Chapter Director Onboarding & Handbook

10.1 What It Means to Be a Chapter Director#

A Chapter Director is the most important role in The AI Fellowship’s decentralized model. Directors are not employees - they are trusted community leaders who have volunteered to bring the Fellowship’s mission to life in their city or region.

In practice, a Director:

• Organizes and runs local events (meetups, workshops, hackathons, qualifiers)
• Recruits and onboards new members
• Maintains the chapter’s presence on Slack and any local platforms
• Represents the chapter in the global Directors network
• Reports on chapter activity to Central on a monthly basis
• Upholds and enforces the Code of Conduct within their chapter
• Decides (with full autonomy) how local events are run - format, venue, sponsors, content

What a Director is not:

• A paid employee or contractor of The AI Fellowship (unless a specific paid role is established and documented separately)
• Required to follow a specific event format imposed by Central
• Responsible for global-level decisions (those sit with Central)

Time Commitment#

Honest expectation: 4-8 hours per month in a steady-state active chapter. This rises to 10-20+ hours in event-heavy months (e.g., a hackathon or AI World Cup qualifier). Directors should have a co-lead or team of chapter volunteers to avoid single points of failure.

Directors are encouraged to step down gracefully rather than go dormant. A managed succession is far better for the chapter than a chapter that slowly stops.

10.2 Application and Selection Process#

Who Can Apply#

• Must be 18 or older (no exceptions for the Director role itself)
• Must be based in, or have strong ties to, the proposed chapter city/region
• Must have attended at least one AI Fellowship event, OR demonstrate meaningful AI community involvement in their city
• Must commit to the minimum activity level (at least 1 event per quarter; monthly report)
• Should have a co-lead or at least one other committed person they are launching with (strongly recommended)

Application Form Fields#

1. Full name and contact information
2. City / Region you are proposing to lead
3. Brief bio and current work or study (2-3 sentences)
4. Why do you want to lead this chapter?
5. What AI community experience do you have in this city?
6. Who else is on your founding team? (Names and brief intros)
7. Proposed first event: What would you run in the first 60 days?
8. Do you have any constraints on your availability? (e.g., travel, employment that creates conflicts of interest)
9. References: 1-2 people who can speak to your community leadership

Review and Selection#

Applications are reviewed by Central (Zohaib + Marina + any regional advisors). Scoring criteria:

Decisions are made within 14 days of application receipt. Applicants receive a written response regardless of outcome. Declined applicants may re-apply after 6 months with a revised proposal.

10.3 Director Onboarding Timeline#

Week 1 - Setup and Access#

• [ ] Welcome call with Central team (Zohaib or Marina) - 60 minutes
• [ ] Receive Director Starter Kit (see §10.4)
• [ ] Get added to #directors-lounge on Slack
• [ ] Chapter Slack channels created (see §10.5 checklist)
• [ ] Added to Notion workspace with chapter template
• [ ] Listed on theaifellowship.com chapter directory (pending first event)
• [ ] Introduction posted in #directors-lounge by Central:

Excited to welcome [Name] as our new [City] Director!

Week 2 - Community and Context#

• [ ] 1:1 call with an existing Chapter Director (buddy assignment by Central)
• [ ] Review Code of Conduct and minor safeguarding protocol
• [ ] Review AI World Cup rules and qualifier hosting requirements
• [ ] Draft first 90-day event plan (at minimum: one event per month)
• [ ] Identify chapter co-lead and volunteer roles (recommended: events lead, communications lead)
• [ ] Begin recruiting first members - target 10+ by end of Month 1

30-Day Milestone#

• [ ] First event planned and publicized (even if it hasn’t happened yet)
• [ ] Chapter Slack channels are active with at least 5 members
• [ ] First chapter member onboarded through full flow
• [ ] Chapter page live on website
• [ ] First monthly report submitted (see template §10.6)

90-Day Milestone#

• [ ] At least 2 events completed
• [ ] Chapter has 15+ members
• [ ] At least one member has been featured in a social proof post (#wins-and-shoutouts, or chapter social media)
• [ ] Director has participated in at least one global Directors call
• [ ] Feedback collected from chapter members on their experience

10.4 The Director Starter Kit#

On Day 1, every new Director receives:

10.5 Chapter Setup Checklist#

Slack (completed by Global Admin, requested by Director)#

• [ ] Create #[city]-general
• [ ] Create #[city]-announcements
• [ ] Create #[city]-events
• [ ] Create #[city]-projects
• [ ] Create #[city]-ops (private)
• [ ] Director added as channel manager for all city channels
• [ ] Chapter listed in Slack workspace description/channel header in #events-global

Notion#

• [ ] Duplicate chapter template workspace
• [ ] Rename and configure with chapter name
• [ ] Director given Editor access; Central retains view access
• [ ] Key pages populated: Member database, Event tracker, Monthly reports folder

Web Presence#

• [ ] Chapter page created on theaifellowship.com (Central creates, Director provides content)
• [ ] Content: Director bio, city description, how to join, upcoming events
• [ ] Social media handles created (if chapter chooses to run local accounts): @aifellowship.[city] on Instagram; similar on LinkedIn

Communications#

• [ ] Chapter added to Central’s monthly announcement distribution
• [ ] Director added to Directors mailing list

10.6 Reporting Cadence and Monthly Report Template#

Cadence#

• Monthly report: Due on the 5th of each month, covering the previous month.
• Quarterly call: All Directors join a 60-minute video call each quarter. Dates set by Central at the start of each year.
• Annual review: Director and Central meet 1:1 to discuss chapter health, goals, and any support needs.

