1 Formal (Legal)

1.1 Reasons

1.1.1 Handling money

1.1.2 Liability Insurance for Events

1.1.3 Share Resources with Multiple Groups

1.2 Steps for Creating

1.2.1 Group Together

1.2.2 Find a lawyer

Try and find one pro-bono.

1.2.3 By-laws

Get sample of other groups by- laws.  Maybe we could post them  here.

1.2.3.1 Mission

1.2.3.2 Officers

Try to keep the officer pool as  small as is needed for the legal  entity and to meet your needs.

Some groups have had too many  officers which made it hard to get  a quorum to have a binding vote.

1.2.3.3 how often to meet

1.2.4 Open Account

With Tax id can open a bank

Doug Ware uses paypal.  Sponsor can give money with CC

1.2.4.1 Paypal

1.2.4.2 Bank

1.3 Non-profit

Non-profit is an IRS status.  It  might not be necessary to go  through the process to be a not- for-profit.  If your not making  money then you cannot be taxed  on it.  Be sure to know how to  account for money taken in and  spent to avoid tax liability.

2 Informal

Most groups can get by without  forming a legal entity.  Even if  there is no legal entity it might be  a good idea to adopt some of the  legal entity requirements such as  for by-laws, a board, and have  elections.

3 Subgroups and Sigs

Some groups have experimented  with having sub-groups or Special  Interest Groups (SIG) within there  group. 

This way their regular meetings  can be more for a general  audience and the SIGs can go  deeper in more specific  technologies.

3.1 Split Group

3.2 Subtopic

4 Managing Partners

4.1 Sponsors

4.1.1 Get SWAG

4.1.2 Food

Instead of a sponsor giving money  ask them to directly pay for the  food or something else the group  needs.

4.1.3 Return for Sponsors

4.1.3.1 Search results

Quite often user groups show up  at the top of search results for a  local technology search.  This  can help give sponsors more  inline exposure.

4.1.3.2 Community Exposure

Name recognition within the  technology community.

4.1.3.3 Meet people

Meet technology people in the  local community.

4.1.3.4 Employee Training

Some companies my support the  group if some of their employees  regularly attend.

4.1.4 As speakers

4.1.4.1 Set Rules

Get presentation ahead of time

1 hour with core tech (not their product)

20 Minutes using there product

4.1.5 Receiving money

          4.1.5.1 Paypal