Group Affiliation Benefits and Fees

Note: We recently added the option of membership for individual businesses with less extensive support-- designed for businesses not forming or engaged in a local Alliance or group campaign. 

AMIBA is here to help you successfully start, develop, and maintain a local Independent Business Alliance® or help your community or existing organization implement an effective "buy local" campaign. AMIBA's commitment to IBAs is to help them effect positive change in their communities through supporting them with resources, information, connections and on-demand consultation. No other source can approach the experience and support AMIBA provides for you. 

Your initial benefits include:

• An organizer's handbook and checklist with extensive information and how-tos to help you organize quickly while avoiding time-consuming errors and guide you through developing your group into a powerful, successful organization.
• Templates for organizational documents (articles of incorporation, bylaws, and a thorough business plan), database customized for IBAs, printed member directory, window decals for local members, prospect recruitment brochures, promotional materials (bookmarks, print ads; bag stuffers), fundraising letters and dozens more items.

*Expect this package to save you $10,000 or more in development costs or more than 100 hours of time. We continuously collect the best of new materials and programs developed by each local affiliate to enable others to learn from them, or replicate them (archived in our online member resources).

• How-to instruction to help you organize many popular initiatives.
• Consultation on IBA operation, media relations, editing, policy, member employee education from staff with years of hands-on experience organizing local alliances.
• Bulk quantity of Thank you for choosing our Independent Local Business decals. New! now available Spanish (you choose any combination of English and Spanish versions). 
• New! 50 "Put Your Money Where Your House Is" bumper stickers. 
• 40 Why Buy Local? posters -- 8 of each design
• Access to our 501(c)(6) Group Exemption Program, allowing your group to opt in to receive Federal tax-exempt status through AMIBA. This saves new organizations several hundred dollars (typically $725) over filing independently, avoids hours of paperwork and avoids the risk of rejection.
  
• Why Buy Local? bag stuffer / countertop card template -- 8 different designs (Spanish template available on request).
• License to insert your logo into any of our materials for custom printing.
• New! Printed copies of our booklet, "Building Buy Local Campaigns that Shift Culture and Spending," for every board member, staff member and volunteer (these make great portfolios for selling local memberships as well as educating your core group).
• Assistance adapting AMIBA publications for local use.
• Access to restricted member resources area of AMIBA website that includes a huge and ever-growing library of materials and ideas developed by IBAs around the continent -- many are ready to adapt for your local use.
• License to use registered name Independent Business Alliance, the IBA logo and slogans Put Your Money Where Your House Is, You’re Not A Clone, Why Shop At One? and Because Community Matters.
  
• Free email marketing through MadMimi for up to 500 contacts or discounted rates for larger lists.

• Regular conference calls with other IBA directors/organizers to share ideas and support (recordings also available to affiliates).
• Member version of our monthly email bulletin with additional resources not in the public edition.
• Slide presentations with talking points to adapt for presenting or recruiting in your community.
• New! Free customization of AMIBA-produced ads.
• Biennial national conference to learn from each other and build the Localization Movement, as well as periodic regional gatherings (sample agenda linked here).
• 50% or more discount on in-person presentations and trainings for your community and at regional organizers gatherings.
• Access to fiscal sponsorship program, enabling you to obtain tax-deductible contributions and grants for your public education work.
• Access to AMIBA staff with extensive publishing and media experience to help develop your press releases, op-eds or make appearances in your local media.
• The credibility that accompanies being part of the pioneer organization with growing national recognition. While other organizations (and marketing firms) have emulated components of the IBA organizing model, only AMIBA is staffed by people with years of hands-on experience organizing a local Alliance, as well as helping dozens of other communities organize.

Click here to request an affiliation agreeement and application to review or to ask further questions (or call us at 406-582-1255).

Still not convinced? We encourage you to contact any affiliated community and ask them how much affiliation with AMIBA has helped them.