Amy Shamroe, AAUWMI President

aauwamy@gmail.com

517-930-9999 (Cell)

The new calendar year has brought a lot of uncertainty to some members regarding the core tenets of AAUW. I have spoken to branches at meetings and even addressed this on my President’s Call with branch presidents around the state. 

AAUW has always been about equity and has worked tirelessly over the decades to be more inclusive and diverse. That is not changing. National has not wavered on this and Gloria Blackwell herself reaffirmed the organization’s commitment in her January 2025 newsletter. There was a recent AAUW National Inclusion & Equity Committee Webinar titled "Table Talks: Tips for Bold Conversations" that I encourage everyone to watch (featuring AAUWMI’s Eva Habib, among others; the segment with Eva is towards the end).

Screenshot of AAUWMI Membership VP, Eva Habib, from the AAUW webinar, "Table Talks: Tips for Bold Conversations"

Branches can host conversations, forums, or create calls to action. Join other organizations in your community doing similar work to make our voices stronger- or be the leaders if your community does not have anyone speaking up. There is no one answer to what we can do and there is no one solution that will be a catch all for every issue that will arise, but we can start doing the work.

AAUW recently released its 2024 Annual Report. Please take a few minutes to review AAUW's key accomplishments from last year.

Here are a few impressive statistics: 47,000 Two-Minute Activist messages were sent to elected officials, $6.3M was granted to AAUW Fellows and community organizations, and 6,157 women were trained to be smart about job compensation. 

Take a look at the report's easy-to-read pages and charts and graphs, and remember why you're a part of AAUW!  

The next page that comes up will show a Tax Records Submission History if you have done this in the past. If you registered in time to have national do this for you, you should have received an email receipt by Dec. 1, 2024, to confirm they would take care of your taxes.

If you did not ask national to do this on your behalf, you can still submit this form yourself, on behalf of your branch, by May 15th. If you’re unsure how to complete the form, the IRS is providing a User Guide on completing your 990-N. They have also provided a video training for you as well to ensure you don’t lose your nonprofit status.

The 990-N form is only for nonprofits who bring in revenue/donations totaling less than $50,000 per year.

In other news, I am seeking committee members for the AAUWMI Finance Committee. Members of this Committee will review the state affiliate’s financial records each year, as well as serve in an advisory capacity on budget building, investments, presentations and trainings, and more. This committee will meet only quarterly at most. 

Please contact me at sheilablairpmp@gmail.com if you are interested in becoming a member of the AAUWMI Finance Committee.

Sheila

If you weren’t able to attend the January 16th “It’s in the Numbers” Webinar, we recorded it for you. You can always go back and watch the video, but here were the salient discussion points:

• BOIR/Corporate Transparency Act and how it impacts branches
• 2025 Shape the Future Code
• Branches can create their own Legacy Circle
• Branches have to pay sales tax in certain circumstances
• Annual taxes
• Scholarship rule changes
• Fundraising Guidelines

Please reach out with any questions you may have. My email is best: sheilablairpmp@gmail.com, but my cell phone number is (734) 674-2246.

In addition to making sure that your branch policies are up-to-date, it is important that each branch follow AAUW of Michigan Policies, as they apply to affiliates.

Some of these AAUWMI Policies are the following:

1.  The AAUW Affiliate President or Administrative Officer shall be responsible for receiving and distributing communications sent by the AAUWMI. When a communication is sent by AAUW of Michigan, it is important that the communication be sent to the branch members by the branch president if it hasn’t been sent to all members. Even if it has been sent to all branch members, it is a good idea that the branch president repeats the communication.

2.  The AAUWMI Public Policies define actions that AAUWMI and affiliates may take that are consistent with the AAUWMI Public Policy Priorities and the AAUW Public Policy Priorities. Affiliate presidents are responsible for the affiliate conforming to these policies. AAUWMI Public Policy Priorities can be found here and AAUW Public Policy Priorities can be found here.

3.  The AAUW Affiliate President shall have available the following materials in permanent affiliate files: current AAUW Bylaws, AAUWMI Bylaws, AAUWMI Policies, Affiliate Bylaws and Policies and Procedures, Public Policy Priorities, the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, and Archives Procedures. Each president is encouraged to review these documents annually with her/his affiliate board and conduct business accordingly. The branch board reviewing these documents on an annual basis is best practice and guarantees that branch documents are up-to-date.

4.  Annually, notify the AAUWMI State Services Manager of the names and contact information of all branch board members by July 1.  This is in addition to entering this information in the Community Hub and includes all branch board members.

