Solidifying the commitment of your organization to the Alliance: Working with your organization, JTA staff will assist in drafting a board resolution, memorandum of understanding (MOU), or other agreement in which a mutual understanding and expectation of this partnership is described.

Identifying a primary contact person for your organization. In selecting your organization’s contact, please consider the following:

1. The willingness of and ease with which your contact can receive and re-distribute information, such as articles and/or quick action alerts during the session and his/her preferred method for receiving materials from JTA staff.

2. Investing the contact with authority to represent the interests of the organization and to prompt the active involvement of other participants in JTA activities. That said, however, JTA understands that for many participating organizations final decisions that commit an organization to an activity or position must be discussed and supported by one’s Board of Directors.

3. The extent to which your organizational contact is integrated and networked into organizational activities and members. An organizational contact who knows your members and the organization’s activities well can recognize and seize opportunities where, for example, requesting additional information from JTA staff, offering presentations to decision-makers, direct engaging in offering testimony or public comments, and/or participating in an event will build organizational capacity and strength.

4. Their commitment to preparing for, attending, and participating in a meeting schedule as agreed upon by the local Alliance. Because this person represents physically your support of the Project, choosing someone who will come to meetings, prepared, engaged, and enthused will increase the effectiveness of both efforts and your contributions to the Alliance.