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Inform USA Membership Charter

Inform USA is a membership association for the I&R sector and profession. Membership is open to individuals and organizations that provide, organize or support the provision of I&R services, consistent with the goals and objectives of Inform USA.

Inform USA is governed by ByLaws that describe the relationships between the members, the Board, and its committees. 

Our goal is to serve our members in the same way our members serve their communities.

Membership Applications

New membership applications include a mandatory request for a 1-3 sentence statement about the reasons for wishing to join Inform USA. This is helpful as occasionally we come across instances of individuals and organization joining us for mistaken reasons. Applications will not be approved unless all required information is entered. New members cannot join the Inform USA Networker until their membership is approved.

Inform USA Board

The Inform USA Board consists of volunteers from a variety of I&R agencies. They are I&R peers and expect Inform USA to provide quality service to their own organizations and to all Inform USA members.

 

We regularly seek new Board members. If you are interested, please email katie@informusa.org

 

Basic Service Expectations

  • Inform USA members will be promptly served with courtesy and respect. Any information you provide is protected under the confidentiality standards of the I&R profession.
  • A member email or voicemail should be replied to within 3 business days. For complicated items or at times of unusual pressure, we should acknowledge your communication and tell you how long it will be before we can fully answer your question.

 
When Expectations Are Not Met

Sometimes things go wrong. The important thing is to let us know when something goes wrong as soon as possible so we can try and fix it.

Steps to resolve an issue:

  • If you are an Inform USA member and have not received the service you expect, please contact katie@informusa.org
  • If you feel the need to contact an Inform USA Board member, the contact list can be obtained at www.informusa.org/team

 
Measuring Customer Service

Once a year, Inform USA sends an online survey to all members asking specific questions about the recent level of customer satisfaction. It also gives you an opportunity to provide suggestions for improvement to current programs and services and share new ideas for Inform USA to consider. All survey comments are read by all Inform USA Board members and the results of each survey are shared back, unedited, with all members.

 

Consulting Members

In addition to the main annual survey detailed above, Inform USA regularly consults with all members or certain groups of members (for example, all Certification holders) on particular issues in order to obtain feedback on proposed changes and ideas. As with the annual survey, the results of each survey are shared back, unedited, with everyone who received the invitation.

 

Committees and Work Groups

Much of the work completed by Inform USA is conducted by Committees (for example, the Inform USA Taxonomy Committee and the Inform USA Training Committee). All Inform USA Committees are driven by Inform USA members. When vacancies for Committees occur, notices for volunteers are posted on the Inform USA Networker. Committee members are chosen to ensure a reasonable diversity of Inform USA membership types. In addition to the formal Committees that meet regularly, sometimes ad hoc work groups are assembled to tackle a particular topic  (for example, subject matter expert groups to engage in creating new Certification exams or a group that might revise the Inform USA Style Guide). The Accreditation Commission and the Certification Commission administer their programs independently of the Inform USA Board as laid out in the Inform USA Bylaws.

 

Member-to-Member Promotion

The following outlines some expectations that are applicable to all members regarding the promotion of revenue-generating activities aimed at other members.

  • If members have a product/service that they want other Inform USA members to access for a fee, they may post up to two information messages a year (e.g. webinars, new product announcements) on the Inform USA Networker. Commercial Associates and Consultants may do this via the Inform USA Executive Director
  • They may also respond to postings of other members pertaining to those knowledge areas, providing it is ‘information-based’
  • No messages can cast another member in a negative manner
  • Members cannot directly solicit other Inform USA members through emails, phone numbers, or other communication methods secured from private members-only lists, including the Inform USA Networker and Inform USA website for the purpose of securing revenue/income
  • Members interested in paying for additional advertising are welcome to contact Inform USA to discuss what options may be available.

 
Umbrella Organizations

A large ‘umbrella’ organization representing a range of separately incorporated organizations may become an Inform USA member. However, only its own direct staff can access Inform USA member programs and services. Its member organizations must apply separately to become Inform USA members. If you are uncertain about how this may apply to your own circumstances, please contact katie@informusa.org

Member Termination

As per the Inform USA Bylaws, any membership may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board without cause or appeal. Membership also terminates if annual membership dues are not renewed within the appropriate time period.