Find your seat at the family table.
NCDA-USA membership is more than a card — it's a chapter to belong to, a culture to keep, a village to lift, and a voice in shaping our shared future.
6
Active chapters
1,000+
Diaspora members
25
Years of service
$30
Starts from / year
Why join
Eight reasons that change everything.
From the moment you sign up, you're plugged into a network built across four generations of Nkwen sons and daughters in America.
Community at home
Find your people the moment you land in a new city. Local gatherings, mentors, and lifelong friendships across the U.S.
Culture that travels
Cultural nights, Nkwen-language classes, traditional dance and regalia — the Fondom, kept alive in the diaspora.
Welfare & solidarity
We show up in life's hardest moments — bereavement, illness, hardship — and in its happiest: weddings, births, graduations.
A real voice
Vote in chapter and national elections. Shape budgets, projects, and the future of NCDA-USA.
Scholarships & youth
Members fund the NCDA GCE Scholarship Board and unlock free tutoring, SAT prep, and college admissions guidance for member youth.
Connection to Nkwen
Member dues channel into water, health, and education projects in the village — under royal patronage of Fon Azehfor III.
A 501(c)(3) you can trust
Federally recognized non-profit since 2006, governed by an elected Board of branch presidents and at-large members.
Silver Jubilee year
Join in 2026 and be counted among the members who carried NCDA-USA into its second quarter-century of service.
Choose your tier
Three ways to belong.
Every tier includes your local chapter, voting rights, and full access to cultural and welfare programs. Family is our most popular — Lifetime is forever.
Individual
For one adult member.
$30 /year
- Local chapter membership
- Voting rights at chapter & national assemblies
- Member pricing on all events
- Quarterly newsletter & directory access
Family
Best for households — most popular.
$60 /year
- Everything in Individual
- Covers up to 4 family members
- Family pricing for conventions & gala
- Welfare & bereavement support
- Youth programs (tutoring, SAT, college prep)
Lifetime
Patron tier — honored for life.
$500 one-time
- Lifetime membership — never renew
- All Family benefits, permanently
- Founding Patron recognition at the gala
- Standing voice in the General Assembly
In our members' words
What belonging feels like.
When I moved to Maryland for school, NCDA-DMV felt like home before I'd unpacked. Meals, mentors, a ride from the airport — I never knew the diaspora could feel this close.
Bih T.
Member · DMV chapter
Our daughter received tutoring through the chapter and got into her first-choice college. Membership is the best $60 our family spends each year.
Mr. & Mrs. N.
Family members · Michigan
I became a Lifetime patron at the 2022 convention. Watching our youth dance in regalia made it clear — this is bigger than us. It's for the next twenty-five years.
Pa Asang
Lifetime Patron · California
What happens after you sign up
Your first 60 days as a member.
01
Welcome email within 48 hours
We confirm your registration and introduce you to your chapter president by name.
02
Chapter onboarding
Your local branch adds you to its WhatsApp/Zoom roster and invites you to the next meeting or event.
03
National connection
You'll receive the NCDA-USA newsletter, the digital directory, and event invitations across all chapters.
04
Show up for Silver Jubilee
Reserve your seat for the 2026 DMV Convention (July 16–19) and the 25th Anniversary Gala in Los Angeles (August 1).
Sign up
Three minutes to belong.
Fill out the form below. We'll confirm by email within 48 hours and introduce you to your chapter president.
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Questions, answered
Frequently asked.
Who can become a member?▾
Anyone of Nkwen heritage, married into a Nkwen family, or sincerely connected to our community is welcome. We are a diaspora home, not a gated one.
What does my membership fee actually fund?▾
Three things: (1) chapter operations — venues, food, cultural events; (2) the NCDA GCE Scholarship Board and youth tutoring; (3) welfare for members in bereavement, illness, or hardship. Annual budgets are published at the General Assembly.
Can I attend events without being a member?▾
Yes — most chapter events are open to the community. Membership unlocks member pricing on conventions and the annual gala, voting rights, welfare support, and inclusion in the member directory.
How do I switch chapters if I move?▾
Email your current chapter president; we transfer your membership at no charge. Your dues year carries over.
What if my state doesn't have a branch yet?▾
Reach out. We actively support members organizing new chapters — California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas all started this way.
Is my donation / membership tax-deductible?▾
Yes. NCDA-USA is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit (EIN 36-4545467). You'll receive a receipt for your records.
How is NCDA-USA governed?▾
By an elected Board composed of the sitting president of each branch plus two at-large members elected by the General Assembly. Members vote at chapter and national assemblies.
Can I pay later or in installments?▾
Yes — chapter treasurers are flexible. Submit your application now and your treasurer will arrange a payment plan that works for you.
One last word
If your name is Nkwen, your seat is already saved.
All that's missing is you. Join in 2026 and be counted among the members who carried NCDA-USA into its next twenty-five years.
Mehnkwen · A member's first words
Welcome — in the language of home
When you join NCDA-USA, you join a family that still greets, blesses, and gathers in Nkwen. Start with these.
- Everyday
Á pé
Tap to translate →
Everyday
Thank you
Say it: ah PAY
Used freely — to a host, an elder, a stranger.
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- Blessing
Nyàmbè á bɔ̀ŋ wèʼ
Tap to translate →
Blessing
May God bless you
Say it: NYAHM-bay ah BAWNG weh
A parting blessing for travelers and the sick.
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- Culture
Ǹdâ-bə̀ŋə̀
Tap to translate →
Culture
House of the people
Say it: en-DAH BUH-nguh
A meeting house — the spirit behind every NCDA-USA chapter.
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- Blessing
Nyàmbè
Tap to translate →
Blessing
God / The Creator
Say it: NYAHM-bay
Named in prayer at gatherings and conventions.
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- Greeting
Mbɔ́ŋò
Tap to translate →
Greeting
Hello / Greetings
Say it: em-BONG-oh
The common greeting used when meeting another Nkwen person.
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- Proverb
Mbə̀ŋə̀ wù mə̀, mbə̀ŋə̀ wù bə̀ŋə̀
Tap to translate →
Proverb
My child is the village's child
Say it: em-BUH-nguh woo muh, em-BUH-nguh woo BUH-nguh
Proverb on collective responsibility for the next generation.
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