IV. MEMBERSHIP
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GFMD has two categories of members, , which is the primary category, and
There is no limit to the number of members per country or to the total number of members.
General membership in GFMD is open to independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisations, the work of which focuses significantly on the journalism and media support sector.
In assessing compliance with the previous criteria, GFMD focuses on the work and activities of organisations rather than on their particular structure or formal status, for example as legally registered entities.
Independence implies independence from government, from any political party and from any singular vested political, economic or religious interest. Independence includes independence in governing structure, in funding, in policy matters, in positions taken on different issues and in other ways.
All general members have the right to participate in all general GFMD activities, including the , and join in discussions.
Affiliate members are journalism and media organisations, partners and grantees of GFMD general members and other organisations associated with existing GFMD members, whether general or affiliate, who have less than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than €2 million.
The form shall include information about an organisation's aims and objectives, its finances, governing structure, legal status, journalism and media support work and indicate what sort of membership the organisation is seeking (i.e. general or affiliate).
For affiliate members, the recommendation should make specific reference to the editorial and ethical standards that the applicant observes.
Annual fees are due on 1 January each year and must be paid by 1 May, failing which the member shall be considered to be in arrears.
A member who has been suspended shall no longer have rights associated with membership.
An organisation which has been expelled from the GFMD shall have no rights vis-à-vis the GFMD although it may, like any other organisation, apply for membership at any time.
Upon termination, the rights of the member vis-à-vis GFMD automatically cease to exist.
All general members have the right to submit information for distribution through the , social media platforms, mailing lists and newsletters.
General members have the right to stand for election to the GFMD and other Committees and to vote on any matter that is put to a vote of the general membership.
General members have the right to use all GFMD services and to access member-only resources developed by the GFMD
Affiliate Members have visibility on the , and full access to the , the , and advocacy, policy and other general activities.
Affiliate Members do not have the right to vote in GFMD , including those held at meetings and at the .
Affiliate Members have the right to become members of the but not of other GFMD committees, including the
All organisations that attended the 2008 World Conference and signed the GFMD founding document were inducted into GFMD at that time and, as such, they were entered into the register of general members that was prepared by the and confirmed by the at its first meeting after the 2008 World Conference.
Any organisation may apply for GFMD membership at any time by submitting a completed application form to the .
Organisations seeking general membership need a referral or recommendation from an existing GFMD member or the
An application for membership will be screened by the , vetted by the and confirmed by the at the next meeting following when the application is forwarded to it.
The shall reject an application outright where the organisation does not meet the membership criteria set out in and or , respectively.
The decisions can be appealed by the applicant before the
The shall then forward the application to the which shall review it and forward it to the with its recommendation (i.e. to accept or reject the application or to place conditions on membership which the application would need to fulfil).
The may accept or amend the recommendation of the , provided that in the latter case the Steering Committee shall provide written notice to the Membership Committee as to why it amended the recommendation.
An applicant shall be accepted into membership upon positive approval of its application by the
To enjoy the rights described in or , as relevant, a member must pay the membership fee.
shall be required to pay annual fees based on the type and criteria they fit in.
The oversees and sets membership fees.
Members that have not paid their GFMD for more than one year (i.e. by 1 January of the following year) will no longer have access to GFMD services (such as member-only events, content & member-only email list).
A decision to suspend or expel a or under this Article shall be made when one or both of the following conditions are met:
a) The member no longer meets the conditions for membership as set out in and or , respectively; or
b) The member has not paid for more than fifteen months, provided that at least two reminders have been sent, one in the period of December-January prior to the fifteen months cut-off.
c) The member has failed in serious ways to respect the .
A decision to suspend a member shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the total number of voting members of the , following a discussion of whether or not the conditions for suspension, as set out in , have been met.
A member who has been suspended shall have the right to appeal the suspension before the next
A member which has been suspended for nine months and has still not resolved the condition(s) which gave rise to the suspension (as set out in ) may be expelled by a simple majority vote of the .
Any member may resign from GFMD by giving notice in writing to the GFMD
If a is declared bankrupt, dissolved or liquidated, membership shall normally be terminated automatically by the
The may, upon a special application of the , decide not to terminate membership notwithstanding where the Steering Committee deems this to be appropriate, for example where the conditions for termination came about due to political interference in the organisation.
A member which has been terminated may reapply for in GFMD like any other organisation.