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In early March, the Colorado Wizards of Justice teamed up with eight local elementary schools to read to some of their classes. This is the second year that the chapter partnered with such public schools.

Partnerships: What are they and why do they matter?By Katie Twyman

So your chapter has really gotten the hang of things. You have a number of people attending your meetings on a regular basis, and you’ve begun to establish a clear set of skills and interests. It seems to you that the next big step is to plan your chapter’s first campaign. You’ve heard before that it could be worthwhile to form a partnership before beginning your campaign, but what does that really mean? And beyond that, is a partnership really worth it?

To put it simply, a partnership is any joint effort between your chapter and another group. Partnerships take a number of forms. Typically, they involve fundraising for either party, planning an event, or hosting a campaign. Many partnerships are formed between groups and organization that operate near the chapter in question, but teaming up with other HPA chapters can be quite beneficial as well!

Partnerships can be extremely beneficial for the chapter when they are utilized. For starters, you’re greatly broadening the scope of your message. Not only can this boost the effectiveness of the campaign in question; it also exposes your chapter to quite a few new people who may have never heard of it otherwise. Ultimately, this can lead to increased membership and chapter participation, as well as greater awareness and respect for your chapter within the community.

Working with a partner also provides very useful insight into what makes that group work. Even if two groups are focusing on the same issue, they probably approach the issue in very different manners. There is much to be learned by taking a moment to observe how your partner works with their team and does their share of the planning.

Lastly, partnerships are fun! They’re a fantastic opportunity to make new friends. By combining your resources with another team, you may find that you are capable of doing much more with your campaign or event than you had initially imagined. As a chapter organizer, few things are more rewarding than seeing all of your members pull together to create something truly remarkable.

Bonding and partnering with other groups can greatly enhance the quality of your chapter’s activity. Throughout the rest of the newsletter, we’ll provide you with a number of tips on forming such partnerships: from finding a partner that’s just right for you to the beginnings of project-planning. There’s quite a bit that goes into the formation of lasting and meaningful partnerships, and we hope to walk you through the most important steps in forming those relationships.

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There are several ways to go about finding potential partners within the Harry Potter Alliance and in your community. The simplest would be to go to the Chapters directory and to find a chapter near yours. You can reach out to other Chapters in your area to collaborate on events. You could also go to an event that a nearby Chapter is hosting with your own Chapter - this is also a great way to show your support!

Feel free to search the Chapters Ning and groups to find other chapters to

partner with. You don’t have to partner with chapters only in

your area - maybe a community chapter across the country would be a better resource to you than the university chapter a few towns away.

Don’t be afraid to get advice and team up with COs that are not in your area. Some chapters have even had Skype calls with each other, even though they’re not located anywhere near each other. If you’re not meeting up with a chapter in person, a good way to get in touch with them is either through finding their email

on their website (if they have it) or through the Ning. Don’t be afraid to email!

You don’t just have to partner with other HPA Chapters, you can partner with other groups as well! If you’re a high school or college chapter, there are probably lots of other different

organizations present in your school. Some of those organizations may already be working on an issue similar to whatever the current HPA campaign may be, so it may be helpful for you to partner with them. The process of approaching these organizations may be different depending on where you go to school, but as always, don’t be afraid to email whoever is in charge of that organization at your school.

If you’re a community chapter, it’s always helpful to search for other organizations in your area. If you’re near a university, you can always try contacting different organizations there to see if they would like to collaborate with you. If you’re not, there may be other community-style organizations near you, and it never hurts to look.

Teaming up with another chapter or organization can be useful, as not only can you do events together but you can also piggyback ideas off of each other. Finding a chapter to partner with is not something that is by any means necessary, but it can open up a whole new door of resources for you and your chapter.

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CAMPAIGNUPDATEBy Danielle Gillen

Hopefully, you are familiar with the Hunger is not a Game campaign. To recap, the Harry Potter Alliance and Imagine Better is partnering with Oxfam to fight hunger globally. So far, over 1,600 people have signed the GROW pledge. Has your chapter signed yet? Don’t forget to pass the petition along to your chapter, family, friends, and social networks! http://

www.thehpalliance.org/grow

To fight hunger locally, we are encouraging chapters and HPA members to hold food drives to benefit their local food banks. Did your chapter do a food drive at

the movie theater? We would love to hear how it went! (We especially love pictures!)

