NorthEastern Illinois Doula Association
Promoting Unity in the Doula Community

The GLOBAL AGENDA is the main focus of the activities of NEIDA throughout the year. This year’s agenda is: Implementing the website as a major tool and refocusing fresh efforts on a few key tasks.

The leadership of NEIDA is focusing their energies on the following areas:

• Coordinating regular events - The NEIDA event schedule generally includes one or more of the following events: an Evening Lecture, a One Day Conference, a Summer Family Day and an Anniversary Event. Members always receive a discount for NEIDA sponsored events.
• Advertisement in Chicago Baby. Any member who is current on dues may choose to be listed in a directory of NEIDA doulas at the neidadoula.org website that will be advertised in Chicago Baby. Updates are made to online listings at a minimum once a quarter.
• Website - implementing new general CMS tool with built in people & resource organizing tool - calendar, volunteers, tasks, memberships, organizational, contacts.
• Matchmaking profile on the website. We have developed a matchmaking profile to give members access to information about one another. This will allow members to make the kinds of connections that have been requested such as backups, mentoring, support, child care cooperatives, etc. Only members current on their dues will have access to this service.
  
• Member participation. NEIDA members will be involved in making the benefits and services of NEIDA happen. Small jobs of a few hours and larger jobs are available. We look forward to working together to the benefit of NEIDA.
• Reviewing project ideas that have already been generated– Reviewing & re-organizing notes & files to filter through the projects & tasks that have already been started. Paths to Becoming a Doula, Matchmaking Profiles, New Member Packets & Inservice Kits are a few of the projects that are in various stages of development. Each board member can pick a project to work on either individually or in teams to move forward.
  

~ Alissa Catalan

 NEIDA Chair of Operations