Start a Clubhouse
It usually takes between two and three years to develop a local Gilda's Club, and the average organization has an annual budget of $600,000-$900,000, which is raised by the local board. The Gilda's Club Worldwide Affiliate Growth and Development department will serve as your conduit to all the information you will need to start this process once you have identified an appropriate Steering Committee.
There are several steps in the process to creating your own Gilda's Club Affiliate:
Affiliation Program
Choosing a Site
Board Building and Fundraising
Help from Gilda's Club Worldwide
Affiliation Program
Step 1: Write and let us know you are interested. We get many requests from across the United States, Canada and around the world; it is possible that there is already a group or individuals who have begun working in your area. If that's the case, we can assist you in combining your efforts.
Step 2: Call and visit the local Gilda's Club nearest you for a tour. If in New York, schedule an in-person meeting with the Affiliate Growth and Development team.
Step 3: Upon returning to your community, begin discussions with local community leaders to explain the Gilda's Club concept and gain their support.
Step 4: Develop and submit a proposal for Gilda's Club affiliation that includes a three-year business plan. All proposals must include the following:
Note: Before this point, you may not use the Gilda's Club name and/or logo for any interest-raising events, without prior approval from Gilda's Club Worldwide.
Step 6: Once you have one year's operating expenses in the bank, a suitable clubhouse site secured, and program staff hired and trained in consultation with Gilda's Club Worldwide, a Charter will be granted.
Choosing a Site
When communities determine to organize a Gilda's Club, the physical clubhouse is an integral part of the Gilda's Club program. By offering a comfortable, home-like environment away from a hospital or other institutional setting, Gilda's Club fosters a sense of community among its members, as well as pride in ownership. The clubhouse should:
Board Building and Fundraising
Developing a healthy Gilda's Club organization will result from a carefully structured Board nomination and growth process. Gilda's Club Boards usually rely on a combination of traditional nonprofit fundraising techniques and cause-related marketing strategies for organizational support, as outlined below:
Help from Gilda's Club Worldwide
The relationship between Gilda's Club Worldwide and its affiliates is close but flexible. While we are dedicated to maintaining the standards that scrupulously reflect the philosophy and program fundamentals and vigorously support these standards, we believe our movement is enlivened by input from the personal and collective wisdom of our affiliates. We welcome your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions on an ongoing basis.
It usually takes between two and three years to develop a local Gilda's Club, and the average organization has an annual budget of $600,000-$900,000, which is raised by the local board. The Gilda's Club Worldwide Affiliate Growth and Development department will serve as your conduit to all the information you will need to start this process once you have identified an appropriate Steering Committee.
There are several steps in the process to creating your own Gilda's Club Affiliate:
Affiliation Program
Choosing a Site
Board Building and Fundraising
Help from Gilda's Club Worldwide
Affiliation Program
Step 1: Write and let us know you are interested. We get many requests from across the United States, Canada and around the world; it is possible that there is already a group or individuals who have begun working in your area. If that's the case, we can assist you in combining your efforts.
Step 2: Call and visit the local Gilda's Club nearest you for a tour. If in New York, schedule an in-person meeting with the Affiliate Growth and Development team.
Step 3: Upon returning to your community, begin discussions with local community leaders to explain the Gilda's Club concept and gain their support.
Step 4: Develop and submit a proposal for Gilda's Club affiliation that includes a three-year business plan. All proposals must include the following:
- Background on development of proposed affiliate
- Mission and goals of proposed Gilda's Club organization
- Cancer-related demographic overview of area from which Gilda's Club membership would be drawn, including any emotional and social support services provided by other organizations
- Accessibility of general geographic location and/or rationale for identification of specific clubhouse site
- Preliminary description of Gilda's Club program that would be offered, including aspects of each Basic III 'Plus' component
- Proposed Gilda's Club organization and staffing structure
- List of Gilda's Club Founding Development/Steering Committee (or preliminary board) and their affiliations, reflecting broad community participation
- List of proposed Medical Resource Council, drawn from varied health disciplines and including all county hospitals or cancer centers
- Proposed budget for three years of start-up and operation, along with business plan, fund-raising approaches, and timetable needed to reach that goal
- Preliminary plan for community and member outreach, including description of proposed communication materials
- Statement of commitment to mission and philosophy of Gilda's Club Worldwide and to implementing the program as taught at the Gilda's Club Worldwide Training Center
Note: Before this point, you may not use the Gilda's Club name and/or logo for any interest-raising events, without prior approval from Gilda's Club Worldwide.
Step 6: Once you have one year's operating expenses in the bank, a suitable clubhouse site secured, and program staff hired and trained in consultation with Gilda's Club Worldwide, a Charter will be granted.
Choosing a Site
When communities determine to organize a Gilda's Club, the physical clubhouse is an integral part of the Gilda's Club program. By offering a comfortable, home-like environment away from a hospital or other institutional setting, Gilda's Club fosters a sense of community among its members, as well as pride in ownership. The clubhouse should:
- Be centrally located and convenient to the target population
- Be easily accessible by public transportation
- Allow for adequate parking
- Not be located adjacent to a hospital or medical center
Board Building and Fundraising
Developing a healthy Gilda's Club organization will result from a carefully structured Board nomination and growth process. Gilda's Club Boards usually rely on a combination of traditional nonprofit fundraising techniques and cause-related marketing strategies for organizational support, as outlined below:
- Nonprofit fundraising that follows the established prototype (i.e., capital campaign, special events, private, corporate and foundation grants, government fund-raising, direct mail, etc.), individualized according to affiliate locale.
- Cause-related marketing, co-operative arrangements with companies that make top-level gifts (use of logo, product exclusivity, and celebrity identification), including the benefit of relationships between local affiliates and Gilda's Club national sponsors.
Help from Gilda's Club Worldwide
The relationship between Gilda's Club Worldwide and its affiliates is close but flexible. While we are dedicated to maintaining the standards that scrupulously reflect the philosophy and program fundamentals and vigorously support these standards, we believe our movement is enlivened by input from the personal and collective wisdom of our affiliates. We welcome your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions on an ongoing basis.
- No annual dues are paid by affiliates.
- Money that is raised locally stays local.
- Training is provided at the Gilda's Club Worldwide Training Center.
- Gilda's Club Worldwide hosts an annual Affiliates Conferences for networking and education.
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