5.  Forward affiliate bylaws, as amended to AAUWMI Bylaws Director within 90 days of amendment. This applies to any type of amendment, whether it be AAUW-mandated or not. In other words, branch bylaws should be forwarded to the AAUW of Michigan Bylaws Director whenever any type of amendment occurs in branch bylaws. 

6.  Present proposed amendments to the AAUWMI Bylaws Director for review prior to adopting amendments. This policy appears in most branch bylaws for those that are not mandated by AAUW, but any branch bylaws that are amended need to be sent to the Bylaws Director within 90 days of amendment.

In addition, the AAUW of Michigan Policies include the following AAUW Policies:

1.  Fundraising Policy – Supporting AAUW’s Mission - Fundraising for Other Charities. This policy is designed to assist AAUW-Affiliated Entities in raising funds to support AAUW’s Mission of advancing equity. This policy explains what AAUW and the IRS expect from AAUW members when they are fundraising in AAUW’s name. Fundraising for other organizations or donating to other organizations at AAUW or AAUW-Affiliated Entity meetings and events or in AAUW or AAUW-Affiliated Entity publications is strictly prohibited.

2.  Fundraising Policy – Funding Local Scholarships. Although AAUW Affiliates should consider financial support of AAUW’s national charitable work to be their primary philanthropic priority, some affiliates also provide financial support for local scholarships or awards for women and girls. These programs are important contributions to the community, they are valuable to the recipient, and they advance the AAUW Mission. Clear guidelines and expectations for such programs are important and may have tax status implications for the affiliate and/or personal tax consequences for donors.

3.  Collaborations Policy. This policy provides guidance to branch leaders on working with people at other organizations to raise awareness of issues and achieve common objectives

4.  Candidates for Public Office Policy. This policy states that AAUW affiliates may not endorse or oppose candidates for partisan elective office and discusses prohibited activities and also how to conduct a candidates’ forum. 

More information about the fundraising policies and the collaboration policy with FAQs can be found on AAUW’s website at Fundraising Policies: What Members Need to Know.

As always, any questions or concerns you might have about bylaws and/or policies may be directed to AAUWMI’s Bylaws Director Jan Van Gasse.

Jan Van Gasse

janicevangasse@gmail.com

906-396-2747

AAUWMI Membership Update

Eva Habib

Spring is on the Horizon!



We’re excited to welcome a new season of growth for our membership! Each of you is important to our success—together, we are the cornerstone of AAUW Michigan.



We’re happy to share that the new AAUW Capitol Area and Adrian/Irish Hills branches have chosen their officers and are ready to start their journey!

We are currently busy talking with other branches, investigating their needs, and offering support. I would love to hear from you.

We're also working on the Membership Playbook—Revision 2025 to gather successful ideas from all our branches. Our focus includes recruitment, retention, onboarding new members, and succession planning while fostering a sense of belonging for every member and leader.

Our Zoom call on March 3 was a success! We discussed the Branch Membership VP position and had some great conversations.

Your energy and ideas make AAUW Michigan extraordinary. Please feel free to email or text if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Thank you.

Eva Habib

AAUWMI Membership VP

Action and Advocacy

Ruth Brown, AAUWMI Public Policy Director

Ida B. Wells

The next Public Policy branch counterpart meeting on Zoom has been planned for Monday March 31, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. EST. Please "Save the Date" for this opportunity to interact with your counterparts in other branches and for timely and relevant information that you can share with your branches. Please prepare your "best practices" to share with your counterparts. Watch for the Zoom link that will be provided to you soon. If you have questions or need assistance before then, please feel free to contact me at anytime. Thank you for all you do for AAUW.

Ruth Brown

AAUWMI Public Policy Director

(517) 398-0116 cell and text  

travelgirl4@comcast.net

I'm Leslie Carpenter (she/her), newly appointed AAUWMI Diversity Director. I look forward to getting to know AAUW members from across the state and discussing important issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion with you.

I moved to Brownstown Twp, MI in February 2024. I'm a retired Speech and Language Pathologist and a member of the AAUW Wyandotte-Downriver branch, serving as DEI and Fundraising Chair.

In my spare time, I enjoy pickleball, lap swimming, hiking, traveling, biking, as well as volunteering at numerous theatres and PRIDE events.

My vision is to live in a state/country where all folks are encouraged to be their most authentic selves and get to have human rights/civil rights upheld/cherished.

