The SSA provides a considerable number of services to its affiliates. Indeed, providing these services is the primary work of our staff.  We encourage you to look over this list from time to time to make sure your group is taking advantage of everything we offer.

If your group is not yet affiliated with the SSA, feel free to use our affiliation form. If you need help starting a group, please request a group starting packet.

If you're interested in taking advantage of any of these services, send us an email at ssa@secularstudents.org, or call us at 1-614-441-9588, extension 1.

Services:

SPEAKERS
The SSA has a speakers bureau.  We will arrange the details of bringing a member of our speakers bureau to your campus, and will pay up to $300.00 (available on a first-come first-serve basis) toward the cost of travel and lodging. We now have a form where you can apply online to have a speaker visit your school. Apply today! We also offer a detailed checklist for groups planning to bring a speaker to their campus, available here.

GRANTS
The SSA can give your group money! Every semester there is at least $1500 available to help students offset the costs of operation, projects, bringing in speakers, and more. Please take advantage of this! Need some ideas? Here are just a few examples of groups who have received grants from the SSA:

1) The Atheist-Agnostic Student Group at Washington State University had plans to record the "Does God Exist?" debate between Eddie Tabash and Phil Fernandes.  An SSA project grant of $135 made recording their event possible.

2) An SSA grant of $200 allowed Secular Alliance of Indiana University to host two speakers for their spring semester: Hemant Mehta, the internationally-known "Friendly Atheist," on "Improving the Image of Atheists;" and Susan Sackett, a force in the original Star Trek series, on "Star Trek and Humanism." Both of these events were covered in campus media, which emphasized the connection between humanism and progressive values.

3) The Agnostic and Atheist Student Association at UC Davis planned to hold a fundraiser for their university's huge Picnic Day.  An SSA grant of $170 provided them with the seed money to make their fundraiser a success, setting them up for a successful school year to follow.

4) The newly reorganized Individuals for Freethought at Kansas State University wanted to make Dan Barker's visit to their school a resounding success. They applied for a $200 grant from the SSA, which allowed them to publicize their event to the entire university and the surrounding community.

Apply for an SSA project grant today!

CAMPUS ORGANIZERS
SSA staff is dedicated to working with student groups.  A campus organizer is the person to contact about:

• starting a group at your school or university
• obstruction, resistance or discrimination from your school or university
• getting ideas for an event
• solving problems with your group
  
• sharing a great event with other student groups
  
• questions about any of the SSA's services
  

You can reach a campus organizer at organizer(AT)secularstudents(DOT)org.

ACTIVITY PACKETS & SAMPLE YEAR
We have developed a series of Activity Packets to walk your group through planning a wide range of events, from bringing a speaker to your campus to awareness tabling to organizing a blood drive.  Great for new groups just learning how to run things, or as a source of ideas for the veterans.  See the full listing at www.secularstudents.org/activitypackets.  See how events can come together, and plan your own events, using our Sample Year at www.secularstudents.org/sampleyear.

MEDIA RELATIONS
The SSA has access to a frequently updated database of media contact information.  We are more than happy to send out press releases on your behalf to local media that might be interested in your events.  We're also happy to help you develop press releases.  Read more about how to work with the media.

GROUP RUNNING GUIDE & OTHER DOCUMENTATION
The SSA provides a copy of this 55-page, spiral-bound booklet to individuals who are mobilizing a group and to existing affiliates. It contains information detailing how to start a group, find an advisor, raise funds, gain members, run meetings, participate in outreach services, and much more. If you give us your postal address, we will send you a copy. You can also view the electronic version.

In addition to our Group Running Guide, we also have documentation on several other topics.  You can find them in our Group Document Library.

BUSINESS CARDS
We are happy to print and send business cards with your group's name and contact information on them. The SSA now is accepting requests online. If you're interested, please click here to submit a request.

FLYER EXCHANGE
The SSA currently hosts flyers and promotional materials used by our affiliate groups on our Flyer Exchange program. If you need ideas or flyers, or would like to submit your own group's design to the Flyer Exchange, please click here.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The SSA holds an annual national conference to help inform and inspire secular students. The Campus Organizer will send out notices reminding students to register when the time comes. You can read more about the past SSA conferences.  You can also learn about the next SSA conference.

AUDIO ARCHIVES
The SSA archives speakers' lectures from our conferences on our website. All of the topics are of great interest and much can be learned from these veterans of Humanism. Check out the audio archives.


BEST AWARDS
Every year, we award excellence in our affiliate groups through the Best Awards.  Groups who accomplish great work in the areas of their website, service projects, media coverage, or are outstanding overall are awarded a handomely engraved plaque and a cash award to support further excellence for their group.  View past winners and the applications.

NEWSLETTER
The SSA produces an electronic newsletter, the eMpirical. It often has lots of ideas you can use to run your group better.  Check out the previous issues of our newsletter.

LOCAL COLLABORATION GUIDES
The SSA encourages cooperation between campus groups and other, off-campus groups in the same area.  These relationships are beneficial to both students and adults in the freethought movement.  We provide guides on reaching out to collaborate with the other groups in your area: one is for off-campus groups, and one is for student groups.

EMAIL and WEB FORWARDS
The SSA can provide an email address that forwards to your private email address, allowing you to publish an email contact for your group without making your personal contact information public.  We can also create a "landing point" website for your group that links to your Facebook group and other contact information.  This is often more memorable and easier to put on a flyer or business card than a Facebook address.

BRANDED AFFILIATES PROGRAM
Change your group's name to "Secular Student Alliance at Your Campus" and help support the entire secular student movement.  Plus, you get a free logo and any branded swag we get into the SSA office.  Learn more about this program here.

WEB HOSTING
The vast majority of our affiliate groups get web hosting from their schools.  However, sometimes schools do not offer the services that our affiliate groups want.  The Secular Student Alliance is able to offer its affiliates hosting on our LAMP server.  Please contact our campus organizer for more information.  Of course, you might want to consider if your group even needs a website.  A blog or Facebook group might meet your needs.  We're also happy to help you make this decision.

NEW AFFILIATE MENTORING
We help newly forming student groups by connecting them with an experienced group leader to help provide support and advice.  You can learn more about becoming a mentor to help these new student groups here.

 
COMMUNITY
One of the most crucial aspects of our work is fostering a network for secular groups across the nation. We all know too well that like-minded people are often few and far between. This is probably one of the main reasons that you have come together and it is why we offer tools for existing groups to keep in touch and learn from one another. You can further develop a sense of kinship by becoming part of an on-line community by participating in our forum.

You can also develop relationships with other secular groups.Check out our listing, by state, of existing secular student groups across the world. Here you will find group contact information and their website link.

Let us know if there are other services you would like.  We're always looking to serve our affiliates better.