NGS is committed to providing organization members with the tools for continued success. An important tool for genealogy societies is ensuring that bylaws are reviewed periodically and updated as needed. Good bylaws are essential for the healthy operation and governance of your organization. It is crucial to maintain them and help your members understand their purpose.

NGS offers a bylaws review service that will benefit any member society whether your organization is working to revise its bylaws, has a question on specific elements of your bylaws, or simply needs them reviewed after a long period of time. As of 2024, there is no longer a fee for this service. NGS organization members can request a bylaws review for free!

Roberta “Bobbi” King, co-author of The Bylaws Workbook: A Handbook for New and Established Societies, reviews bylaws for NGS member organizations. She will provide a complete review with comments on your organization’s bylaws, suggestions for possible revisions, and other insights to assist with your potential bylaws updates.

To order the bylaws review, fill out the request form. NGS will contact you based on your request and assist with sending your bylaws to Ms. King. Please allow at least thirty (30) days for a review to be completed.

Please Note: The focus of this review is to raise potential issues and suggest possible approaches to resolve them. The reviewer, although experienced in the operation of genealogy societies and family history associations, is not an attorney and suggestions or recommendations by the reviewer and/or NGS should not be considered as legal advice. No attempt will be made to assure compliance with the legal requirements for a particular jurisdiction. Please consult with a qualified attorney in the jurisdiction in which the society is incorporated for legal requirements and advice.