[Chapter-delegates] Various fundraising stuff (was Re: ISOC's regional engagement)

[Andrew Sullivan]

Hi,

On Thu, Sep 21, 2023 at 04:12:17AM -0400, vinton cerf wrote:
>maybe it is time to reinstate some kind of membership dues? IEEE and ACM
>require members to pay dues.

>I know we tried that and it didn't quite work.

A problem with attempting a dues path is that we require Internet Society membership in order to join a chapter.  In developing economies, the dues are therefore a barrier to chapter health, and we don't want that.  If we kept the dues small enough not to be a structural barrier, then they would cost more to administer than they would bring in; and if we made them sustainable, they'd be a barrier to those with scant resources to spend on societies like ours.  That's why we haven't gone back to a dues approach.

>someone the donor cares about. ISOC is very active in policy forums and is
>also very good at summarizing and publicizing policy issues whose outcomes
>can significantly affect the "health" of the Internet. Users of the
>Internet should see ISOC as a defender of the Internet's core values
>against combinations of deleterious state and private sector policies or of
>bad behaviors by some users (malware, ransomware, phishing, fraud....).

Yes, this is the pitch we are refining right now, and not only for members of the Internet Society.

>instance? I know we hold open the option of becoming an ISOC member and
>paying a voluntary contribution.

Yes!  Anyone who wishes to make a contribution can do so at https://www.internetsociety.org/donate/.  And there will be improvements in that interface soon, including much-improved ways to make recurring donations and more alternatives for methods of payment.  As I mentioned in an earlier email, it's also very helpful just to have the contributions even if they're tiny, because other funding agencies look at the numbers of people supporting us as a meaningful indicator of our actual support.  So even if people only contribute $1/year (which I fully understand is not possible for everyone), it helps increase the donor count, which shows grant-makers (and the IRS) that we have a supportive community.

>I wear my ISOC lapel pin with pride and I try to make an annual personal
>contribution in addition to encouraging corporate support for iSOC's work.

The Internet Society certainly appreciates all contributors, and also all the work that the chapters do in support of the mission.  I don't want us to get too focussed on our challenges as an organization: that's something the staff is working on, and I am confident we will improve our situation.  I certainly encourage people to donate if they can, but I also want to acknowledge that the contributions to our work are, also, extremely valuable in carrying forward the vision that the Internet is for everyone.

A


-- 
Andrew Sullivan, President & CEO, Internet Society
e:sullivan at isoc.org m:+1 416 731 1261
Help protect the Internet for everyone:
https://www.internetsociety.org/donate/