Consider whether or not a formal support group is really what you're looking for. What other possibilities exist and how well do they work?

Do I Really Need a Support Group?
by Carol Moxley
"Anyone just starting on their homeschooling journey probably received their introduction to the concept of a homeschool support group in the same breath as the answer to the socialization question. The connection, therefore, becomes as entrenched in their minds as the need to know the law for their state. But is a support group really necessary?" 

Getting the Support You Need Without a Formal Support Group
by M. Roth
"What we have is not a formal support group although for me, it acts as one. We don't have a name or a newsletter. We don't sponsor events for all of the local homeschooling community. We are just friends who all happen to homeschool. We met in various places and at various times. The adults and kids enjoy each others' company but we rarely all get together at the same time."

Find out about successful activities other support groups have held. Learn how to plan great field trips and successful homeschool information nights and other information meetings. Learn about co-operative learning groups. Learn about opportunities for homeschoolers to participate in a wide variety of programs and competitions. Discover how one support group offers many activities and events with little debate about how they are conducted.

Patterns for Success
compiled by NHEN's Support Committee volunteers
"Wouldn't it be helpful to be able to sit down with other local support group leaders and see examples of what their groups are doing? Wouldn't you love to dig through newsletters of working support groups to glean ideas and to find inspiration?" Let NHEN's Support Committee show you some support groups with great goings-on!

Organizing Field Trips
by Rhonda Conner
"You have volunteered to coordinate field trips. Now what? Sure, you have lots of energy and ideas now, but what happens when you run out of ideas? What happens when nobody will help you? Worse, what if no one shows up?" Here are some tips to take the stress out of coordinating field trips.

Homeschool Information Nights
by Sue Patterson
"Putting together an Information Night isn't nearly as hard as it might sound. There are a few choices that need to be made before you start, and if you have at least three or four homeschoolers willing to help shoulder the work and a few more willing to attend... well, you could find yourself with quite a successful event!"

How Our Cooperative Works
by Marsha Ransom
Have a look at the development and evolution of a real homeschool learning co-op!

Community and National Programs and Competitions
"As homeschooling gains acceptance by mainstream America as a viable learning alternative, more and more opportunities arise for homeschoolers to participate in special programs previously reserved for classrooms. Here are some examples of the types of programs that your support group can participate in." Look for fundraising ideas in here, too!

Our Non-Directed Support Organization
by Earl Gary Stevens
"We are often asked how we can manage to advertise a variety of support group meetings and a long list of activities and events in this part of the state with very little debate or disagreement over how they are conducted." This article describes a community-type approach to support groups.

Providing Homeschool Information: A Talk-in-the-Park
by Pam Sorooshian
An alternative to evening information meetings is to occasionally schedule an hour or two before regular park days specifically for long-time homeschoolers to give information and answer questions for those who are new or considering homeschooling. This article describes how one group has successfully carried out casual, but effective, homeschooling information workshops in the park.

How and where do you find meeting space? How do you get help as your organization grows beyond your ability to run it all by yourself? What do you do if your group's attendance falls? Eplore answers to these questions and also take a look at how to avoid burnout, how to use consensus decisionmaking, dealing with difficult volunteer situations, and how to handle various kinds of conflict in your group.

Lost Without Space?
by Mary May
"While the thought of hunting up space can be intimidating at first, it doesn't have to be a torturous experience. Space for meetings and activities can be found in the most unexpected places sometimes. You just have to know where to look."

Finding Help as Your Support Group Grows
by Carol Moxley
Whether the intent is for the group to remain informal, with you at the helm and a crew of helpers available to take on specific duties, or whether you expect the group to grow into a formal entity with elected officers and by-laws, you're not going to be able to do it all yourself forever.

The Evolution of a Support Group
by N. S. Gill
". . . [R]ather than longevity as the measure of a support group's success our standard should be the group's ability to evolve." This article addresses sparse attendance and other issues homeschool support groups can face.

Helping New Homeschoolers: A Simpler Approach
by Carol Moxley
"How does one enjoy helping acclimate the new homeschooler while still preserving one's sanity?" This article offers a few time and energy-saving tips for busy support group leaders and volunteers to consider.

Consensus
by Dorothy Werner
"Most well-functioning groups actually use consensus informally most of the time." But how does consensus work? Why does it work? And what responsibilities do members have when working towards consensus?

Volunteers, Volunteers, Fall-in-Tears!
by Carol Moxley and Lenore Hayes
A humorous look at difficult support group members and volunteers with some useful advice on dealing with them tossed in for good measure.

When a Support Group Splinters
by Marie Hopper
"We all come into groups looking for different things and with different expectations. We naturally gravitate to others that "click" for us or for our children. As a result, sometimes, groups split or splinter. This is where my story comes in."

Homeschool Leadership: Balance vs. Burnout
by Mary May
"Most people who have spent any great amount of time and energy at a task have felt the symptoms of burnout at one time or another. These symptoms, while routinely disruptive, affect people in different ways . . . Most people see feeling burnt-out as a reaction to attempting to do too much at one time. As adept as homeschool group leaders, co-op coordinators, and activity leaders are at juggling, keeping all of those balls in the air at once can be a challenge."

Addressing Interpersonal Conflict
Conflict resolution help from the Free Management Library.

Conflict Management in Groups
Collections of article links assembled by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, designed to help managers of non-profit and for-profit organizations.

 

Get information about filing for tax-exempt status as well as a great deal of information about running a volunteer organization. Find out how to thank volunteers and keep them motivated. Review the skills and knowledge required to be a good organizational leader.

What You Need to Know if Your Organization Plans to File for Tax Exemption
From the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Internet

Non-Profit Center
A wealth of information helpful to non-profit and other volunteer organizations. Budgeting, leadership skills, volunteer management, fundraising and much, legal considerations and much, more!

What are Some Ways to Thank Volunteers?
An example from an active volunteer program.

Overview of Leadership in Organizations
Helps readers gain broad understanding of the concept of leadership along with the various areas of knowledge and skills required to lead in a variety of different situations.

Why is networking important to homeschoolers? What are the many ways it can be accomplished? What networks already exist? What are the purposes of various networks? How does information spread across the homeschooling community?

Networking and NHEN
by Carol Moxley
"How does one create a network of homeschoolers to begin a support group? How does one create a network of human resources from which to garner ideas? What are other support groups doing to deal with the challenges that arise? What networks exist in other states and how can a similar one be built in one's own state? What can be done to draw homeschoolers together to address legislative issues? How can information be spread? Where are these homeschoolers and how can they be reached?"

Homeschool Networking
by NHEN Support Committee
"Hopefully, these examples will inspire everyone to follow the examples of those committed to building and strengthening the homeschooling network that is underway on local, state and national levels - yes, even internationally! Let's look at a few of these networking phenomena."

Networking With Local Area Homeschoolers
by Mary May
" . . . [T]here are several reasons to reach out and connect with other area homeschoolers, support groups, and activity leaders. First and foremost is the vital need for tolerance and appreciation of how unique and different we are as people and homeschoolers . . . "

Working Cooperatively with Other Support Groups
by Hallie Pentheny
"I thought it would be great to be able to get families together without having to join multiple support groups. And that it would be nice to offer all NH families the opportunity to mingle and network with each other in a non-competitive environment."

 10 Essential Items

The NHEN Legislative Committee suggest 10 Essential Items to include when building a state homeschooling website.