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Sociocracy for All Network (SoFAN) Membership Agreement

We are happy to welcome new members to the Sociocracy For All Network (SoFAN)! 

As our movement grows so are we – building a resilient network. We work together, we support each other, and we share resources in support of our mission. Circles decide together and make things happen. And every once in a while, we just hang out on a video call to spend time together and to get to know each other more.

Depending on your type of membership you have benefits and responsibilities we are all expected to fulfill during our time as members. When you become a member of the SoFA Network you accept this Membership Agreement, so please make sure to read it carefully.

Sociocracy For All Network

As of 2024, the organization transitioned to what we call ‘the network model.’ The network allows individuals and organizations to join the network based on different interests and needs. The network embraces our broadest sense of belonging, alignment, and participation in achieving our vision and mission. 

The foundation of the network is held together by the circles that make up the SoFA nonprofit (Institute for Peaceable Communities doing business as Sociocracy for All). These circles are responsible for coordinating the strategies and workflows that are integral to our common work. Those same circles have a chain of double links to the General Circle without crossing an organizational boundary. 

Current Organizational Structure

The current organizational structure is made of three departments: Infrastructure, Communities Support, and Delivery Support. 

Infrastructure Department

The infrastructure department provides technical support through IT, website, legal, and financial systems as well as the certification and commons resources shared by the Network.

Communities Support Department

The Communities Support Department is where individual SoFA Network members meet and learn from each other based on common interests, language, or learning levels. This department is the main growing edge of the SoFA Network, based on mutual support and shared explorations.

Delivery Support Department

Delivery Support Department is focused on connecting and supporting the work of offering trainings, consulting, and related services to people learning sociocracy. 

Delivery Units and Professional Partners

Delivery Units

Delivery Units are autonomous organizations that are double-linked to Delivery Support Circle. A Delivery Affiliate Agreement defines their benefits and responsibilities. 

Professional Partners

Professional Partners are individuals related to the SoFA Network by a Professional Partner Agreement. Their focus is on professional offerings of trainings or consulting services, and their benefits and responsibilities are defined by their agreements.

SoFA nonprofit circles that hold SoFA Network together are shown below in blue and gray.

If it all sounds complex – that’s okay! We are organized to reflect our complex reality. That is a strength in our network. 

Where do I start? 

• Are you new to sociocracy? Take a training!
• Do you want to explore sociocracy with colleagues who have a similar background? Join a community in the Communities Support Department!
• Are you a professional offering consulting or initial training in the growing edge of “sociocracy and ___” spaces? Become a Professional Partner.
• Are you an organization offering certified training or consulting? Become a Delivery Unit.
• Do you have a practitioner-level certification and a specialized skill set that can support the functioning of our organization? Reach out to our staffing person in Well Being Circle or check out the Forum to see if there is an opening or need within our core SoFA nonprofit circles.

Network Member

Wherever you are located in the network, we all share the basic Network membership.

Benefits

• Join or create a Community in the Communities Support Department for networking and practicing sociocracy in your language and/or in combination to your interests 
• Access to Member-Only Events
• Receive the internal newsletter for members
• Option to list yourself on the map of members
• Be a decision-maker on matters in your circle
• Have access to basic shared resources that are needed to participate in the Network. 
• Discounts on offerings from Delivery Units
• You’re part of the SoFAN family!

Responsibilities

• Annual financial commitment in membership fees (see below for more details)
• Complete membership profile. Even if you decide not to be on the SoFAN map, we will ask you to complete your profile during your onboarding process. You can also update this profile at any time. 
• Intention to connect: give and receive feedback, engage lovingly in conflicts as they arise, and communicate about your progress and setbacks.
• Intention to learn: strengthen your understanding of sociocracy as we practice together.
• What about governance as a Network member in SoFAN? 
  • You are involved in the governance of every circle in which you participate. Your consent within those circles determines that circle’s direction and actions in relation to its aims and domains and relation to the linking to parent circles. 
  • Additionally, your feedback and participation in network activities across circles is vital to helping the network continue to evolve and thrive. Thank you for showing up in this way! 