Haven’t gotten around to planning a food drive? You still have time! In addition to movie theaters, chapters are also holding food drives at their schools and local libraries. Don’t worry if The Hunger Games isn’t really your thing; you can promote the food drive in whatever way you’d like!

For more information on HINAG and how your chapter can participate, visit http://bit.ly/hpagrow

Finding the Perfect PartnerBy Anna Bold

For 2011’s Accio Books, chapter Carpe Futurum recruited a troop o f l o c a l G i r l Scouts to help t h e m i n t h e i r quest to collect children’s books f o r t h e H a r r y Potter Alliance’s a n n u a l b o o k d r i v e . M a n y b o o k s w e r e donated locally to places in need.

Forming relationships with other groups is often helpful when planning projects for your chapter. It’s a great way to increase your membership while also learning about another group. However, finding the right group for such a partnership can be challenging and time-consuming. How do you find the right partner amongst all of the groups in

your local community?

There are several kinds of groups you can partner with.

The first are charitable groups in your area. Ask your chapters members if they have any favorite organizations in the area. Especially keep in mind groups that your members have worked with in the past. Create a list and decide upon a few viable candidates with your chapter.

From there, you’ll need to read up on the the group you are considering and study the campaigns and projects that they’ve done in the past. Then, contact someone at the charity, and figure out a project or event that would be mutually

beneficial for your chapter and their charity. For example, a fundraiser where you raise money for the charity would promote your chapter while getting the charity funds it needs. It’s also helpful to check in every once in a while to see if there is anything else they need.

There may also be clubs in your area that you can partner with. Look for local Harry Potter clubs or Muggle Quidditch teams. Go to their events and speak to the leader of the group. The person in charge may let you make announcements at their events, or there may be opportunities for co-sponsoring events. Also, if you continue to attend events hosted by these groups, you can network for HPA, even if it’s just in casual conversation.

You can also look for non-Harry Potter groups to form relationships with.  High school students always need service credit, and HPA projects always need volunteers. Talk to a local high school about HPA. The students may be able to help with projects. Some local libraries also have teen programs. Find out which libraries near you have programs of this sort, and arrange to

do information sessions. Forming relationships with local libraries can prove to be extremely beneficial, and most libraries are very happy to see other people and groups taking interest in their programs.

Lastly, you could partner with other HPA chapters! Read the Galleon Day responses. Is someone doing a project that you’d like to do? Contact the CO through the Ning and ask if they have any tips or resources to get you moving in the right direction. Want to work with another chapter on a project? Check out our Find a Chapter page to find a chapter near you, or contact Chapters Staff at chapters@thehpalliance.org for even more information. Working with other chapters is a great way to learn about what works well for other chapters, and it also allows you to bond with people who are also passionate about the HPA.

It can be difficult to find groups to work with and maintain those relationships. However, working with other groups is a great way to establish your chapter within the community and add heft to any campaign or project.

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By Pam Harris

NEWCHAPTERSACCIO FELIX FELICIS

of Midlowthian, VA

MISCHIEF MANAGED of New Orleans, LA

THE MARAUDERS of Dallas, TX

HOGWARTS ON CAMPUS of Norman, OK

DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY of Toronto, ON

welcome to...

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To get a partner on a campaign you are working on you should first submit a proposal. Depending on who your partner is, this could range from a formal write-up to a casual meeting. If your partner is  a larger organization with more processes and paperwork, then you will want to be sure to prepare the write-up as a more formal presentation. No matter how you do it though, you want to make sure that your points and suggestions are focused and clear.  If everyone is clear on the overall direction and vision of the campaign planning with another group is that much easier.

In this proposal, be sure to address the following points:

For a campaign:• What is your cause and who are you

supporting?• What kind of a campaign is it? Action or

awareness or both?• If it is action, what will you be asking people to

do?• What are the goals of the campaign?• What is the time frame for the campaign?• How can your partner be of help?• How will this benefit your partner?

