People also hear about the group via grass roots networking and in some cases, by contacting IAF office or the Chicago group and being referred to the Heartland group. There is no promotional material yet. The group began in late 1998 and meets every one or two months. Meetings are attended by 7-15 people. The group has a loose organizational structure.
People find out about the group by word of mouth.
Between 60 and 100 attend the conferences and workshops. The governing board is non hierarchical, and members pay no dues. Board meetings are held as needed various special interest group are formed as needed. Income from the conferences and in-kind contributions from host organizations fund the organization's activities. People come to events and tell their friends, colleagues, associates.