I'm thinking of starting a local chess club

I was wondering if people out there would be willing support this effort by donating chess boards, pieces, bags, chess books, so I could start one up here locally.

Also if anyone knows about Governmental Grants that might also be helpful.

Get in touch with the chess suppliers around you or even those in the States. They may have equipment that has been used at tournaments that they can sell to you at reduced rates. Get in touch with the Chess Administration, same deal.

Government grants are available to us here in Australia, I don't know the situation in the US. Get in touch with your local representative, etc and see where it leads.

Biggest tip, be prepared for some tough times when no-one comes to the Club. Hang in there and appreciate the better days when they happen.

Sets
Make people bring their own sets. If they are interested in joining a chess club, chances are they have their own set at home. I started a club locally and we just bring our own stuff.

Location
The local library allows us to meet for free on a monthly basis, so no cost there. Find a location that would tolerate your group on a regular basis without charging. A club in South Carolina meets at a local Shoney's restaurant for free. The restaurant makes money from food and drink orders and the club meets on a low-volume night.

Attendance Log/Database
Keep track of who shows up. Create a sign-in sheet (I recommend using Excel for this ) with fields for name, address, email and phone number. If they're a USCF member, put a star next to their name or something similar. Keep a record of who attends and how often. Don't be discouraged if attendance is very sporadic for a while. My club has this problem.

USCF Affiliation
Get a regular attendance going first. THEN discuss affiliation with your more serious club members.

Hope this helps!

Thanks!!

This is helpful.  Really appriciate it.