How Does SFT work?
SFT is based on chapters. A chapter of SFT works the same as other groups and clubs at your school. How you set up your chapter is based largely on the needs of your members. Some chapters elect Presidents, Secretaries, Treasures, etc... Other chapters are less formal in their administration. Chapters have a faculty advisor - a teacher/professor or member of the community that can help give your chapter guidance. There is no minimum or maximum number of members you can have in your chapter. Some of our chapters have 5 members, while others have over 100!

What if I just want to help as an individual?
There is still a lot you can do! Become an Individual Member -- annual dues are only $35 a year, and students pay a reduced rate of just $20. We will keep you informed on what is happening inside Tibet, offer you opportunities to get involved, and let you know what you can do to help.

But what if I've never done anything like this before?
Don't worry...that's what your Sector Contact and the office staff are here for! Your Sector Contact is here to help you, answer questions, and give you ideas for campaigns that you and other members of you chapter can work on.

So the Students for a Free Tibet Office runs SFT?
No. YOU DO! SFT is a student-run organization. We have a student-elected Board of Directors. These board members communicate with the chapters to get your feedback and take your input on what you want SFT to be doing. Everyone in SFT has a voice, and we encourage all of our members to speak up.

How much do I have to know about Tibet?
In general, you will want to know the basic history of Tibet and the current situation in Tibet today. BUT DON'T WORRY IF YOU DON'T KNOW ALL THAT YET! We will provide you with a lot of information to get you started. You can also get info on this site. We also have links to many other informative websites.

What if I don't have time to work on everything?
Don't stress out about having to work on too many things. School should be your priority no matter what. Do the things that you want to do, that work with your schedule, and what you feel comfortable doing. Everyone has an important role to play in SFT. The main thing is to be positive and remember that this should be fun and inspiring for you and your chapter members.

How do I become a Registered Chapter of Students for a Free Tibet?
To register and become an official chapter of SFT, each chapter in the US and Canada must pay a yearly fee of $100.00 (US). If you don't live in the US or Canada, your chapter may not be required to pay $100. Once you fill out the online-registration form, SFT's Grassroots Coordinator will be in touch with you to discuss the specifics of setting up a chapter in your country. Once you register your chapter, you will receive SFT startup materials including urgent campaign information, an organizer’s guide, a chapter subscription to our newsletter "Banned in Tibet," plus a FREE T-SHIRT and much, much more! Whether you are in middle school, high school or college, or live outside the United States, all dues for new chapters are due in advance. ***If your chapter is unable to pay the $100 annual dues, you can apply for a dues waiver. To apply for a waiver, please send an email to chapters@studentsforafreetibet.org [subject: dues waiver]. If you apply for and are granted a dues waiver, your chapter will be treated just like a paid-up chapter and will receive all the same materials.

*Students for a Free Tibet is a registered Not-for-Profit organization. Only registered chapters of SFT are allowed to use the name and logo of Students for a Free Tibet.

Yikes! But I am a poor student! How can I come up with 100 dollars?
Not to worry! Once you become a registered chapter of SFT you can do one of several things to raise money to cover chapter dues and other activities. Many high schools and most colleges have funds available to cover the cost of clubs and groups. The majority of our chapters get their dues covered by their school. Check with a teacher or advisor to see if your school can cover the cost of membership dues. We will also send you a list of easy and fun fund-raisers you can do to get your chapter off the ground.

What do my chapter dues cover?
Your chapter dues are crucial to SFT. Since we are a grassroots organization devoted to Tibet we are dependent on support from individual members and chapter dues to keep SFT running. Here is what the majority of your dues go to:

• Information & Materials: SFT provides students with a lot of printed information like campaign postcards, fliers, reading material, pamphlets, posters and media releases. In addition, SFT puts out a newsletter and sends regular up-dates to let chapters, the Office of Tibet, and the rest of the Tibet movement know what you are doing.
• Phones/E-mail/General Administration: All chapters receive up-to date information about what's going on in the world of Tibet. Our main lines of communication are e-mail and phones. We will call you and e-mail you often with news, event information, and let you know when things like tours of monks or special Tibetan events will be in your area. We will also keep you plugged in to our coordinated campaigns, to help make sure the work you do for Tibet has as much impact as possible. SFT’s staff are always available and excited to talk to chapters.

Registered chapters of SFT will get:

• SFT Organizers Manual, a how-to guide on how to start your chapter of SFT. Your manual will give you all the basic information about Tibet, with sample actions, event ideas, and a guide to other Tibetan Support Groups for you to work with.
• Urgent Action e-mails – all members of SFT will be invited to join two special e-mail lists that will give you information on current events and actions concerning Tibet
• SFT Newsletter ('Banned in Tibet'), video, brochures, petitions and postcards for you to use at events and meetings.
• Discounts on SFT T-shirts, buttons, stickers and posters and other cool stuff for you to show the world that you are part of SFT.
  
• A free SFT T-shirt and stickers!