Notes from the Programs Committee

Co-VPs/Programs Linda Kevorkian and Sharon McKenna

We held a counterpart meeting on Wednesday, February 26, that was attended by 13 members. Most were branch Program VPs, although there were several who attended because they were interested in program activities within the branches. The topic of programs quickly segued into a lively and engaging discussion about membership – recruiting and retaining members, especially those in the 30-50 age range. There is a common concern about engagement with the community and the need to convey the benefits of membership to a target audience in a way that is attractive, including possible ways that programs be a part of that engagement.

The Program Committee will be meeting to discuss our role and participation in the annual meeting in April and to plan for Women’s Equality Day in August. The Leadership Conference, originally planned for the spring, will be held in September.

In January, VP of Finance Sheila Blair, presented a program titled “It’s in the Numbers.” She spoke about a number of issues related to the finances of AAUW Michigan Branches. A recording of the program is available on the AAUWMI YouTube channel.



In addition, AAUW presented a webinar titled “Tips for Bold Conversation.” This session stressed the importance of equality and inclusion as we learn ways in which to navigate difficult discussions and participate in strong conversations relative to DEI. You can watch the recorded program here.

Linda Kevorkian

Sharon McKenna

Co-VPs/Programs

From the Secretary's Desk

Katie Wiese, AAUWMI Secretary 

I enjoyed meeting many of you remotely at the last Zoom for Recording Secretaries. My apologies for forgetting to record it, but I promise to record our next Zoom.

If you are new to the Secretary position (or experienced), it can be confusing sorting out meeting minutes and other requirements. On the State website, there is a Secretary Playbook which provides helpful information for you.

Do you wonder:

• Do you need a motion to adjourn a meeting?
• Must you list people who are absent from a meeting in the list of attendees?
• Is a motion passed by consent or consensus?

On Thursday, March 27 at 7:00 pm EST you will have a chance to get these and many of your other questions answered at our next Zoom. Join Katie Wiese, AAUWMI Secretary, and Jan Van Gasse, Bylaws Director, and we will try to answer your questions.

If possible, please email Katie Wiese your questions prior to the meeting.

Registration information will be sent out at a later date.

NCCWSL Dates and Location Announced! 

Barb Duran, AAUWMI College/University Director 

AAUW was home to the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) for 39 years. Starting in 2025, NCCWSL will move to our trusted friends at NASPA, the professional home for student affairs administrators in higher education. This year's NCCWSL conference will be held May 28-30, 2025, in College Park, Maryland. 

Please visit NASPA's NCCWSL page for the most up-to-date information on NCCWSL 2025.

AAUW will have a presence at the conference as a speaker, exhibitor, presenter and promotional supporter. However, NASPA will be responsible for the planning and execution of the conference moving forward. 

See the FAQs below that may help as you share this with your branch members and potential NCCWSL candidates: 

FAQs 

Can our branch still contribute to NCCWSL scholarships?

Yes! Branches may still contribute to NCCWSL scholarships via AAUW. 80% of funds donated will be allocated toward direct scholarship support (registration fees only – not inclusive of travel or incidentals) and 20% of funds donated will be allocated toward the staff time and other direct administrative costs associated with managing the scholarship program. To donate to NCCWSL scholarships, email connect@aauw.org and ask for an express link to make an online donation. You can also mail a check directly to AAUW.

Who is eligible for an AAUW NCCWSL scholarship?

AAUW Student Associates are eligible for AAUW NCCWSL scholarships. This is a great opportunity to encourage students to join! All students at AAUW CU Member campuses can join AAUW at no cost! 

Will our branch be able to register students for NCCWSL?

Yes! Information on registration fees and the timing for registering students will be decided by NASPA and communicated to branches on this page and in AAUW newsletters when available.  

Will AAUW host NCCWSL again in the future?

NASPA will be the permanent host of NCCWSL starting in 2025. If they decide for some reason to stop hosting NCCWSL, AAUW has the first right of refusal to host NCCWSL in the future. 

Raising Funds to Promote

the AAUW Mission

Mary Jane Kearns, AAUW Funds Director

Fundraising is a topic of concern to all of us, and there are many good ideas to be found on our website. I would encourage you to remember the tried-and-true but also look around for new ideas. Think about doing something unique or at least not already done in your area. Most of us are already donors – whether in time or funds or both. We should not shy away from talking about it.

Your AAUWMI Board has been working hard to come up with a few ideas to help you. On the AAUWMI website, check out the "Flower Power Spring Fundraiser" (see more information below)," "Leave a Legacy to AAUWMI," and "How to give to AAUWMI and Branches" tabs at the top of the home page.

Our state board has set up sample codicils for our branches to make this as easy as possible for us. Watch Sheila Blair’s webinar "It's in the Numbers" found down the left side of the home page for more details on exactly how to do this. She also talks of other financial matters of importance to us.

