Membership Policy

This page documents an official Wikimedia Canada policy adopted by a resolution of the board of directors.

Membership dates

The Wikimedia Canada membership year runs from 1 January to 31 December.

New and renews memberships are effective for the membership year in which the membership fees are paid.

Eligibility

Membership is open to any person who:

Is interested in furthering the objectives of Wikimedia Canada, and
Has no indebtness to Wikimedia Canada more than 120 days old.

Cost and dues collection

The annual membership fee is 10.00 CAD.

No application for membership or renewal of membership can be received without the payment of fees.

An application for membership or renewal of membership may be for one or two membership years.

A member who pays for more than one membership year shall be exempt from any increase in membership fees for any year that has been prepaid.

Where a membership has been terminated for cause, and that member has prepaid membership for years that have not yet begun, the treasurer may, on request, refund those prepaid fees to the member.

Any part of a membership fee in excess of what is required for full years of membership shall be deemed to be a donation.

Any director or officer may receive applications and fees for membership or renewal of membership, upon which he or she shall:

Forward said applications to the secretary as soon as is practicable, and
Deposit the fees into Wikimedia Canada's bank account or PayPal account.

Approval of members

At the next meeting of the Board after receipt of an application for new membership, the secretary shall notify all the directors that an application has been received, providing the details of the application.

Any director may, within 45 days after the meeting where the Board was informed of an application for new membership, notify the directors of any objection the he or she may have to a new membership, stating his or her reason for his or her objection.

When the directors have been notified of an objection to a new membership, they sall, whithin 10 days of that notice, register their approval or disapproval, and where a majority of the directors so voting have expressed disapproval the application shall be deemed to have been rejected.

Where an application for new membership has been rejected, the treasurer shall forthwith refund any fees submitted with the application.

The secretary shall enter the details of any applicant whose membership has not been rejected in the registry of members on a date that is the later of:

The 45th day after the Board is notified of an application for new membership,
The 10th day after receiving notification of an objection, or
Immediately, in the case of renewal of membership.

Expiry and renewal

A membership is deemed to be in good standing until the end of 31 January of the year following the final membership year paid for, and shall thereafter cease to be in good standing and expire.

A membership may be renewed and put in good standing at any time prior to its expiry.

If fees are paid to renew a membership after the membership has expired, it shall be treated as an application for new membership; if approved, it may then be treated as a reinstatement of the previous membership at the discretion of the secretary.

Any member may withdraw his or her membership at any time by written notice to the secretary.

Transition

Following ratification of this policy, all existing memberships shall remain in good standing until the end of the next 31st of January following the date until which the membership was scheduled to remain in good standing.