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START A SLOW FOOD CHAPTER

Ready to start a local Slow Food Chapter?

Organized by volunteer leaders, local chapters are the heart of the Slow Food movement. Chapters across the country coordinate ways to fight for good, clean, and fair food for all- in their local communities and as part of a national/ international movement. Chapters actively create ways for members to celebrate, support, and champion the foods, food traditions, and people that are part of their local food systems. There are more than 100 chapters throughout the country, but some regions still lack a chapter.

We welcome the formation of new chapters! Below we detail the three steps of the application process:

 

The Application Process

1. Checking in

We are so excited you are interested in forming a chapter. To begin we ask that you check in with us to see if there is already a chapter existing, a new chapter in the middle of forming, or other existing collaborators in your local region. 

To check in, please email chapters@slowfoodusa.org.  In your email, please let us know what community/region you wish to focus upon with your new chapter and how many people you have on your founding team.

We will respond to your email asap!

 

2. The NEW CHAPTER APPLICATION

Once we are in touch and know that proceeding with a brand new application is the best strategy, we can begin the application. The New Chapter Application is the first formal step in the process for establishing a new Slow Food USA local chapter in your community. It is primarily a self-evaluation process to help your leadership team establish a shared vision for the proposed chapter.

The process for setting up a local chapter can take some time and effort, but it should be fun too! The best way to ensure that it is both productive and fun is to work with a team of people who share your passion for spreading the Slow Food message. You’ll need a minimum of FIVE people committed to serve as your chapter’s leadership team.

Once you’ve found your teammates, get together (in person and over food is best, of course!) to work through answering this form as a group. To prepare for the meeting, have everyone read through the Slow Food USA Chapter Handbook and this preview of the New Chapter Application.  The application is designed to focus your team on leadership roles, mission and strategies, and active goals for your first year as a chapter. 

3. THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

The third step is geared towards getting your chapter on the books. The application is intensive, so please stay in touch with the Slow Food USA national office for assistance. We are always thrilled to help enthusiastic Slow Food leaders start chapters in their communities.

There are five steps in this phase: organizing the leadership team and signing necessary documents, writing the chapter’s bylaws, filing for an EIN, opening a bank account, and finally submitting the completed application.

Campus chapters should also submit the campus supplement 

After the App...

Once you’ve filled out your Chapter Application, check out some toolkits and promotional materials you can use to get the word out and start building your Slow Food Community.

Slow Food leaders — find tools and information that support your work in communities here. Below are toolkits to help you organize around Slow Food’s themes, information for past and upcoming leader calls, tools to help you govern your local chapter, and more.

If you are interested in organizing for Slow Food in your community, please take the first step in joining this global movement by becoming a member today!

Connect with our national network of leaders by joining our Facebook group. Take advantage of this platform to get inspired and to learn from your peers.