ASES Chapter in a Box
Everything you need to start and grow a successful ASES chapter.
Energy supply and demand are shaped largely at the state level, which is why ASES chapters matter. Pick a region you want to take on, and use this toolkit to get started. It’s a living resource, updated as chapters share what works. If you’d like more help, contact any existing chapter. You can find them on the ASES chapters page.
Benefits of Being an ASES Chapter
- ASES branding
- A professional, academic, and advocate community
- A share of membership dues
- A monthly chapter call
- A Chapter Caucus at the annual ASES conference
- One complimentary national conference registration for a chapter volunteer
- Listings on the ASES website and in Solar Today magazine
Ready to Start a Chapter?
Whether you’re forming a professional, community, or student chapter, tell us about your group and we’ll be in touch:
- Contact name
- Group name
- Affiliations
- Email
- Phone (optional)
- Website or social media (optional)
Email info@ases.org to start a chapter!
1. Governance & Operations
Choose your region. Decide which state or area your chapter will serve. You’ll need to register as an entity in your state to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Reach your community. ASES will let you contact members in your area two to three times per year. Use these notes to share your plans and invite members to volunteer for your board. Don’t forget your own network of friends, solar installers, and environmental advocates.
Build Your Board
Aim to fill four officer roles: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. All officers must be ASES members.
Schedule Meetings and Events
Pick a consistent date and time, such as the third Tuesday of each month after 5 pm, and post it on your chapter website calendar. A typical agenda includes a treasurer’s report, minutes, program, committee updates, old business, and new business.
Plan Strategically
Ideas to consider:
- Lobby days
- Chapter events
- Conferences with neighboring chapters
- Trainings
- Tabling at schools and parks
- Educational handouts
Every chapter needs a Grassroots Action and Leadership Team. Set a fundraising goal and identify who is on the team to reach it.
Stay Compliant with the IRS
As a new nonprofit, you are responsible for filing your annual return with the IRS (new and small nonprofits typically file the “e-Postcard”). Requirements and online systems change, so make this a yearly habit and keep a log of your filings. The IRS can revoke tax-exempt status if you fail to file for three consecutive years.
If your chapter operates more like a business association, be sure you know your required filing status.
As your chapter grows, follow IRS guidance on governance, including:
- Each board member evaluates their own participation on the board.
- The board evaluates the Executive Director’s performance.
- Board members read and follow current IRS directives.
Yearly Checklist
- Prepare a balance sheet showing income and expenses.
- File your annual IRS return.
- Plan income-generating events (see Section 3).
- Participate in the monthly chapter call.
Sample Startup Budget
- State registration and EIN
- IRS filing
- Insurance
- Website registration and hosting
- Business cards
- Letter to ASES members and postage
- Email (free options are fine to start)
- Email marketing tools as you grow (MailChimp, Emma, Higher Logic)
- Banner and exhibit table
- Zoom or a teleconference line
Tip: Set up your bookkeeping software with standard budget categories at the start so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
2. Setting Up Your Chapter’s Infrastructure
Before you can accept dues, sign up sponsors, or run events, your chapter needs a basic operating foundation. Treat this as a one-time setup checklist, then revisit it annually.
Legal & Financial Basics
- Register your nonprofit with your state and obtain your EIN (see Section 1).
- Open a business checking account once you have your EIN. Most banks require it before opening an account in your chapter’s name.
- Set up a low-cost way to accept payments for dues and event registration. PayPal is a common starting point, and Stripe works well as you grow.
Website
- Register a domain name for your chapter. Many chapters use a “state.ases.org” or similar pattern, so check with ASES national before registering to avoid conflicts.
- Choose a simple, low-maintenance platform. A template-based builder such as Squarespace, WordPress, or Wix is plenty for most chapters.
- At minimum, include an About/Mission page, an events calendar, a way to join or renew, contact information, and a newsletter sign-up.
- Assign a website owner who is comfortable making small updates, like event dates and board contacts, without a developer.
Email & Communications
- Set up a chapter email address (for example, info@yourchapter.org) instead of relying on a personal one. This keeps continuity as board members change.
- Choose an email service for newsletters once your list outgrows a personal inbox (see the Sample Startup Budget for options).
- Set up a shared drive or folder (Google Drive, Dropbox) so bylaws, budgets, and meeting minutes don’t live on one person’s laptop.
Handoff Planning
Keep logins and account ownership somewhere the board controls, not just one individual. Website hosting, domain registrar, email service, and bank access should all be recoverable if a board member leaves suddenly.
3. Funding & Financial Management
Fundraising
Your volunteers will shape your programs, so build a team around your best ideas. Chapters raise funds and serve their communities in different ways. Some work with public utilities, municipal utilities, and co-ops. Some respond to problems caused by unscrupulous installers. Others run the National Solar Tour and host an annual meeting with awards.
Income event ideas:
- Golf tournament
- Solar cooking contest with local chefs
- National Solar Tour and special tours
- Solar-powered or tiny-house trailer exhibits at events
- Solar car race
Grant Opportunities
Energy and education funding is specialized, so use the right databases:
- Candid (formerly Foundation Directory Online): a popular grants database. Filter funders by geography, subject area, funding type, and recipient category. Many public libraries offer free in-person access.
