Organizations large and small provide a rallying point and bargaining power for collections of people no matter the area of interest, and folk and acoustic music is no different in this respect.     In this section of "folkmusic.org" we've collected some organizational resources of interest to the folk and acoustic music community, including a direct link to Folk Alliance, which tirelessly promotes and advocates for the folk music and dance community through networking and promotional activities. If you are considering attending a Folk Alliance International or regional conference, you might want to read Tom Neff's insight on how to approach that experience.     Professional organizations are very important for the performing songwriter, protecting their rights and assisting in legal and procedural matters.     Regional organizations serve some geographic area of the world as a gathering place for community members in that area, promoting local activities.     The folk and acoustic community, small as it may seem to the general public, is made up of a number of groups, and these sub-genres have some specific resources to which we've linked. http://www.folkmusic.org/ Last Modified: Thursday 20 Jan 2000