Introduction
CharityChannel was established in February, 1992 as an online discussion community of nonprofit-sector professionals. It quickly grew into the largest nonprofit-sector on-line community in the world, serving more than 100,000 professionals as of March, 2002.
Over the years the professionals of the vibrant on-line community participated in the expansion of CharityChannel’s discussion communities into individual forums created around sustainable subject areas that mirror the many disciplines of the nonprofit world itself.
Despite the multiple forums, the rules and procedures for these forums are both simple and consistent from forum to forum. Thus, if you participate on, say, CHARITYTALK, you will have no difficulty with the rules and procedures of, say, STEWARDSHIP or GRANTS and jumping in to the discussions there.
Despite the rapid growth of the CharityChannel on-line professional community, the staff remains committed to providing prompt and individual attention should you need it. Of course, we ask that you first review this Guide before seeking our help – we should be contacted only as a last resort. To contact us, please write to editors@charitychannel.com or use our Live Support page on the CharityChannel web site.
This Guide is divided into a section on rules, a section on policies, and a section on procedures.
Rules
1. Professional Community. CharityChannel is a professional community. Every CharityChannel forum is comprised of professionals who either work directly for, or in some manner serve through, nonprofit, educational, governmental or voluntary organizations and institutions. Subscribers include many of the sector’s leaders – persons often quoted in major newspapers and magazines seen on evening news broadcasts – down to the person who is entering the sector for the first time and has a thousand questions. Besides a desire to make this world a better place, each participant is a professional who wants and deserves to be part of a professional on-line community that accords a high level of professional respect to all its members. CharityChannel discussion forums are known for fostering a safe and warm professional environment that encourages the very best from each member. The rules are few but are designed to work together to foster a positive and professional discussion environment.
2. Monitored forums. Postings to a forum are typically not reviewed in advance by CharityChannel. However, they are closely monitored for compliance with the Rules, Policies and Procedures. Participants who do not comply with forum rules, policies and/or procedures may, at the discretion of CharityChannel, with or without notification, be set to moderation, meaning that submissions are first reviewed by CharityChannel staff members or volunteers before being released to the forum. For serious or consistent violation of the rules, policies and/or procedures, a participant may be removed from the forum with or without notice.
3. Signature Rule. As a professional community, your colleagues need and deserve to know who is submitting a posting to their on-line community. The signature rule requires that, as a minimum, you provide the following information at the bottom of your posting:
a. Basic requirement
i. Name. Your first and last name.
ii. Organization. The name of your organization.
b. Alternative. If for some reason you prefer not to provide the name of your organization, or if you are not with an organization per se, you may provide the following information as your signature.
i. Name. Your first and last name.
ii. Location. City/State or City/Province (or equivalent).
c. Optional Additional Information in Your Signature. You may provide additional information in your signature, such as:
i. Physical and/or mailing address.
ii. Phone and/or fax numbers (but not a toll-free telephone number)
iii. Email address.
iv. Web site URL.
v. The title of a book you have authored (but not its ordering information).
d. Exception to Signature Rule. In rare circumstances a forum member may have a bona fide reason, such as sensitivity of the submission, to post without including the signature. In such a case, the member may request that an editor make the submission anonymously. Whether or not an anonymous submission will be made is subject to the discretion of the editor. To request assistance in making an anonymous posting, please contact the CharityChannel editors at editors@charitychannel.com, or use the Live Support system.
e. Prohibited Signature Content. You may not provide information in the signature that is overtly commercial or promotional in nature. See “Commercial Postings,” below. Tag lines are ALWAYS prohibited in the signature, such as "Serving Nonprofits Since 1909" or "The Capital Campaign Firm of Choice," etc.
f. Editors May Correct Signatures. The editors reserve the right to insert a signature or make a correction to a signature to bring it into compliance. However, they are not obligated to do so and are more likely to reject the posting and inform the participant to re-compose the posting with a proper signature and resubmit to the forum.
4. Over-quoting. Most email programs have a feature that permits the quotation of the original message. This gives rise to frequent and unnecessary over-quoting. It is impermissible to quote the text of a prior submission unless and to the extent that it is integral to the response. Please simply delete it before submitting. The editors reserve the right to remove quoting that is not integral to a reply.