For an event:• What is the purpose of this event?• What kind of an event is it?• Where will it be tentatively held and when?• What is the budget for this event?• What are the goals of the event?• What can your partner provide for the event?

Are you asking them to financially support you or simply help promote?

• How will this benefit your partner?

Additionally, you may want to begin to develop resources like flyers and general information sheets about the campaign, so that both sides can talk about the campaign accurately and make it a success. You can always email chapters if you need help with ideas for creating these resources. We can also discuss talking to your partner organization.

You also want to make sure that as you are writing up the proposal for a partner organization that the mission  of your campaign and their organization overlap. It would make sense for instance to do an Accio Books drive/campaign with a library or other literacy organization as that gives you and them more opportunities to contribute to the campaign.

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FEATUREDSTAFFHello, COs! I'm sad to tell you that I've never been a Chapter Organizer myself, but I am a part of a chapter! As long as my time and energy allows me, I am a proud member of NYDA and have been since 2010. I got further involved with the HPA during HPAFTW, in which we got lots of votes and won $250,000. After this amazing feat, I joined the Chapters Department. I do whatever needs doing here at Chapters including responding to chapter requests, writing up Galleon Days, and the like. I think all of you guys are AWESOME and I always love reading updates from you. If you ever need anything or just want to chat, feel free to email me shrima@thehpalliance.org

Shrima Pandey

The Art of the Campaign ProposalBy Shrima Pandey

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Sometimes it’s difficult for local organizations to understand the difference between The HPA and chapters. Many people don’t understand the entire premise behind Harry Potter, much less how an entire non-profit organization could be centered around a book series. So how do you explain your chapter to other people and groups?

First you want to give a basic overview of the HPA as an organization, and how the chapters program factors into the organization’s operation. A

good comparison to make is to fraternities or sororities in college because most people are familiar with those. The fraternity or sorority has a parent organization, but there are local versions on most college campuses. The HPA works in a very similar manner. We’re the local branches of the major organization.

Once you’ve explained the chapters program, you can tell the organization what your specific chapter can offer it. Cater what you say to the organization you are speaking to. Be sure to take time before talking to your potential partner t o c o n s i d e r w h a t y o u r chapter’s particular skills and

interests are. Then, consider the focus of your partner. If it’s a children’s charity, you might mention a school you’ve worked with. If it’s a local meetup group, mention that y o u c a n b r i n g i n n e w members. You want to show the organization that working with your chapter will be mutually beneficial.

The way you present your chapter can greatly impact the course of your developing relationship with a group! Remember, your chapter has quite a bit to offer that they w o n ’ t b e a b l e t o fi n d elsewhere. More than anything, be proud of your chapter! After all, confidence is contagious.

SELFMARKETINGtips and tricks

A Letter From the DirectorBy Sara Danver, Chapters Director

Hi COs! 

So...Hunger Games. It's a thing right? Some of you may not have heard of it before we started this campaign. Some of you may have heard of it, and didn't like it. Some of you may have seen the movie and loved it. Some of you may have seen the movie and hated it. But as we finish up our very first Imagine Better project campaign, you can't deny that it has been a powerful campaign and a powerful concept.

Children fighting to the death as punishment for a rebellion generations past, their death match turned into reality entertainment for the masses. There were so many pieces of this story that could be turned into campaigns. The human rights violations that occur every year as people use food and the lack thereof as weapons. And we helped fight it.

This is what Imagine Better is all about. You might not love the story we choose next time. You might not have heard of it, and you might learn something new. But no matter what, you're going to help us change the world. And it's going to be awesome. 

As always - email me with feedback or questions at sara@thehpalliance.org

Pam Harris, (pictured left)

member of the chapters staff and chapter

organizer for the NYDA, has

formed quite a few lasting and

meaningful partnerships over

the years. She continues to work

with chapters from around the country, as well as a number of other groups

located in New York City!

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If you have any questions or comments regarding partnerships or any other subjects, please email chapters@thehpalliance.org - we’ll be happy to answer your questions in a timely manner!