Over the next week or two, you’ll see references on this site to “AAUW for All” change to “Open Up AAUW” or something similar. Later this year, you may see it all change back.

What’s going on is that we are, obviously, an informal group of AAUW members and we were using a name that implied we were an official AAUW entity. That is not the case, and while the national AAUW has given us permission to use “AAUW” in our name, they have asked that we not use one that starts with AAUW, which is a pattern used by branches and implies official use of the brand.

As members, we support the effort to put rules around the use of “AAUW” as a trademark, and we are moving to make those changes, subject to the communication challenges in getting our informal network to agree on an alternative.

On the other hand, we are also beginning to explore getting recognized as an official entity under the new AAUW bylaws where Article XII defines “AAUW entities” and the new Policy 203 (see excerpts below). Part of that process would be getting our group and name approved by the AAUW board, and we may ask for a return to the “AAUW for All” name.

Stay tuned.

AAUW Charter and Bylaws

ARTICLE XII. ADDITIONAL AAUW ENTITIES
The AAUW Board of Directors may establish informal geographic, issue, or special interest groups and networks to further the mission of AAUW and foster the specific interests and needs of members. In addition, groups of members, branches, or states may form other affiliations with one another to serve common AAUW purposes. If desired, they may seek recognition of those AAUW entities following procedures and policies established by the AAUW Board of Directors.

AAUW Policy 203
III.  Additional AAUW Entities

1. Organization. Additional entities seeking formal recognition shall notify the AAUW Board of Directors.  They shall provide a statement of their purpose, intended methods of operation, and an administrative contact.
2. Governance. If an additional entity chooses to have bylaws, those bylaws shall not conflict with the AAUW Bylaws.
3. Recognition. Formal recognition will be made by the AAUW Board of Directors.