5. Relevancy. Postings must relate to the subject-matter of the forum. A posting that is off-topic for a particular forum may either be rejected by the editors, or posted without prior notice to one or more other CharityChannel forums where the posting is relevant. If rejected, the participant will be informed of the rejection by email. If the editor posts the submission to a different forum, the editor will first subscribe the member to such additional forum(s) so that the member can share in the ensuing dialog. Examples of off-topic postings are:
a. Does not relate for forum subject area;
b. Flames (see “Personal Attacks,” below);
c. Spam-like postings (mass-mailed postings that happen to list the forum address as a recipient);
d. Commercial postings (see “Commercial Postings,” below);
e. “Housekeeping-type postings.” A housekeeping-type posting addresses the rules, policies or procedures of the forum. Only the CharityChannel editors are permitted to make housekeeping-type postings, which will be clearly labeled as such; and
f. Press releases. Press releases may be posted to CharityChannel’s CharityWire system, but not to a discussion forum. Although press releases often do relate to a forum topic, they are not of themselves a discussion-type posting. If, however, a participant wishes to quote from a press release and integrate such quotes into a discussion, then it would not be the posting of a press release per se but rather a genuine contribution to the dialog.
6. Cross-posting. Cross-posting is the technique of posting a submission to two or more CharityChannel forums.
a. By a Participant. Subscribers may cross-post to up to three forums without prior consent of the editors.
b. By an Editor. Occasionally a posting will be relevant to one or more additional CharityChannel forums. An editor may, without prior notice to the participant, submit such a posting to one or more additional forums where the submission is relevant.
7. Personal Attacks (so-called “flames”). Personal attacks on a fellow participant, also known as a “flame,” are prohibited. However, the “flame” rule does not prohibit a posting from aiming the full force of its argument against the subject-matter of another colleague’s submission. There often is a subtle distinction between a prohibited personal attack and a permissible criticism of the substance of another participant’s posting. If in doubt, write to the editors off-forum by using our contact page on the CharityChannel web site to seek prompt guidance.
8. Libel, Privacy and Copyright
a. Libel. Participants may not post information that is defamatory.
b. Privacy. Participants may not post information that violates the privacy rights of another.
c. Copyright. Submissions may not violate the copyright interests of another. For example, newspaper articles may not be posted unless prior written permission is secured and provided to the editors at via our contact page.
d. Trademark. Submissions may not violate the trademark interests of another.
e. Legal or other advice. No posting may render legal, accounting, financial or other advice that is ordinarily rendered by a duly-licensed attorney, accountant, securities broker, real estate broker or agent, life insurance broker or agent, or other such licensed professional. Never rely upon a submission to a CharityChannel or other forum as a substitute for the advice of a competent and licensed professional.
f. Indemnity. Members agree to indemnify and hold CharityChannel LLC harmless for the violation by the member of any rule of the section.
9. Commercial or Promotional Postings. Postings that promote the member’s service, product, or other commercial are inconsistent with the spirit and purpose of a professional discussion forum, and are prohibited. CharityChannel makes available suitable advertising opportunities where ads on its web site and in its newsletters may be purchased. Advertising not only provides an effective and acceptable means of reaching your colleagues, but helps to sustain CharityChannel. To learn more about advertising with CharityChannel, telephone us between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific, Monday through Friday, holidays excepted, at +1 949 589-5938.
10. Commercial or Promotional Misuse of the CharityChannel on-line Community. No commercial or promotional use of the CharityChannel discussion lists or other systems is permissible, except for paid advertising. The occasional, off-forum, non-systematic contact of fellow members of the CharityChannel on-line community is both expected and healthy. It is, however, an abuse of the privilege of participating on CharityChannel forums to engage in the systematic or mass, off-forum solicitation of CharityChannel participants. Please report such contacts to the editors, at editors@charitychannel.com.
11. Sharing Files.
a. GuestShare. Members of CharityChannel may log in to contribute a file to the GuestShare system. Once contributed, you may notify your colleagues of its available so that they too may log in and retrieve the file. The advantage of using GuestShare is that over time, it builds a repository of files that colleagues may benefit from who haven't necessarily seen the discussion thread that prompted the file to be shared.
b. File Attachments to Discussion List Postings - Prohibited. To protect CharityChannel’s on-line community from receiving a file attachment that might harbor a virus, Trojan horse or worm, file attachments are prohibited.
c. Virus-Protection Systems. Every subscriber to CharityChannel is required, as a condition of subscribing to any forum or eNewsletter, to install and maintain a reliable virus-protection software package with up-to-date virus definitions. Failure to do so could expose you and your colleagues to the unwanted spread of harmful viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Although CharityChannel's systems are typically configured to automatically strip off file attachments from forum postings, and we employ a server-based anti-virus protection system for the forums, we do not guarantee that every email you receive from us will be free of possibly harmful file attachments.
