What is the difference between a Chapter and Country Group?

A Chapter is a local community in North America while a Country Group represents an entire country outside of North America.

Do I need to be a DAA member to join a Chapter or Country Group?

Yes, anyone wanting obtain all the benefits of the local a Chapter or Country Group must be a member in good standing. Please contact the if you are unsure about the status of your membership.

Non-members may join online. Non-members can attend Chapter or Country meetings/events but they will pay a higher fee to participate.

Do I need to be a DAA member to start a Chapter or Country Group?

Yes, anyone wishing to start a Chapter or Country Group must be a member in good standing. Please contact the if you are unsure about the status of your membership.

Non-members may join online.

How do I start a Chapter or Country Group?

Contact . It is important to discuss your goals, missions and objectives with the DAA executive director prior to launching a local community.

• How to Start a Country Group
• How to Start a Chapter: contact to receive a copy of the Chapter in a Box.

How many members are required to start a Chapter or Country Group?

There must be a sufficient number of industry people in the area for DAA to support the development of the chapter or country group. Contact for more information in your area.

Are local members responsible for setting up their chapter or country group as a legal organization?

Because chapters and country groups are actually part of DAA - not separate organizations – local organizers can avoid the hassle of incorporating, getting an IRS determination as non-profit, filing taxes (even if a non-profit does not pay taxes it still has to file a return) and other government reports.

Do local members have to set up a local bank account and handle money?

No, the DAA HQ will assist leaders with financial transactions.

Does DAA provide financial support?

Chapters:

To help Chapters start with operating capital, DAA provides a revenue share to Chapters from any proceeds generated by a local symposium. Beyond the symposiums, Chapters are intended to be self-sufficient and raise funds either through meeting registration fees and/or sponsorships. Chapters set their own operating budgets. Symposiums are operated by the global DAA HQ in concert with the local Chapter but local meetings and other events are run by the Chapters. Chapters set their own fees.

Country Groups:

DAA provides Country Groups with financial support based on the number of members in each country. Country Groups can raise additional funds from meeting and sponsorship fees.

Who is responsible for the local meetings and chapters?

Chapters and Country Groups are organized and operated by local members. All meeting and event programs including their frequency, other than symposiums, are determined by the local members.

What is the Leadership Structure?

Chapters:

It takes many people to start and maintain a local chapter and a local steering committee is created to operate the chapter. DAA encourages local members to appoint at least three people to serve as the leaders of the local steering committee to not only spread around the workload but also to ensure that one person does not dominate the decisions. All leaders and members of the steering committee are required to be members and are volunteer positions.

Country Groups:

DAA appoints a local member to serve as the volunteer Country Manager (CM) The CM works with other local leaders to develop a business plan for their programs, meetings and recruitment of members.

What services does DAA provide to the Chapter and Country Group Leaders?

The DAA provides an online site within its global website for Chapters and Country Groups to provide information on its meetings, and a directory of members. The DAA handles event registrations for local events (though local organizers set the budget) and DAA pays invoices and keeps track of local chapter/country group income and expenses. This process will ensure that chapter and country group leaders are protected from liability issues as long as they are acting in good faith. This arrangement makes it as easy as possible for members to run chapters and country groups.