In February 2012, NOW’s National Board embarked on a top-to-bottom review of our organization’s structure. The critical questions we asked were: What aspects of NOW’s structure have, in the nearly 50 years since NOW’s founding, made our organization the largest and most effective feminist grassroots organization in the country? What aspects of our structure are holding us back? How should we build on the structures that are working, fix those that are not, and ensure that NOW becomes larger and stronger to lead feminist change in the next 50 years?

The National Board’s work resulted in the creation of the NOW Structure Modernization Working Group. For the past three years, the Working Group has led a nationwide process of engaging activists and leaders at every level of NOW in reviewing our structure and making proposals for positive change. Its work will culminate at this year’s National Conference, where we will put aside our normal conference program and hold a Strategy Summit and Bylaws Convention. As the supreme governing body of NOW, the National Conference will, at this Strategy Summit and Bylaws Convention, debate and vote on recommendations for changes in NOW’s administrative policies and/or bylaws to modernize our organization’s structure.

In the six months leading up to the 2015 Conference, the NOW Structure Modernization Working Group, the National Board, and the National Action Center collaborated to produce a series of six nationwide webinars where specific topics relating to NOW’s structure were addressed and proposals for change were brought forward. The webinars were recorded and are available to NOW members unable to participate in person. Following each webinar, online discussion boards were opened where NOW members have commented and dialogued about the various proposals for change. To access these discussion boards and webinar recordings, NOW members may send a request to now@now.org.