Delivery Unit member and Professional Partner

Membership in a Delivery Unit is within the domain of each unit, so they define their own benefits and responsibilities. Delivery Unit members listed by the DU are considered network members with the benefits listed above. What it means to be a Professional Partner is explained in more detail here, and these partners are also considered network members. 

Staff member

This membership type is for the individuals (compensated or volunteer) in a circle within the SoFA nonprofit.

Additional Benefits

• Active member in at least one SoFA nonprofit circle
• Access to all of SoFAN’s internal files (currently in our Drive).
• Role-based access to our systems
• Get an in-depth onboarding to our operations based on your circle membership and roles

Additional Responsibilities

• Intention to build: Every staff member joins at least one circle, attends its meetings (1 or 2 meetings a month, each meeting 1 to 2 hours) and participates in work outside of meetings (variable from a few to many hours a month). These specific tasks can vary depending on the aims and domains of your circle. Your work may be compensated or volunteer.
• Qualifications: It is beneficial for members of the core circles to have demonstrated knowledge of sociocracy to at least the Practitioner level. If you already have this, great! If you haven’t been certified yet, we are working on a pathway for this to support you in supporting SoFAN. 
• Stewarding our resources: Every staff member has a responsibility to steward the resources created and shared through the network in service to the mission. This means becoming familiar with the tools and workflows needed to be informed when decisions are made in your circle. 

Joining the Network

With the network model we are moving to distributed membership, which gives you several entry points. Generally you will be onboarded in the department, unit or community you want to join and then we go from there.

Membership term is 1 year. We will notify you when it is time for your renewal. If you decide not to renew please let us know. In the case you do not renew after three months of your renewal date, we will consider you a former member. 

Joining a Community as Network member

Find a community of your interest in the Communities Department and check if they are open for new members. Also some Communities define entry rules e.g. being a certified facilitator. Once you find a match, reach out to their leader or coordinator and initiate a meeting. Circles decide their own membership, but we ask that after three meetings, participants formally become network members.

Joining as Delivery Unit member or Professional Partner

Check out the information provided by the Delivery Unit, as they might set a membership fee themselves. But as affiliation to the network is defined per agreement, there is no additional cost or administrative work for you to be a network member, your Delivery Unit has taken care of that. 

Becoming a Professional Partner is also defined via a specific agreement, so reach out to our Professional Partner Coordinator. Professional Partners are considered Network members.

Joining as a Staff member

Look out for open role positions in our forum, for announcements in the newsletter, or contact Wellbeing circle’s staffing role. Alternately, select from your circle into your parent circles through the leader and delegate roles.

We are recommending a trial period in these core circles until membership is confirmed. During this time, you have the opportunity to onboard with the circle, complete any changes to your membership with the administrator, and work on certification as a practitioner. 

Membership Fees

• Network members who are not staff or members of Delivery Units/Professional Partners are asked to make an annual contribution of $50, plus an optional additional contribution based on their circumstances.
  • Financial contributions help us reach more people and make sociocracy accessible to everyone, making sure our training and materials get to more people in different languages and different regions.  
  • SoFA is open to all regardless of financial circumstances, so if the $50 contribution is a hardship, contact membership support at support@sociocracyforall.org.
• Staff members are exempt from membership dues. Staff members are invited to make a personal financial contribution.
• Members of Delivery Units and Professional Partners are invited to make a personal financial contribution but are exempt from membership dues.

Cross-over membership

Do you feel at home in several corners of the network? It’s amazing you can experience different ways of belonging. We will solve questions around membership fees individually, but generally, the highest level of entry determines your annual financial commitment to the organization. For example, a Professional Partner might be part of a community and also a staff member. That person’s financial commitment is determined by the Professional Partner Agreement.