Hey Tyler, My name is Arjun Iyer and I am an executive director for the Student Led Chess Association(SLCA).
I think the biggest part I wish I knew before is marketing strategies. I didn't quite realize how big of a role word of mouth plays. That's why it is really important to have connections with your initial members. Even slightly getting involved from the beginning can allow them to help promote your organization to other people as well. The other thing organizations take for granted is the role of social media especially platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok. A simple post can help spread information to all types of people.
As for events, I would do a lot of experimentation towards the beginning. You are trying to differentiate yourself with tons of different chess clubs so it is important to realize what works. I wouldn't be afraid to try out new playing styles, time controls, variants, and even activities players can do in between games.
If you have not already, I think a newsletter could be really useful, especially for word of mouth and overall communication. It is a great way to highlight the achievements of your players and commemorate those who are growing. This way, they are more likely to be active in future club attendance. Or even if a new member joins, you could showcase a member of the week.
Hopefully, this helps. Let me know if you have any questions!
I'm in Tyler, Texas with the "Tyler Rose City Chess Club"
We're a new club with weekly attendance of 10-30 people.
Since we are just starting out, I want to know what are some things you WISH you knew when you were starting out?
Open ended. Share anything (recruiting new members, popular events/activities for the club, resources you wish you'd have found sooner, tools/websites/organizations you wish you could have found when you were starting out.
Looking forward to the discussion. Thank you everyone.