How to start a long distance relationship club on your campus!

Why should you start a club?

The Center for the Study of Long Distance Relationships reports that 78% of college students have said they have been in a LDR at some point of their college career, and at any point in time 25% of college students are currently in a LDR.

That said, there is a clear need and interest on college campuses to have a Long Distance Relationship Club. A club could bring together people on campus, creating a support network, and create new friendships between people that understand the long distance dating obstacle they share.

Things you can do in a Long Distance Relationship Club:

  • If you start a student government recognized club, you will be given funds to go towards clubs activities, events, and other things needed in the club. Clubs can organize "Group Date Nights" - usually when you go out, you're with your single friends and friends with their boyfriends/girlfriends - you cannot act like either. In fact, you may get treated as a single person and friends may also try to hook you up. If you go out with a group of friends that are also in long distance relationships you won't be in this situation at all.

  • Most student clubs do fundraisers to raise money for charities. An example of a charity that would be great for a Long Distance Relationship Club to fundraise for is Freedom Calls (visit freedomcalls.org), a charity that helps keep troops in Iraq in touch with their families - our military are also in long distance relationships!

  • A club can invite guest speakers to their meetings. You could have a counselor from the school's counseling center come in to talk about having a healthy relationship and how to deal with problems related to jealousy and poor communication - common to long distance relationships.

  • These are just a few examples, but I'm sure you could think of different trips and activities your club can do!

It's not exactly common to know someone else in a long distance relationship besides yourself. And it's hard to find a friend that can understand your situation. One of the great outcomes of starting a student Long Distance Relationship Club is finding friends that understand your long distance relationship and having people you can relate with on your campus.

How Loving From A Distance can help

Student LDR Clubs will get a special spot on our website for FREE. Each club will get it's own page on our website. Here's an example:

www.clubs.lovingfromadistance.com/YOURSCHOOL

This page can be used to share photos and discuss your club's mission, club dues, club officers, how to join, etc. You can send prospective members to this page so they can learn more about your club.

We will offer discounted "Love knows no distance" bracelets, customized LDR t-shirts for members, LFAD pins, and also our Long Distance Relationship Workbook

Starting Your Own Club

There are two different types of clubs you can form. One is the unrecognized group, essentially, friends spending time together. The other type of club is the student government recognized club. This type of club, is a little more difficult to start, yet provides more benefits for you and your members.

Unrecognized Club

Starting an unrecognized club takes little more than reserving a room on campus, and posting fliers around to let students know the meeting time and place. To reserve a room on campus, such as a lecture hall or small classroom, the first step would be to go to your student union's information desk. There, you can ask how you would go about reserving a room for a meeting. At my university, you simply had to tell the person working the desk that you wanted to reserve a room. They would ask you which room, what time, and for what purpose, and then place that information in the computer. However, it is not the same for all universities, as they may ask for money to reserve a room or an advisor to sign off on the permission. I have not heard of many universities preventing their students from asking for a room, but if you do find a roadblock such as this, simply set up the meeting in the atrium of a building, or, at the library or cafeteria.

Student Government Recognized Club

If you want to start a formal, school recognized club, the method definitely varies per university. The first step you need to take when starting your club would be to search your universities website or student government website for the necessary steps. I have provided a general idea of what to do. If you come across issues to which you cannot find the answers, I highly suggest going to the information desk at your student union, or meeting up with your class's officer (senator, president, secretary, etc.). I performed a Google search of "starting a student organization at _____" where I entered any university. I was able to find some information of who to contact to start club at every university I entered.


The following is the typical step-by-step process of how to start a club/organization at a college/university. For more specific information of how to start a club at your school, visit your schools website.

Step 1: Check with Student Government and make sure a Long Distance Relationship Club does not already exist. An old club that is no longer active may already have paperwork on file and account numbers with money.

Step 2: Establish the name of the club. Should it be "Long Distance Relationship Club," "Long Distancers of ___," "Loving From A Distance," "Long Distance Relationship Organization of ___," etc...

Step 3: Establish the educational purpose of your club. This would be along the lines of raising awareness of long distance relationships on campus. Your club would also be addressing a need of creating a support network for people in long distance relationships on your campus.

Step 4: Find prospective members. Post a flier around your campus and/or post a message in a online community/campus folder online to see if people are interested in starting a Long Distance Relationship Club. It is important that you research what the minimum amount of members a club has to have in order to be recognized by student government. Set out to get at least the minimum number of people. These members will be "charter members," which are the original members of a club.

Step 5: Identify a faculty or staff member that would be interested in serving as an advisor for your club/organization. A prospective advisor will need to contact the Director of Student Activities (or an appropriate person) to discuss the club/organization.

Step 6: Write a letter of intent. It is important your letter of intent outlines the following:
  • The club's purpose
  • The need in the college community
  • The existing interests
  • What it will accomplish
  • The services it will provide
  • As well as many other factors
The letter of intent has to be signed by all the charter members/prospective members.

Click here to see an example of a letter of intent to start a long distance relationship club

Step 7: Write a constitution.
  • The name and purpose of the organization
  • Membership requirements and a non-discrimination statement
  • Officers' duties (Click here to see officers' duties)
  • Election process for officers
  • Details of how financial matters are managed
  • Meeting requirements
  • Methods to amend constitution
Step 8: Send the following to the Director of Student Activities (or the appropriate person)
  • Letter of intent to start a student organization, detailing the purpose/intent with signatures of the charter members
  • Letter from advisor
  • Prepared constitution


Usually, officers of student organizations must have good academic standing. Your school may even have a GPA requirement for officers. You may also have GPA requirements for your members - these would be stated in your constitution.

Want to start a Long Distance Relationship Club?

If you would like to start a Long Distance Relationship Club on your campus, please send us an email: lovingfromadistance@hotmail.com

We'll try to answer your questions and assist you as best we can, as well as give you more information about making a page for your club on our website free of cost and discounted member shirts, bracelets, and pins.