, Northwest Region; anniversary, March 21, 2010.
3. Northwest Regional Writers, Frederic and Grantsburg, Northwest Region; anniversary, March 23, 2010.
4. Moraine Writers Guild, Kewaskum, Southeast Region; anniversary, April 11, 2010.
5. RedBirdRedOak Writers, Milwaukee, Southeast Region; anniversary, August 31, 2010.
6. La Crosse Writers Group, La Crosse, Southwest Region; anniversary, August 31, 2010.
7. Fox Valley Writers, Appleton, Northeast Region; anniversary, January 11, 2011.
8. Rome Writers, Nekoosa, North-Central Region; anniversary, February 10, 2011.
9. Writers of Wausau, Wausau, North-Central Region; anniversary, February 23, 2011.
10. Northern Lakes Writers Guild, Amery, Northwest Region; anniversary, April 18, 2011.
11. Door Pens, Door County, Northeast Region; anniversary, June 1, 2011.
12. St. Croix Writers of Solon Springs, Solon Springs, Northwest Region; anniversary, August 16, 2011.
13. Janesville Area Writers Club, Janesville, South-Central Region; anniversary, September 27, 2011.
14. Oshkosh Area Writers Club, Oshkosh, Northeast Region; anniversary, December 5, 2011.