How to start a BT chapter...

So you want to help your school build a school for kids in Uganda? BT wants to help you get there!

The goal of a BT chapter is two-fold. Raising awareness and fund-raising are both equally important components of every chapter. Follow the six steps below and you'll be building schools in no time!

1. E-mail us!

We realize this may sound like a given but be sure to get in touch with us first. Reason being, over the years we have developed a wide variety of resources to help you on your way! We also recently hired someone whose main job is to HELP YOU! Her name is Maggie and she can be reached at maggie@buildingtomorrow.org.

2. Find other people!

There is no way that you can start a chapter yourself and maintain your sanity. Reach out to friends and classmates to find others that are interested in BT and its goals. Get them excited about the cause! You'll ideally want someone who is as motivated and dedicated as you are because, for the first year, this core group of members will most likely become your leadership team.

3. Do some research about your college

First of all, we are here to help with this! However, it is probably not a bad idea to get a general understanding about how student organizations work at your school. We would suggest talking to friends who have leadership roles in other organizations because, if they can't help you, they will likely be able to put you in touch with someone who can!

4. Set goals

Before you have your first official BT meeting you need to have some basic direction. Every college is different, so we want to give you as much flexibility as possible to tailor your chapter. Set fund-raising and recruitment goals for the year. Have a game plan. (We can help you with this too!)

5. Recruit members

A successful BT chapter needs manpower. Recruiting members is not only important to increase the support for BT on your campus but at many universities it is required before you can obtain official "student organization status". You'll want to reach out to a diverse group of people that can bring different ideas and resources to the table. Try talking to your friends, telling your classmates, giving presentations, showing a movie, sponsoring a discussion, etc. However, before you get started, be sure to have a clear idea of how people can get involved.

6. Hold the first meeting

First of all, ADVERTISE! (We can help here too!) At your first meeting you'll want to give a general overview of BT, present your goals, brainstorm, assign positions, collect contact information, plan your next meeting, and thank everyone! Again, we have resources to help you with all of these!

We've been in your shoes once too...

All that said and done, we know that the task of starting a chapter can seem a bit daunting. As we've said before, we're here to help. In the meantime, we thought we'd share some of our incredible success stories and perks for our chapters in hopes of increasing your level of excitement...

Success Stories

>> In the spring of 2008 students at the University of Virginia biked 7,354 miles in their Bike to Uganda event raising nearly $20,000 and completing their fund-raising goal to build an academy for 325 kids in Uganda! We're scheduled to break ground on UVA's BT Academy of Gita this fall and, in the mean time, UVA is gearing up to build a second school!

>> In their very first year, the University of Notre Dame's BT chapter raised over $40,000 towards the construction of a new BT academy! On top of that, two students from ND spent their summers working for BT as interns in Uganda! We are in the midst of acquiring land for ND's academy and hope to break ground soon!

Perks

You'll be joining a network of thousands of students across the country who are making a direct and tangible difference in the lives of thousands of students a half a world away!
100% of the funds raised by BT chapters goes directly towards program costs in Uganda!
You have the option of painting your BT academy in your school's colors!
The students who will attend your school's academy will receive uniforms in your school's colors!
A large sign will be posted outside of your BT Academy in Uganda with your school's name on it!
Because of you, 325 children in Uganda will have a chance to go to school; many of them for the very first time.