Requesting Membership

Tennessee VOAD membership is an act of cooperation that provides your organization with communication tools to collaborate with other State/Territory VOAD members on disaster relief coordination. TNVOAD membership will change the way you are able to serve communities in need.

4 Types of Membership

The Regular Membership level in TN VOAD

• shall be limited to voluntary organizations active in disaster in Tennessee, who have disaster relief reach or responsibility covering the entirety of at least one or more Regions of Tennessee as defined by Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). An unlimited number of persons from each Regular Membership organization may attend annual, regular, and special TN VOAD meetings, with the provision that each Regular Membership organization will be allowed only one (1) vote in matters before TN VOAD. If the Regular Membership organization has not designated the individual to vote on its behalf, the senior representative present of each Regular Membership’s organization will cast this vote or designate the party who will cast the vote on the organization’s behalf.
• Regular Memberships’ representatives shall be eligible to hold any elective office with TN VOAD.

The Government Associate Membership level in TN VOAD

• shall be limited to governmental agencies with disaster relief reach or responsibility covering the entirety of at least one or more Regions of Tennessee as defined by Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). An unlimited number of persons from each Government Associate Membership agency may attend annual, regular, or special TN VOAD meetings. TEMA Headquarters and TEMA Regional Offices are encouraged to have representation at the TN VOAD meetings.
• Government Associate Members shall not be allowed to vote on matters before TN VOAD.
• Government Associate Memberships’ representatives shall not be eligible to hold the elective offices TN VOAD.

The Private Associate Membership level in TN VOAD

• shall be limited to businesses and other for-profit entities with statewide organizations who, while they may not be directly involved in assisting disaster survivors or victim families, may have an interest in assisting TN VOAD through donations of money, goods, and/or services. (Examples of such entities would be Lowe’s or Home Depot.)
• Private Associate Membership representatives shall be allowed to hold elective office in TN VOAD.
• An unlimited number of persons from each Private Associate Membership organization may attend annual, regular, and special TN VOAD meetings, with the provision that each Private Associate Membership organization will be allowed only one (1) vote in matters before TN VOAD other than matters concerning the spending of TN VOAD funds. If the Private Associate Membership organization has not designated the individual to vote on its behalf, the senior representative present of each Private Associate Membership organization will cast this vote or designate the party who will cast the vote on the organization’s behalf.

Provisional Associate Membership is

• open to organizations with a disaster program that do not meet the criteria for Regular Membership. Examples of this type of membership are Long Term Recovery Groups or Committees, Regional/County/City VOADs, local non-profit organizations, and etc.
• These organizations mirror Tennessee VOAD’s goals and are often composed primarily of sectional bodies of the same organizations active in Tennessee VOAD. Entities without the ability to state-wide disaster episodes, and therefore barred from Tennessee VOAD membership; may be welcomed as an integral part of a Local, County, Area, Regional VOAD, or Long-Term Recovery Committees or Groups. In certain circumstances individuals, in addition to organizations, may also be extended membership by these bodies. The principal difference between these organizations and the statewide VOAD organizations is the focus of the former in parochial interests, and the restrictions of the later member qualifications.
• None-the-less, Tennessee VOAD recognizes these Local, County, Area, Regional, and Long-Term Recovery groups as an integral part of the state-wide VOAD organization and encourages them to actively participate in Tennessee VOAD meetings and activities. Tennessee VOAD also allots time on all regular meeting agendas for reports from local VOAD representatives.
• Representatives of Provisional Associate Membership of Tennessee VOAD may freely participate in discussions and activities of the larger body, but may not exercise a vote in any proceeding, unless they are voting in the capacity of designated representative of a Tennessee VOAD Regular or Private Associate Member organization.
• Provisional Associate Membership representatives shall not be eligible to hold elective offices of TN VOAD.

Benefits of Tennessee VOAD Membership:

Access to Resources, Training, and Other Learning Opportunities
Tennessee VOAD offer members a wide array of resources and educational opportunities for organizations, and volunteers.

Committees/Task Forces
Members and Partners gather around topical issues and programmatic activities to improve the delivery of services throughout the disaster cycle, and to further create a climate for cooperation.

Incident Response and Recovery Coordination
In support of our member’s work to respond to a disaster or help a community recover, we help coordinate and facilitate communication and actions among member organizations, emergency management agencies and other organizations.

Peer to Peer Networking
State/Territory VOADs offer their members numerous opportunities to share and discuss best practices and partner on common issues with COADs and regional VOADs.

Please complete the form below and submit to request membership for your organization. Include the Primary Representative, 1st Alternate, and/or 2nd Alternate. Please include contact information for after normal business hours, too.

Tennessee VOAD membership is an act of cooperation that provides your organization with communication tools to collaborate with other TNVOAD members on disaster relief coordination. Tennessee VOAD membership will change the way you are able to serve communities in need.