The Foundation for Public Code is a member-owned association. Only wholly publicly-owned organizations may become members. Members participate in the steering and governance of the association by voting at the general assembly. They also participate by financing the association through yearly dues.
We support members in getting the most from their membership and codebase stewardship, as well as building and maintaining relationships with and between members.
The process towards full membership is roughly divided into three phases, noting that every organization we speak to is unique. This means that individual membership processes may differ between the organizations we work with.
If you’re interested in membership for your organization, or have any questions, please email us at membership@publiccode.net. If membership is not possible for you, you might instead become a [partner](../creating-partnerships(index.md).
1. Membership growth
During membership growth we connect with and support wholly publicly-owned organizations in their path towards membership.
In this phase, we aim to:
- build trust in our organization and our processes
- determine focal and contact points within the prospective member organization
- gain insight into the member’s organizational structures and how codebase stewardship can benefit them
We conduct various activities during membership growth, like meetings to exchange knowledge and support with contracting. We can also offer workshops to raise awareness about:
- codebase stewardship
- public code
- the Standard for Public Code
- our organizational model
To make it easier for the potential member, we have regular calls to answer any questions and ensure continuous, open communication.
Membership growth is finalized when the public organization signs a membership contract.
2. Member onboarding
During member onboarding we help new members learn our processes, and support their public code projects.
In this phase, we aim to:
- support members with their public code projects and codebases
- introduce members to our network and codebase communities
- prepare members for their first general assembly
During member onboarding, we usually conduct a membership workshop to:
- identify public code projects and codebases to collaborate on
- set expectations for membership
We also do other activities that seem useful, for example:
- developing a membership plan to identify the member’s support needs, and a timeline of milestones
- conducting trainings on various topics surrounding public code
- assessing codebases for codebase stewardship
3. Membership
During membership, members become fully involved in governing the Foundation for Public Code and build mature public code projects in their organizations.
In this phase, we aim to:
- fully support members with all elements of codebase stewardship
- build capacity on various topics surrounding public code
- empower members to take ownership of steering our processes, governance, and finances
- maintain healthy communications amongst members and the Foundation for Public Code team
The following are examples of activities we may conduct with our members:
- codebase stewardship
- building capacity on various topics surrounding public code
- brokering collaborative solutions between members
- ensuring good communications and active engagement within member community
Further Reading
- The membership growth process
- Our mission, founding principles and goals
- Overview of our activities
- Codebase stewardship