Chapter Application & Approval Process

14.1 Who Can Apply to Start a Chapter#

Starting a chapter is a significant commitment. The Fellowship is not looking for quantity - it is looking for chapters that will be genuinely active and will serve their local communities well.

Minimum Criteria#

Geography:

• The proposed chapter must be in a city or region with no existing active AI Fellowship chapter within 100km (or no overlapping community, if rural/regional).
• The city should have a meaningful AI/tech community (universities, startups, research labs, or strong general tech interest) that the chapter can serve.
• There is no restriction on geography globally - chapters are welcome on every continent.

Team:

• A minimum of 2 co-founders who are both committed to the chapter (a sole founder application will be considered but a strong co-lead recommendation is made)
• At least 1 person on the founding team should have organized or co-organized at least one community event before
• Founding team members must be 18 or older

Commitment:

• Willingness to commit to a minimum of 1 event per quarter in the first year
• Willingness to submit monthly reports to Central
• Willingness to operate within The AI Fellowship’s Code of Conduct and brand guidelines
• Must not be running a directly competing community under another brand simultaneously (conflict of interest)

14.2 Application Form Fields#

Applications are submitted via a form on theaifellowship.com/start-a-chapter.

Section 1: The People#

1. Primary Applicant: Full name, email, LinkedIn profile, city of residence
2. Co-Applicant(s): Same fields for each co-founder
3. Brief bio for each applicant: 3-4 sentences each. What do you do? What is your connection to AI?
4. What community leadership experience do you have? (events organized, communities led, volunteer roles)

Section 2: The Chapter#

5. Proposed chapter city/region
6. Why this city? What makes it a good fit for an AI Fellowship chapter?
7. What does the AI community look like in your city today? (universities, companies, existing events)
8. How large is your initial network in this city? (rough estimate of people you could invite in the first 30 days)
9. Do you have any existing partnerships, venues, or sponsorships in mind?

Section 3: The Plan#

10. What would your first event look like? (type, format, approximate date, expected attendance)
11. What would a typical month look like in your chapter once established?
12. What is your 12-month vision for this chapter?
13. How do you plan to sustain the chapter over time? (Are there potential local sponsors, institutional partners, or a volunteer base?)

Section 4: Commitment#

14. Do all co-founders confirm they can commit to at least 1 event per quarter and monthly reporting for the first year? (Yes / No - No disqualifies)
15. Do all co-founders confirm they have read and agree to the Code of Conduct and Brand Guidelines? (Yes / No)
16. References: 1-2 people who can speak to your community leadership. Name, email, relationship.

14.3 Review Criteria and Scoring#

Applications are scored by Central (Zohaib + Marina, with input from existing regional Directors where relevant).

Score interpretation#

• 85-100%: Strong approve - fast-track to interview
• 70-84%: Conditional approve - interview with specific questions to address gaps
• 55-69%: Hold - applicant encouraged to re-apply after 3-6 months with specific improvements
• Below 55%: Decline - written feedback provided; re-application welcome after 6 months

14.4 Approval Process and Timeline#

Total time from application to decision: Target 14-21 days.

Interview agenda#

1. Introductions (5 min)
2. Why this city, why now, why you (10 min)
3. Walk us through your first event plan (10 min)
4. How will you handle a difficult community situation? (scenario - 10 min)
5. Questions from the applicant (10 min)
6. Expectations and commitments discussion (5 min)

14.5 What a New Chapter Gets on Approval#

Upon approval, the chapter receives:

Immediate (Day 1)#

• Official welcome email from Zohaib
• Director Starter Kit (see Document 10, §10.4)
• Slack workspace access + chapter channels created
• Added to #directors-lounge
• Notion chapter workspace created
• Listed as “Launching Soon” on theaifellowship.com/chapters

Within First Week#

• Welcome call with Central (45-60 minutes)
• Buddy assignment: connected to an established Chapter Director in a similar context
• Brand assets and event templates
• Access to Central’s resource library (venue sourcing guides, event budgeting templates, etc.)

Upon First Event Completion#

• Chapter listed as “Active” on the website
• Chapter’s first event featured in Central’s social media (with photos and recap)
• Announcement posted in #announcements: “[City] chapter is officially active! Welcome to the Fellowship.”

14.6 What a Chapter Must Commit To#

By accepting a chapter approval, the Director(s) agree to:

Activity minimums#

• At least 1 event per quarter (minimum 4 events per year) in the first 2 years
• Monthly reports submitted by the 5th of each month
• Response to Central communications within 48 hours

Brand compliance#

• Use only approved brand assets for events and communications
• Do not change the Fellowship name, logo, or mission statement in chapter communications
• Do not enter into sponsorship agreements that conflict with Central’s partners (Central maintains a partner list; Directors must check before approaching sponsors)
• Do not publicly represent the Fellowship on political issues without Central approval

Community standards#

• Uphold and enforce the Code of Conduct at all chapter events and channels
• Follow the minor safeguarding protocol for any event with under-18 participants
• Report conduct incidents to Central within 24 hours

Reporting and transparency#

• Monthly activity reports
• Event reports within 48 hours of each event
• Annual review participation

14.7 Probationary Period#

All new chapters operate under a 6-month probationary period from the date of their first event.

During this period#

• The chapter is listed as “New” on the website
• Central does additional check-ins (monthly call in addition to reports)
• The chapter is eligible to run events but is not eligible to host an AI World Cup qualifier in Year 1
• Central may intervene more quickly if activity is below expectations

Successful completion of probation requires#

• At least 2 events completed
• All monthly reports submitted on time
• No unresolved conduct issues
• A chapter of at least 15 members

At probation completion, Central sends a formal “Active Status” confirmation and the chapter becomes fully eligible for all Fellowship programs including AI World Cup qualifier hosting.

14.8 How a Chapter Can Be Suspended or Closed#

Chapter suspension and closure follow the lifecycle framework in Document 10 (§10.8), with the following additions specific to the application/accountability context:

Grounds for Immediate Suspension (not following the Dormant Inactive Closed lifecycle)#

Suspension Process#

1. Central notifies Director in writing with specific grounds.
2. Director has 5 business days to respond.
3. Central reviews response and makes a decision: reinstate with conditions / extend suspension / move to closure.
4. Chapter members notified of suspension with a neutral message: “This chapter is currently under review. We’ll update you within [X] days.”

Closure#

• Closure decisions are final but can be appealed in writing within 14 days.
• Upon closure, all chapter channels are archived, the chapter is removed from the website, and members are welcomed to remain in the global community.
• A Director who has had a chapter closed due to conduct violations is not eligible to re-apply for a Director role at any chapter.