Congratulations Michigan! In 2023 you donated $55,313.50 to National. In 2024 you donated $65,082.90. That is an increase of 18%. Nice job! Here are the top 10 donating branches in 2024.

AAUW and AAUWMI Email Communications

Leah Monger, State Services Manager

If you are unsure exactly what email communications you should be receiving from National and AAUW of Michigan or know of members who are not getting emails from either National or AAUWMI, this article has all those details.

What emails should I be receiving from AAUW of Michigan?

AUWMI distributes quarterly newsletters. Additionally, AAUWMI sends out calls for board nominations, bylaws amendments proposals, invitations to Zoom presentations, updates related to AAUWMI's advocacy efforts in Lansing, other news alerts, and occasional fundraising notices. Recipients of AAUWMI emails get communications from us about 3-4 times a month.

Several email addresses bounce each month, either because email addresses in the Community Hub (formerly the Member Services Database) are incorrect, or members have been unsubscribed from AAUWMI emails. There is a link at the bottom of each AAUWMI email to unsubscribe from future communications. If a member unsubscribes, even inadvertently, the member will have to re-subscribe to start receiving emails again. If anyone in your branch isn't receiving AAUWMI emails, I can check to see if their email address is correct in our contact list and that they haven't been unsubscribed. If someone has been unsubscribed, they can submit this form to resubscribe.

Where does AAUWMI get its email addresses from?

I download the state roster from the Community Hub. I can edit member records in the Hub, so if an email address is incorrect, I can fix it. Individual members can update their own records, and branch presidents, membership VPs, and treasurers can also edit records.

What emails should members be receiving from the national AAUW organization? How do you sign up if you're not getting what you should be getting?

AAUW’s Mission and Action e-Bulletin is bimonthly and goes to every member. Everyone who signs up to be a Two Minute Activist will receive action alert emails from the AAUW Action Network. You can find a registration form is at the bottom of this webpage. Membership Matters is distributed to branch leaders who are listed in the Community Hub. Past issues are available on this page.

National distributes other emails to branch leaders who hold specific offices, so those mailings wouldn't go to everyone.

If someone is not receiving any emails from AAUW, they should check the email address in their Community Hub member record to see if it is correct. It is possible to become unsubscribed from AAUW's emails just like AAUWMI emails. If you know someone who isn’t receiving emails from AAUW, please share this link to resubscribe.

As always, please contact me with any AAUW or AAUWMI questions you might have. I might not have the answer, but I’ll forward your question to someone who does.

Are you tired of the dreariness of winter and dreaming of the bright colors and scents of summer? We can help reduce the effects of the winter doldrums as you plan your summer garden while also supporting the mission-based programs of AAUW of Michigan to promote equity for women and girls.

AAUW of Michigan has partnered with Flower Power on a fundraiser that has the potential for AAUWMI to receive 50% of the profits if we sell at least $500 of products, which we are sure we can do with your help. The Traverse City Area Branch has previously used this fundraiser and been pleased with the quality of products received. Bulbs and plants are guaranteed to grow, and Flower Power notes which of their products are deer-resistant.

The Spring website is open for online orders now through May 15. Orders begin to ship in early April in the order received. Brighten up your own flower gardens with new plants, and order some as gifts for friends and family too!

Thursday, March 20 – Call to Annual Meeting distributed with AAUWMI Board Nominations and Proposed AAUWMI Bylaws Amendments

Tuesday, March 25 – All Women’s Equal Pay Day

Saturday, April 5, 10:00 a.m. ET – AAUWMI Board meeting (via Zoom)*



Monday, April 7 – Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day

Saturday, April 19 – Distribution of AAUW of Michigan Annual Report

Saturday, April 26, 9:00 a.m. – noon ET – AAUW of Michigan Annual Meeting (via Zoom)

Tuesday, May 6 – Mom’s Equal Pay Day

Wednesday, June 10 – Spring/Summer Newsletter distributed

Tuesday, June 17 – LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day

Thursday, July 10 – Black Women’s Equal Pay Day

Thursday, August 28 – Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day 

Wednesday, October 8 – Latina Equal Pay Day

Thursday, October 23 – Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day

Tuesday, November 18 – Native Women’s Equal Pay Day

*Any member of AAUW of Michigan is welcome to attend Board meetings. Please send an email to Amy Shamroe, President, if you would like to attend any meeting, and she will send you the details.

Elected Officers/Executive Committee

Appointed Directors

AAUWMI Administrative Staff