Facebook provides a tremendous tool for campus organizing. Besides using it to keep in touch with your friends, you can also use it to launch a GenQ chapter at your school. Facebook can help you find the GenQ supporters around you and mobilize them into action. You can find other writers, photographers, atists, in fact anyone who is not-so-straight.

Launching a GenQ Facebook Group in Your Campus Network -- Creating a successful GenQ group on your network is simple if the group profile is well-built and growth is aggresively pursued.

GenQ is all about community, everyone is working together for the love of what we do.

Transitioning from Facebook to the Real Deal -- Once a Facebook group is up and running, you are in great position to officially launch an active GenQ chapter at your school.

The Causes application allows users to promote the issues they care about while supporting their favorite non-profit organizations. Join and support the GenQ Group, and the GenQ Foundation and then invite your friends! You can also create a new cause and choose to have it support GenQ.

Do you already administer a GenQ Facebook group? Let us know about it! Contact Andrew Stopps, GenQ Online Organizer, or message him as an administrator of the Global group, to tell us about your group.

For questions concerning the potential role of GenQ at your school, contact Chris Pycroft, GenQ's Youth and Campus Outreach Coordinator.

Transitioning from Facebook to the Real Deal

You already administer a GenQ Facebook group and you want to get your members more engaged online and off? Try out the tips and ideas below.

(If your network does not currently have an active GenQ Facebook group, check out Launching a GenQ Facebook Group in Your Campus Network.)

Launching an Official Student Group

The steps to receiving official club status will depend on your specific school, but here are some basic tips to transition from a strong Facebook group to an active student group:

   1. Contact Chris Pycroft, GenQ’s Youth and Campus Outreach Coordinator, to let him know about your Facebook group and your desire to start a more active chapter! He will provide you with the support and resources you will need to keep the group plugged into national campaign.
   2. Identify the members of your Facebook group who seem most enthusiastic about GenQ. Students who message you with interest about starting a group on campus, as well as those who actively post on the group’s wall, discussion board and photo section, should be included in the initial planning phase.
   3. Find faculty who are willing to support a GenQ group on campus. Include these faculty members in the initial planning phase as well.
   4. Have a sit-down meeting with this initial group of supporters. Invite your Regional GenQ Producer to come. The purpose of this meeting will be twofold: 1) Discuss the procedure for obtaining official group status on your campus. 2) Come up with a specific vision for your unique GenQ campus chapter. How do you plan on educating your campus about GenQ and being not-so-straight? In what ways could your campus group contribute to GenQ locally, regionally, and nationally?
   5. Once the groundwork is laid, it is time to proceed with the official launch of the campus chapter. Message all the members of your Facebook group to let them know about the launch of your GenQ chapter. Briefly share your vision for the group and provide a place and time for the group’s first meeting. You should host a Facebook event for the first meeting through the “Create a Related Event” feature.
   6. Use the first meeting to gauge the level of interest in the group. Discuss this vision for the group, brainstorm ways to build your membership, and tell others on your campus about GenQ.

Congratulations! Your campus GenQ group is officially up and running!

What To Do With Your Local Group

How might your local group contribute locally, regionally, and nationally? Remember, Chris Pycroft is there to help, but here are some likely ideas:

    * With the 2008 presidential election coming up, GenQ is showing up in force at political candidates’ events. Organize a group to attend the local events wearing GenQ T-shirts and GenQ bands! If possible, ask the candidate directly about his or her views on certain GLBT issues and give him or her a GenQ band to wear. If you get a picture with a candidate wearing a GenQ band, send it to Chris or your regional organizer. Be loud and be proud!
    * Think of creative ways to incorporate awareness of GenQ’s issues into your campus community. For instance, if your campus has a communications or film studies department, see if you could collaborate on a short documentary, or if your campus has an international relations club, see if you can partner on an event about international development programs.
    * Respond to the national campaign’s action alerts. Call or meet with your local congressmen to express your views on the impending legislation.
    * Work together to create new articles and multimedia content for GenQ. Remember GenQ is all about community, everyone is working together for the love of what we do.
    * Help raise money and awareness for local GLBT and HIV/AIDS groups.

Make sure to coordinate events with Chris and your GenQ Regional Producer.

Maintaining Your Facebook Presence

Successfully transitioning from Facebook to reality is not an excuse for letting your Facebook group stagnate. Facebook tools can tremendously improve your organizing and outreach capabilities. Plus, remember when you were a freshman looking for the right groups to join? Make sure that your GenQ Facebook group becomes a staple of your campus network by following these tips:

Keep updating the group profile!!

When a group is updated, it moves to the top of everyone’s My Groups page, which helps keep the online group active. The easiest way to do this is to update the Recent News section with national Action Alerts and your campus GenQ activities.

See the tools?—Use them!

Post photos, message the members, create an event, post topics on the discussion board, post on the wall—you know the drill. Distinguishing an active group from a stagnant GenQ is easy. Make sure that yours is active.

Welcome on board and keep us updated.

Tags: facebook, GenQ