- Grants.gov: the free central portal for federal grant opportunities across all agencies.
- GrantStation: a curated database of active grantmakers, including private foundations, corporate funders, federal sources, and state-specific opportunities.
Sponsorships & Partnerships
Vet every partner carefully. A greenwashing deal may be lucrative, but it compromises your credibility and mission.
Membership Dues
Offer dues at several levels, and encourage membership with discounts on events. ASES shares dues 50/50 with chapters. When someone joins ASES online, checkout lists chapters and technical divisions they can also join. Many discussions take place in the ASES Online Community.
Choosing Financial Tools
- Small budgets (common for student chapters): a notebook with dated journal entries may be all you need.
- Banking: checking accounts often require minimum balances, while savings accounts usually do not. Compare options carefully.
- Payments: PayPal is an inexpensive way to accept credit cards.
- Advanced options: Salesforce (nonprofit discounts available), Restrict Content Pro, and Stripe.
4. Membership & Engagement
Grow your membership. You’ll meet many potential members at events. Solar energy spans many industrial and commercial applications, so engage with universities and host events. ASES conferences, the National Solar Tour, and ASES Technical Divisions are great sources of ideas and expertise.
Meet members where they are:
- Advocates may bring a bill to remove a barrier or add a benefit. Find a legislative sponsor first.
- Volunteers may want to take on a monthly newsletter.
- Installers need good references and visibility, such as through the National Solar Tour.
- Home builders may want to learn the basics, such as site orientation and insulation.
- Student chapters can take field trips, build a Solar in a Suitcase or a solar module, install PV charging stations around campus, or adopt a school and develop an energy efficiency program that funds solar.
- Community groups can build a solar trailer for concerts and rescue missions.
Use a sign-up sheet at every event. It’s old-fashioned but effective. Date each one and add names to your mailing list.
Membership Benefits
Focus on supporting your grassroots volunteers and their passions. Always include a member discount for conferences.
Speaker Series & Events
Post the full program and registration details at least six weeks in advance. Your website is essential for the who, what, where, when, and how.
Best Practices from Successful Chapters
- Know your members: who wants to do what, who can lead, and who will fill roles such as greeter, moderator, refreshments, exhibits, swag sales, and signage.
- Don’t forget event insurance.
- Meet regularly and start on time.
- Host a variety of events. Lobby days, chapter meetings, school exhibits, and the National Solar Tour cost little. Also consider tours of solar installations and buildings, factory tours, lunch-and-learns, and Green Bag Lunches.
5. Communications & Outreach
Website & Social Media
Invest real effort in your online presence. A great website is your chapter’s front door.
Newsletters
You’ll need a team. Journalism students at local colleges can be great partners, and you can offer them references in return. Decide whether your newsletter will serve the public, a technical audience, or both.
Media & Public Relations
- Contact local radio, TV, and newspapers to learn how they prefer to receive invitations and announcements.
- Position your chapter as a “resource” for the community.
- Practice an elevator speech tied to your mission, for example: “We educate the public about energy efficiency and renewable energy.”
6. Programs in a Box
Our goal is to share ready-to-use programs so chapters don’t have to reinvent the wheel. If your chapter has a great program, share the instructions with others.
Resources for hosting events and workshops:
- Event promotion: Facebook Events, Meetup, Evite, Eventbrite
- Virtual platforms: Zoom, Teams, Facebook Live
- Workforce training: HeatSpring
- School and university engagement: ASES Student Chapters, the conference Call for Participation, Solar Today‘s Young Pro Corner, and local solar tours
Collaborate with other chapters:
- ASES Online Community Chapter-to-Chapter Forum
- National Solar Tour
- ASES App
- Host a local solar tour
7. Chapter Forum & Knowledge Sharing
Join the Chapter-to-Chapter Forum to share best practices across regions, find mentors, and trade resources. With federal reports and resources potentially becoming less available, chapters that share with one another will be better equipped to stand on their own.
8. Tools & Resources
- Templates: bylaws, agendas, budgets, and more
- Marketing materials and branding guidelines
- ASES Resource Library
- Key documents and online training
- Membership management tools and databases
9. Next Steps & Support
- Review the benefits of being a chapter above.
- Submit the chapter interest form.
- Connect with ASES leadership and other chapters.
- Keep learning through peer support and the chapter forum.
Questions? Contact the ASES team to get started. Back to ASES Chapters
What I changed
- Merged the two parts: The handbook-style intro and benefits now open the page, followed by the form and then the sections.
- Moved the infrastructure section: “Setting Up Business & Website Infrastructure” was sitting before the title. It’s now Section 2, right after Governance & Operations, and everything is renumbered 1 through 9.
- Fixed cross-references: “See Governance & Operations above” now points to Section 1. The email tools now point to the Sample Startup Budget, since the Membership Dues section didn’t list them. The “Section 2” income event reference is now Section 3.
- Removed the circular handbook references: The merged page now includes the handbook content, so I dropped “next step after the Chapter Handbook” and “Review the Chapter Handbook.”
