The mission of the Equal Rights Amendment North Carolina Alliance (ERA-NC) is the ratification by North Carolina of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Alliance welcomes the broadest collaboration with individuals and organizations at all levels in reaching this goal. The Alliance operates in direct collaboration with the national ERA Coalition.
Residents of North Carolina are invited to become members of ERA-NC Alliance. Other supporters are invited to become subscribers to our e-mail list (the form is on the right-hand side of this page) to learn about Alliance activity. People nationwide can support the ERA by contacting their Congressional representatives asking them to support Federal legislation addressing the Equal Rights Amendment.
The ERA-NC Alliance is made up of North Carolina residents in three categories of members:
LEAD ORGANIZATION: A Lead Organization is an organized North Carolina group which pledges support for the Alliance’s purpose and objectives and endorses the ERA and/or recognizes it as a legislative priority. All Lead Organizations must complete the application and should submit this ERA-NC Alliance Affiliation Application Form in writing to the VP, Membership by mail or via email at (membership@era-nc.org). The VP, Membership will bring applications of potential Lead Organizations to the next Board meeting for consideration. Members of Lead Organizations may serve on Alliance committees and be nominated to serve as Directors, if eligible. A Lead Organization may designate a North Carolina resident to represent it. The representative may vote at full membership body meetings as provided in the bylaws. Membership dues vary based on the lead organization’s annual budget as outlined on the application form. If you have any questions about lead organization membership, please contact membership@era-nc.org.
MEMBER ORGANIZATION: A Member Organization is an organized North Carolina group which pledges support for the Alliance’s purpose and objectives and endorses the ERA and/or recognizes it as a legislative priority. An organization should submit the ERA-NC Alliance Affiliation Application Form to the VP, Membership in writing (membership@era-nc.org) or mail to the address on the application form. The VP, Membership will bring applications of potential Member Organizations to the Board for consideration. Member Organizations are non-voting, non-dues paying affiliates whose members may elect to join the Alliance as individual members; if eligible, Members of Member Organizations may serve on Alliance committees and be nominated to serve as Directors. Note: Although Member Organizations may typically be a chapter or branch of a Lead Organization, an organization applying to be a Member Organization does not have to be affiliated with a Lead Organization.
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTER: An Individual Supporter must be a resident of North Carolina who pledges support for the Alliance’s purpose and objectives. Supporters may serve on Alliance committees, be nominated to serve as Directors if eligible, and vote at full membership body meetings as provided in the bylaws. Annual membership dues are $35/person, with an optional sliding scale. You can join below or fill out this form and mail it in.
All members are expected to follow the Alliance collaboration standards (you’ll find them on the 2nd page of the membership forms, or read below).
Already a member and looking to renew for 2024? Visit our organization and individual renewal page.
Join the ERA-NC Alliance for 2024 now! Your membership dollars help us do our advocacy work across the state and in the Statehouse. As an Alliance member, you can vote at our Annual Meeting and have the opportunity to serve as a county point person, run for a position on the board and serve in Action Team leadership. Complete the membership registration process to gain access to our members-only resources and guides for advocating for the ERA.
Standards for collaborative ERA advocacy through ERA-NC and the national ERA Coalition are:
- non-partisanship as an alliance and
- acknowledgement there are advocates that advance either one or both of the traditional and three-state strategies as legally and politically desirable, and these strategic approaches are not at present mutually exclusive.
The goal of the ERA to guarantee equality without regard to sex is not supported solely by members of only one political party, and the ERA will not advance politically without a super-majority of legislators from both major parties.
Credible and politically astute advocacy for either of the ERA ratification strategies can benefit both strategies, and actions taken in collaboration with ERA-NC should not intend or produce a detrimental effect on either strategy. Organizations and individuals may of course choose to work solely on one strategy or the other and explain their reasons for doing so in a way that advances their chosen strategy, but an organization’s or individual’s identification as a member of ERA-NC requires adherence to these two standards.