Changes between Version 4 and Version 5 of paymentpolicy

Timestamp:

Jul 21, 2011, 9:37:39 PM (13 years ago)

Author:

Hilary Goldstein

Comment:

--

paymentpolicy

@@ -37 +37 @@
 Greetings!  We're reaching out to you today to let you know about exciting new developments here at May First/People Link.
 
-First of all we want to thank you all for your support of MFPL these past 6 years.  We have grown from a few dozen members to a growing and vibrant network of over 500 individuals, organizers, activists and organizations both national and grassroots based.  This incredible growth only confirms the need for the kind of politically progressive internet infrastructure that MF/PL provides.  And we are continuing to develop new ways to both serve and engage our members.  The first full membership meeting is coming up this Fall.  For more information on the meeting, please click here - we sincerely hope you all can make it.
+First of all we want to thank you all for your support of MFPL these past 6 years.  We have grown from a few dozen members to a growing and vibrant network of over 500 individuals, activists and organizations both grassroots based and national in scope.  This incredible growth only confirms the need for the kind of politically progressive internet infrastructure that MF/PL provides.  And we are continuing to develop new ways to both serve and engage our members.  Our first annual Membership Meeting is coming up this Fall.  For more information on the meeting, please click here - we sincerely hope you all can make it.
 
-At the same time this growth has not come without costs.  As the demand for services have increased, we have been responding with new investments in hardware and equipment, technological upgrades, software applications, enhanced security measures and more.  We believe the internet should be open, collaborative and affordable - and have kept our membership fees low to ensure that these services can be made as broadly available as possible.  
+At the same time this growth has not come without costs.  As our community has increased, so has the demand for services. We have been making critical investments in hardware and equipment, technological upgrades, software applications, enhanced security measures and more to meet these needs.  Membership dues are critical for these efforts - we pool our collective resources for the benefit of our entire membership. And we have kept our dues historically low to ensure that these services can be made as broadly available as possible.  But every member's contribution counts.  
+
+In the past we have been generally lenient with regards to dues collections.  But we have decided that both as a commitment to our core political principles and to our collective community - particularly the costs incurred and shared by all - we need member groups to be accountable for their dues payments.  If you have already been regularly paying your annual dues, then nothing will change.  For groups that have gotten behind in their payments, we want to offer you the opportunity to pay your dues by DATE or we will remove your website from our servers.  Going forward, dues will need to be paid within 60 (90?) days of receipt to maintain active membership status.
+
+If the total sum owed or the deadline is unworkable, we are happy to make an alternative arrangement with you.  And low income groups that need scholarship assistance will be considered on a case by case basis.  Please contact Hilary Goldstein, our membership associate to find out more.
+
+We believe this is an important step in our growth as an organization.  We welcome any feedback here and at the upcoming Membership Meeting in September.
+
+In Solidarity,
+
+[Signatures....]
+
+