Dear AAUW Member Leaders, 

As fall gets underway, it is exciting to see states and branches across the country returning to a full season of programs, advocacy, outreach, and member engagement. Thank you for the energy and leadership you bring to this work and for the many ways you continue to advance AAUW’s mission in your communities. 

This month’s Membership Matters brings together timely updates, reminders, and resources to help support you in the months ahead — from public policy and advocacy information to important compliance deadlines and practical tools for your leadership roles. We hope you’ll find resources here that strengthen your work and help you make the most of the busy season ahead. 

Thank you, as always, for your dedication to AAUW and to the members and communities you serve.

Thank you once again to all state, branch, and affiliate leaders who participated in this year’s AAUW Branch & Affiliate Annual Report. We appreciate the time and care you brought to this expanded reporting process and look forward to sharing more information about the next Annual Report cycle in the coming months. In the meantime, we are excited to celebrate our FY26 Five-Star Award winners!

This year saw record participation in the Annual Report process — and that engagement was reflected in an impressive increase in Five-Star achievement. More than 100 branches earned all five stars, alongside many others recognized for accomplishments across individual Five-Star categories. We encourage you to visit the Five-Star Program page to view the complete list of FY26 honorees.

This meaningful gathering united AAUW members to receive important updates from the National Office on policy initiatives, membership efforts, and key priorities for the coming year. We also paused to honor and celebrate the outstanding dedication of our donors, members, and branches. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this event such a success! Watch now!

Defend Education Equity & Opportunity   

We need your voice to speak out against two proposals from the U.S. Department of Education that put equity and women's opportunity at risk. The agency is trying to politicize federal funding and accreditation, the process that unlocks colleges' access to federal financial aid, to force compliance with the administration's agenda. Sharing an individualized comment makes a big impact. See AAUW's guides on grants and accreditation and submit personalized public comments now.   

Best Practices for Engaging Voters | Webinar 9/29 

Join AAUW and experts from Nonprofit VOTE on September 29 at 3:00 pm ET to learn best practices for voter education and ballot measure advocacy — and walk away empowered to take action. Register now.

Ready to Engage | Webinars and Action Days 

You'll have more opportunities to plug in next month as well. AAUW is a proud partner of National Voter Education Week on October 5-9, No Kings: Vote Early on October 17, and Vote Early Day on October 24. Ready to get started? Refresh your knowledge on staying nonpartisan and use AAUW's 2026 Civic Engagement Guide to spark conversation in your community on what's at stake for gender equity.  

Free Voter Swag | Stickers, Pins and Signs! 

Want to make the most of your upcoming advocacy or voter engagement activities? AAUW has free stickers, pins, and signs to help you engage your community and maximize your impact. Share your plans and request materials here. 

AAUW Action Fund Congressional Voting Record  

Explore the AAUW Action Fund 119th Congressional Voting Record to learn where your members of Congress stood on key gender equity issues across education, economic security, and civil rights. Your voice as an AAUW leader and constituent is powerful — use the tool to educate your community and hold your elected officials accountable. 

NEW! Bring Advocacy in Action to Your Branch  

AAUW is launching the Lavona Grow Advocacy in Action Series in honor of a longtime AAUW member and Lobby Corps volunteer who believed deeply in people's power to make a difference. These free, interactive workshops will help your branch identify an advocacy goal, understand who has the power to create change, and develop concrete next steps to make an impact in your community. Virtual workshops and a limited number of no-cost in-person workshops are available nationwide. More information and a training request form are coming soon. In the meantime, email [email protected] if your branch is interested.

AAUW’s virtual webinar series offers live expert-led training in salary negotiation, financial literacy, and career development to help women advance professionally and economically. Share our fall 2026 training schedule with College/University students, faculty/staff, and AAUW members. Register today!

If a member’s number is missing from the roster, you can follow these steps to add it.  Once logged in to your Personal Snapshot page, click My Affiliations, then select Manage Roster after clicking the button next to the affiliation name.  On the Company Roster page, click the button next to the member’s name and select Edit Individual.  Enter the phone number in the Account Phone field, then click Save.

Act now to ensure your branch members remain in good standing! The grace period ends September 30 for non-renewing members whose AAUW membership expired June 30, 2026. Please check your records for those who paid your branch directly and renew their memberships through the hub! 

The Shape the Future Campaign discount of 50% off national dues for new members (those who are entirely new or rejoining AAUW after two or more years) remains in effect. The coupon code is STFFY27.  

Use the redemption form to report free memberships by October 31. 

College/University membership is $250 a year.  Benefits include free membership for two reps and all students! Coupon codes for free student membership are: CUStudentFY27 for Student Associates (undergrads) and CUGradStudentFY27 for Grad Students.

All AAUW-affiliated entities must file an annual IRS return. If your gross receipts are $50K or less, AAUW can file the 990-N for the tax year ending 6/30/2026. The group exemption form is now open from April 16 to October 15.   

How it's done: Watch the 990N Request Video. 

Note: Don’t qualify to file the 990-N? Explore other options at irs.gov.

Anyone believed to qualify for honorary status (member for 50 years) who has not yet been recognized should complete an honorary lifetime application and submit it for review/approval.

Planning a state event, branch meeting, or special program? Elevate it with a guest speaker from AAUW National. 
 
Here’s what you get: 

• AAUW experts, staff, or volunteer leaders
• Insights on national initiatives, policy priorities & more
• Content tailored to your audience

Don’t wait — Request a speaker today!

Call 800.326.2289, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, ET, weekdays, or join us for Office Hours on Tuesdays (3:00 pm ET) and/or Thursdays (3:30 pm ET) with your inquiries and support needs.  You can also reach us at [email protected]!

Note: Please do not send emails to [email protected] or [email protected]; they are unmonitored. 

Access your AAUW Personal Snapshot to manage your information, update your education info, and more. Frequent users LOG IN to our portal as usual. Non-frequent users: LOG IN, then click Forgot Password below the blue log-in button. Enter your email address and click Reset Your Password to receive and confirm a new password to access your Personal Snapshot. For help, email [email protected] and enter LOG IN HELP in the subject.