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SAGENet comprises 23 local affiliates located in 16 states around the country, across every region of the country. These affiliates provide services and programs to LGBT older people in their local communities. They also work on city and state advocacy to ensure that public policies better support the needs of LGBT elders. Many offer LGBT cultural competence training to local aging providers, and many participate in national advocacy initiatives led by SAGE.
No. Some affiliates are part of broader organizations, while some are independent organizations. Some affiliates offer more services, while others engage more in advocacy or training. Because our affiliates are local, they often reflect the needs of their local communities, which vary across geographic communities. What all affiliates share is a commitment to the mission of SAGE to improve the lives of LGBT older adults, and an understanding that their approach will includes services, advocacy and a collaborative interaction with our national headquarters and with each other as affiliate leaders. SAGENet affiliates are SAGE.
SAGE affiliates have helped pilot, field-test and expand successful programs that enhance the health and wellness of LGBT elders from all walks of life. For example, several SAGENet sites have implemented the SAGEWorks program, which prepares LGBT older adults with modern employment skills to succeed in today's job market. SAGE affiliates also bring a local voice to federal policies, and remind policy makers that LGBT elders have needs in all parts of the country, rural or urban. Ultimately, SAGENet affiliates are training and mobilizing a national, grassroots network of LGBT elder advocates who are equipped to move policy change in their communities and at the federal level. Finally, many SAGE affiliate leaders are certified trainers of SAGE's National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, a federally funded LGBT cultural competence training that has reached hundreds of aging professionals around the country.
About half of our affiliates are housed in LGBT community centers. The remaining affiliates are either independent organizations or are part of a broader organization, such as a social service center. We can discuss the advantages of either approach, depending on the composition of your community and your current needs.
At this time, it does not cost anything to become an affiliate. However, SAGE does often ask affiliate leaders to share costs on certain events in order to make them possible.
SAGENet affiliates are granted a non-exclusive right to use all trademarks, service marks, trade names, logotypes or other symbols developed by SAGE. While you are working through the benchmarks to become an affiliate, you can advertise yourself as 'A group working to become a SAGE affiliate,' and upon accreditation, start using the SAGE name and logo. Though many affiliates have developed their own images, you cannot modify the images in the current SAGE logo to create a similar version for your affiliate. We can provide assistance during this part of the process.
When naming your affiliate, we use the following format: SAGE + specific geographic area, to maintain the uniformity of our SAGENet branding. Some examples of this are SAGE Atlanta, SAGE Metro St. Louis and SAGE Seattle. Almost all of our affiliates have names that are local in nature, not statewide. An affiliate must be able to demonstrate that they have geographic presence in their defined communities at the time they apply to become a SAGE affiliate. The final decision regarding affiliate names lies with SAGE's leadership in our national headquarters.
Fundraising in an important aspect of becoming and maintaining a viable organization or program. SAGENet leaders often offer each other advice on how to effectively fundraise, and our SAGE staff can offer technical assistance as well. That said, we also have restrictions on certain types of fundraising approaches, which we can discuss in person or over the phone.
SAGENet affiliates are independent entities from SAGE. While some established SAGE affiliates have benefitted from grant opportunities administered by SAGE, we do not offer any start-up funding or ongoing funding to maintain the affiliate's costs and operations. Also, SAGE does not manage the governance of affiliates or operations, though we offer technical assistance when requested. Once a group completes the official benchmarks, it signs a one-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SAGE that defines the relationship between SAGE and the affiliates. The MOU comes up for renewal every year and can be discontinued by either party at any time with 30 days advance notice. Only affiliates with a current, signed MOU may use the SAGE name and logo.
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