The EFA appreciates our members, and we want them to feel welcome in the community and to optimize their benefits. Both new and veteran members should review these resources to help their businesses thrive.

Welcome Emails

Upon joining, new members receive a weekly series of emails (four in total) introducing you to the benefits and opportunities of joining the EFA, the largest U.S. professional association dedicated to the needs of editorial freelancers. You may refer back to each email in the series by clicking on the appropriate link below:

• Welcome Email 1: Connect with the EFA Community
• Welcome Email 2: Professional Development with the EFA
• Welcome Email 3: Use Your EFA Membership as Client Magnet
• Welcome Email 4: The EFA Could Use Your Help

Welcome Program

One of the first programs launched by the Diversity Initiative (now Diversity, Equity & Belonging), the Welcome Program originally formed in 2017, when several volunteers expressed the need to foster inclusiveness within the EFA and developed an informal pilot program. In 2018, Brittany Dowdle, Kellie Hultgren, Alissa McGowan, and Sangeeta Mehta established the program’s parameters by creating overviews and surveys, and Alissa McGowan became the Welcome Program’s first director. In 2019, Brittany Dowdle took over (read her short article for more on the history of the Welcome Program). The program has been directed by Linda Ruggeri since 2020. Pia Kohler and Marcella Lopez also serve as co-coordinators.

The one-on-one Welcome Program is a way to connect with peers (it is not a training or mentor program). Newcomers are paired with an experienced editorial professional who will offer guidance on how to navigate the EFA.

Calls for new cohorts of welcomers and newcomers are distributed each year by email, through the Discussion List, and through every chapter. The program typically runs each year for three months. Participants will join both group and one-on-one networking sessions. Learn more about the Welcome Program. Contact diversitywelcomeprogram@the-efa.org with additional questions.

If you would like to volunteer as a Welcomer, please sign up!

DIY Welcome Program

To expand the reach of the Welcome Program to those unable to participate, program leaders have provided these evergreen agendas that will allow all members to complete the program at their own pace.

• Month 1 Agenda: Getting Oriented
• Month 2 Agenda: Improving Your Skills
• Month 3 Agenda: Growing Your Network

Also visit the EFA’s YouTube channel for videos about the EFA’s history and Discussion List and member tutorials.

New Member Welcome and Networking Sessions

Three times a year, the EFA offers hour-long virtual new member welcome and networking sessions, where you can meet new colleagues along with members of the EFA Board of Governors and staff, and learn more about making the most of your EFA membership. Check your email and the EFA Events page on the website for information about upcoming sessions.