The semester may still be young, but it’s the perfect time to start thinking about who will lead your chapter next school year! Smooth, well-organized leadership team transitions (LTTs) are a critical component of making sure your chapter’s legacy continues after you graduate, and they take time to plan.
Start Planning Now
Begin planning your chapter’s LTT by asking current chapter leaders when they’ll graduate and whether they want to stay in their current roles next year. Once you know how many leadership team openings your chapter will have, the next step is to determine how you’ll select new chapter leaders. For example, will you have candidates fill out applications, will the chapter vote? Set a date for elections or a due date for applications a minimum of one month before the semester ends so that new chapter leaders have time to train with their outgoing counterparts.
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Once your chapter’s new leaders have been selected, it’s time to make introductions! Be sure to connect new leaders with all of the relevant contacts: representatives from your chapter’s food donor/s and partner agency/ies, your chapter’s advisors, representatives from related student organizations and campus departments, and - last but not least - FRN National’s staff.
Please share contact information for new chapter leaders with FRN National via this form or send us an email at programs@foodrecoverynetwork.org. Sharing contact information for new leaders with FRN National will help us continue to support your chapter and provide access to resources after you graduate.
Connecting new leaders with relevant contacts will make starting operations next year much easier for new leaders. Pro tip: store contact information in one place, such as a shared email account for your chapter or one document, to help prevent information from becoming lost.
Helpful Tips
Experienced volunteers are great candidates to fill open positions, but advertising openings beyond your current chapter members is also a good way to bring new students into your chapter. Spread the word over social media and tell professors in related disciplines and student organizations with similar focuses about your chapter’s openings!
As you plan your LTT, take the time to evaluate whether your current LT structure is working effectively. Does your chapter have enough student leaders, or too many? Are responsibilities distributed evenly amongst leaders? If not, now may be the time to rework your LT structure.
Ensure that organizational knowledge isn’t lost by creating a guide to running your chapter that future leaders can reference when they have questions. Include passwords, contact information for relevant contacts, detailed descriptions of how food recoveries work at your chapter, descriptions of past activities your chapter has organized, and responsibilities for different LT roles.
As you prepare for your chapter’s LTT, don’t forget that FRN National has many resources to help guide you through this process. The student resources section of our website includes a guide to forming an LT, various resources for volunteer recruitment, and an LTT checklist that you can use to plan your LTT. If you run into any questions or would like individualized support from FRN National, schedule a one-on-one call with a member of our team or email us at programs@foodrecoverynetwork.org. We’re here to support you every step of the way!