Monthly Report Template#

THE AI FELLOWSHIP - CHAPTER MONTHLY REPORT

Chapter: [City] Director: [Name] Month: [Month, Year] Submitted: [Date]

--- MEMBERSHIP ---
Total members (end of month):
New members this month:
Members who left / became inactive:
Members who completed full onboarding:

--- EVENTS ---
Events held this month:
Event 1: [Name] | Date | Attendance | Format (in-person/virtual/hybrid)
Event 2: [Name] | Date | Attendance | Format (add rows as needed)

Events planned next month:
Event 1: [Name] | Planned Date | Expected Attendance

--- ENGAGEMENT ---
Most active channel this month:
Notable member contribution or win:
Any community issues or conduct concerns: (yes/no - if yes, describe and action taken)

--- AI WORLD CUP ---
Qualifier plans (if applicable):
Teams currently forming:

--- SUPPORT NEEDED FROM CENTRAL ---
(List any blockers, resource needs, or questions for Central. Be specific.)

--- ANYTHING ELSE ---
(Optional: what's going well, what could be better, ideas for Central)

10.7 What Central Owes Directors - The Support SLA#

The AI Fellowship’s model works because Directors trust that Central will show up for them. These are not aspirational goals - they are commitments.

Central also commits to:

• Running a global Directors call at least once per quarter
• Publishing a monthly Central Update to #directors-lounge (what’s happening globally, upcoming campaigns, new resources)
• Providing a minimum of 2 hours of 1:1 time per Director per year for chapter strategy conversations
• Maintaining up-to-date brand assets, templates, and documentation at all times
• Announcing any global policy changes to Directors at least 14 days before they take effect

10.8 Chapter Lifecycle#

Status Definitions#

Process#

Dormant trigger: Central sends a personal note to the Director:

We haven't heard from you in a while - is everything okay? We want to support you, not audit you. If the chapter needs a pause, let's talk about it.

Inactive review: Central attempts contact via email, Slack, and phone (if available). If no response after 30 days, the chapter moves to Inactive status. An announcement is posted in the chapter channels:

This chapter is currently on pause. Members are welcome to participate in the global community while we explore next steps.

Closure: Closure is a last resort. Before closing, Central actively seeks a successor Director. If no successor is found within 60 days, the chapter is formally closed. A closure announcement is sent to all chapter members with guidance on how to stay connected globally.

Reactivation: A closed chapter can be reactivated by a new Director application following the standard process. The city’s history (events, members, content) is preserved in archived Notion pages and referenced in the new Director’s onboarding.

10.9 Director Succession#

When a Director decides to step down - or when Central determines a Director change is necessary - the following process applies.

Voluntary Succession (Preferred)#

1. Director notifies Central at least 60 days in advance.
2. Director and Central jointly identify a successor candidate (ideally from the chapter’s existing member/volunteer base).
3. Outgoing Director co-runs at least one event with the incoming Director.
4. Formal handover meeting: Central, outgoing Director, and incoming Director. Agenda: open items, key contacts, member relationships, any ongoing projects.
5. Incoming Director completes the standard Director onboarding (abbreviated Week 1-2 timeline; full checklist still required).
6. Public announcement in #directors-lounge and chapter channels thanking the outgoing Director.

Emergency Succession (Director becomes unavailable suddenly)#

1. Central assumes temporary stewardship of the chapter (#[city]-ops access transferred to Central).
2. Chapter members are notified:

There has been a change in leadership. We're identifying a new Director and will update you shortly.

3. Central initiates an internal search (existing members first, then open application) within 30 days.
4. Chapter continues operating at reduced pace during transition.

10.10 Director Offboarding Checklist#

When a Director steps down:

• [ ] Succession plan in place and communicated to chapter members
• [ ] All chapter Notion content reviewed and organized (no orphaned drafts)
• [ ] #[city]-ops channel history reviewed; any sensitive content downloaded and deleted
• [ ] Slack channel admin rights transferred to successor
• [ ] Notion editor access transferred to successor; outgoing Director downgraded to view-only
• [ ] Website chapter page updated with new Director info
• [ ] Member database reviewed and updated
• [ ] Outstanding vendor or venue relationships documented and handed over
• [ ] Exit interview with Central (30 minutes): What went well? What could be better? What advice for the successor?
• [ ] Public thank-you from Central in #directors-lounge and #wins-and-shoutouts
• [ ] Optional: outgoing Director invited to #onboarding-alumni and remains a member of the community