1. You need 5 members to charter a local association. Included with this information is NAIW’s membership eligibility policy. In general, any person employed in the risk and insurance field is eligible. Please see your NAIW State Director for assistance. E-mail NAIW Corporate Centre if you need assistance locating your NAIW Council Director.
    
2. Meet with your new members and select/elect officers. (You do not have to fill every officer position listed on the “Association Application,” but it is recommended that you have, at a minimum, a President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.) Agree on a name for your local association.
    
3. Fill out the Association Application.
    
4. Obtain your Employer ID# by filling out form #SS-4 (instructions for #SS-4 form) and mailing it to the IRS. This will ensure that your association is exempt from Federal and State income taxes. NAIW was granted exemption on June 21, 1968 under Section 501 (c) (6). The Group Exemption Number is1937. As soon as you receive notice from the IRS of your Employer ID#, please send a copy of the Notice of New Employer Identification Number, along with the other documents outlined in Step 9, to NAIW headquarters.
   
   Please note: This exemption number does not exempt your association from sales tax.
    
5. Ask each potential member to fill out an NAIW membership application form.
    
6. Prepare a membership roster, which is simply a listing of names of the members in your new association.
    
7. Collect completed application forms from each new member. Checks made payable to National NAIW for the national and local dues (if any) should also be collected at this time.
    
8. Open up a bank account and order checks for your association.
    
9. Mail the following to NAIW headquarters:
    
   1. Two copies of local association’s bylaws (following uniform model).
   2. One copy of IRS Notice of New Employer I.D. number (when received).
   3. Membership roster.
   4. Completed membership applications for each person listed on the roster. (Please keep a copy for your association records.)
   5. Checks from each individual new member, made payable to National NAIW, including both national and local dues (if any). Local dues (if any) will be refunded back to the local association upon receipt by National NAIW.
      
       
10. Once you have completed all the steps necessary to charter a new association of NAIW, the national secretary will review your bylaws and you will be notified of approval by the national president as soon as possible.
    
    Now, you can get straight to the business of providing programs and networking opportunities for your association. Your next step might be to decide on meeting locations and times and appoint a program or education committee, if provided for in your bylaws. If you are interested in association planning guides and assistance, please feel free to call upon your state director or any of the staff members at NAIW headquarters for assistance.

Welcome to NAIW!