Ambassador handbook.
The 1-pager every ambassador reads before the intro call. Bookmark it. Re-read it when something feels uncertain. If a question isn't answered here, email contact@albanianregistry.org and we'll add it.
1 · Mission
What NAR is, in one paragraph.
The National Albanian Registry is the first community-led count of Albanian Americans. We exist because the U.S. Census undercounts us — ~224,000 in the 2024 ACS vs. an estimated ~1,000,000 ethnic Albanians + 2nd/3rd generation living in America. Without a real number, no one — not government, not media, not businesses — sees us. NAR is a nonprofit (501(c)(3) filed; IRS confirmation pending) producing the count, the certificate, and the infrastructure for the diaspora to organize itself.
2 · Your role
What an ambassador does. What we don't ask of you.
In scope
- ·Share your unique link in 2-3 community spaces a month
- ·Make 2-3 warm intros to community leaders in your state
- ·Host one local event a year (Flag Day, Pavarësia, summer picnic)
- ·Be reachable for 30 min/month for state-level questions
- ·Represent the brand: use the kit, follow the do's and don'ts
Out of scope
- ·Speaking publicly on behalf of NAR's policy positions (we don't take political positions)
- ·Collecting registration data on paper or in spreadsheets — every signup goes through your link
- ·Accepting donations on NAR's behalf — donations go through /donate, not personal accounts
- ·Issuing certificates or making promises about citizenship/legal status
- ·Editing or producing your own NAR-branded materials — use the kit
3 · The 90-day plan
Your first quarter, at a glance.
Days 1-30 — Set up
Open your kit hub. Test your link. Post the announcement template to one community space. Email 5 community leaders using the warm-intro template. Goal: 10 registrants by day 30.
Days 31-60 — Show up
Attend one local Albanian community gathering with a stack of flyers (your QR pre-baked). Post a "why register" social template. Follow up with the 5 community leaders. Goal: 30 registrants by day 60.
Days 61-90 — Plan your event
Pick a venue, a date, and a co-host. Email the board with your event plan (we reimburse expenses). Post the event-invite template. Goal: 50 registrants by day 90, and an event on the calendar.
4 · Code of conduct
How we represent NAR.
- 01No politics. NAR is non-partisan and apolitical. We do not endorse parties, candidates, or governments — Albanian, American, Kosovar, Macedonian, or otherwise. If asked, redirect: "NAR counts people, not policies."
- 02No religion above community. Albanians are Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic, Bektashi, and atheist. Welcome all of them. Don't pre-filter your outreach.
- 03Privacy comes first. Don't publish a registrant's name, email, or details. Their data belongs to them. If someone tells you in confidence they registered, that's their disclosure to make, not yours.
- 04No hard-pressure pitch. "Register if you'd like to be counted" works. "You have to register" doesn't. People will arrive on their own time.
- 05No money on your behalf. Donations go through /donate. Don't collect cash, Venmo, or checks made out to you for NAR.
- 06Use the kit. Don't make your own logo, your own flyer, your own social copy. We have templates for a reason — brand consistency is what makes a 1-state effort feel like a 50-state movement.
- 07When in doubt, ask. Reply to the welcome email. Or email contact@albanianregistry.org. Better one extra question than one wrong move in public.
5 · The four hard questions
What people will ask you. What to say.
"Is this government-affiliated?"
No. NAR is a nonprofit (501(c)(3) filed; IRS confirmation pending), independent of any government — U.S., Albanian, or otherwise. We exist because the U.S. Census undercounts Albanians and we wanted a community-led count.
"Where does my data go? Who sees it?"
Your data stays with NAR. We don't sell it, we don't share it, we don't publish names. Aggregate counts (e.g. "27,000 Albanians in Michigan") are public. Individual records are not. Full privacy policy: /privacy.
"Are you making money off this?"
No. NAR is a nonprofit (501(c)(3) filed; IRS confirmation pending). There are no paid staff. The certificate is free. Donations and sponsor revenue cover the cost of the count itself — servers, mail, events. Financials are public once we file our first 990.
"Does this give me Albanian citizenship?"
No. The certificate is recognition, not citizenship. Albania's 2020 citizenship law allows citizenship by descent up to great-grandparent — that's a separate legal process through the Albanian consulate. NAR can point you to the consulate and the law (No. 113/2020), but we don't issue citizenship.
6 · Escalation path
When to ping us.
- ·Press wants a quote. Don't respond directly. Forward the email to contact@albanianregistry.org and we'll route it to the founder.
- ·Someone wants to donate $5K+ or sponsor. Connect them via email — don't try to close the deal yourself. We'll handle the paperwork.
- ·A registrant has a data correction or deletion request. Forward to privacy@albanianregistry.org. Don't take action yourself — there's a logged process.
- ·A community leader is hostile. Don't argue. Walk away, log it in a reply to your welcome email, and move on. We're playing a 10-year game.
- ·You need to step back. Life happens. Email the board, set status to "paused," resume when you're ready. Don't ghost — that's how someone else's state goes uncovered for a year.
7 · The simple ask
If you only do one thing.
Get your link in front of 100 Albanians in your state per month. That's it. Forward it. Post it. Print the flyer and leave a stack at the pizzeria. The math works at any scale — every link share is an opportunity for a name on the eagle.