It’s a brand new year and here at Lady Geeks of Atlanta we are excited to roll out some big changes to the group, including organizational structure, membership, and openings for team positions.
First and foremost: Organizational structure
We’ve officially filed to become a non-profit social group. This was a decision a long time in the making, and something we had discussed frequently in the past. Since 2015 we have operated largely as a Meetup group offering IRL events and online spaces for members to connect in. We have grown steadily over the years and with that, so has our desire to do a little bit more in terms of the events we offer. So in 2022 we began laying the groundwork for a transition to a non-profit social group.
Next up: Membership
Beginning later this month, we will be collecting a base membership fee of $2 per year for all members signed up through Meetup. This will cover the costs of our online spaces as well as the fees Meetup charges each year. Leftover funds will be used for larger events, scholarships, and more. There are no plans for moderators, organizers, or governing board members to receive any sort of salary or payout save pre-approved reimbursements for reasonable expenditures in the course of running an event (e.g. rental of a picnic pavilion, purchase of a block of tickets, etc).
Those wanting to participate in our IRL events will need to become members after a 30-day free trial. However, our online spaces will remain free to participate in. Additionally, anyone may still set up their own, non-official IRL get-togethers through our online spaces (Facebook, Discord) with members and non-members alike.
Volunteer call: Join our team!
As we head into 2023, we are looking at ramping up events again. To that end, we are looking to recruit new event organizers and moderators to help us oversee the group and run events. Our members are spread all throughout the Atlanta metro area, so we would love to see some volunteers from beyond the OTP North area. If you’ve got some ideas for events, or think you could help out with managing some of our online spaces, click here!
Last but not least…
Our website will be transitioning over the next few months to our new logo (featured above), and will have more links added to governing docs like by-laws, codes of conducts for volunteers, and more. Bookmark and check back often!