12. Intellectual Property. As a condition of contributing to forum discussions, submissions to CharityChannel are deemed submitted to the public domain unless the participant includes a copyright notice at the end of the submission. Contributors to a CharityChannel forum discussion grant to CharityChannel a world-wide perpetual license to re-publish the submission on its web site archive system, in any other Internet-based or printed copyrighted work, and in any CharityChannel print publication or publications, without further permission of the creator and/or copyright holder of the work.
13. Related Messaging.
a. WHAT'S NEW AT CHARITYCHANNEL?. CharityChannel is a large, diverse on-line community. As an important online community-building feature, CharityChannel posts a WHAT'S NEW AT CHARITYCHANNEL? “catch-up” email feature. By subscribing to one or more CharityChannel forums or eNewsletters, you are opting in to receive this weekly feature. If you do not wish to receive the Weekly Review feature, unsubscribe from all CharityChannel forums and eNewsletters. (See the “Procedures” section, below for instructions on unsubscribing.)
b. Other Messages. From time to time CharityChannel will send subscribers announcements and communications by email. These include HOUSEKEEPING messages, announcements of new forums, eNewsletters or other features, and so on. By subscribing to one or more CharityChannel forums or eNewsletters, you are opting in to receive such messages and announcements by email.
14. Polls and Surveys. The CharityChannel forums provide the ability to conduct a simple poll. You are welcome to poll your forum colleauges by using the polling system. However, third-party polls and surveys, that is, polls and surveys not conducted by CharityChannel or via the forum-based polling system are prohibited. It is permissible to advertise a third-party poll or survey as a paid advertisement.
15. Changes to Rules. CharityChannel’s rules rarely change. In fact, they have stood the test of time – most have been in place since 1992. However, if they do change, the changes will be announced to all members of CharityChannel who are subscribed to a professional forum. They will also be available for viewing from the CharityChannel web site in the Rules, Policies and Procedures section of the Forum section.
Policies
1. Advisory Board. CharityChannel rules, policies and procedures are informed by a voluntary advisory board consisting of leaders in the nonprofit sector who have been active participants on CharityChannel forums for years.
2. All Views Permitted. Provided that a submission comports with forum rules (see “Rules,” above), no submission will be excluded because of any particular viewpoint.
3. Privacy. Years before online privacy entered the public consciousness as a major concern on the Internet and in the nonprofit sector, CharityChannel followed a strict policy on maintaining the privacy of its online professional community. As we have since the beginning, we take the privacy of our on-line community very seriously. If you have any questions or concerns about CharityChannel's privacy policies or practices, please visit the Privacy page on the CharityChannel web site.
4. Who May Participate? Any member of CharityChannel may participate in a CharityChannel professional forum.
5. Archives. The new forum system implemented in late 2008 is self-archiving, meaning that postings, whether via the web site or the listserve, can be viewed and searched directly from the forum system. H owever, in the prior forum system, a pure listserve system, there is a considerable archive of postings going back well over a decade. CharityChannel recognizes the value of this archive and is currently building a new interface to enable CharityChannel colleagues to be able to access it. The expected avaiability for the interface is mid-January, 2009.
6. Removing a Member. CharityChannel reserves the right to deny access, temporarily or permanently, to a forum, eNewsletter, the web site, or other system or feature if the staff determines it to be in the best interests of the CharityChannel on-line professional community to do so. The decision to exclude a member is within the sole discretion of the CharityChannel staff.
7. Responding to Requests for Assistance. CharityChannel staff shall endeavor to respond within 48 hours to requests for assistance. In most cases, response is substantially more prompt.
Procedures
1. Subscribing, Unsubscribing and Other Forum Functions. Individuals may participate on CharityChannel forums by email or on the web-based forum section of the CharityChannel web site. To participate in forum discussions by email or from the web site, it is necessary to subscribe.
a. Members. To subscribe to a discussion list, log in and navigate to the Forums page, then click on "Listserve Version." For each discussion forum that you would like to subscribe to, check the box, then submit the form. To unsubscribe, uncheck the box, then submit the form.
b. Non-Members. Colleagues who have not joined CharityChannel or whose membership has lapsed will be removed from all discussion lists.
2. How to Post to a Forum. There are two methods to post to a CharityChannel professional forum:
a. Web-based Method. On the Web-based Version page, click on the link with the name of the forum of interest. From there, you can click "Add New Topic" to start a new thread. Or, you can click on an existing posting, then click the button "Add Reply." Type your posting, then click the "Submit" button.
Your posting will be added to the forum immediately on submission. Any colleagues who visit the forum will see your posting, and may reply to it. Colleagues who are subscribed to the listserve version of the forum will then receive an email with your posting.
b. Listserve Method. Each web-based forum is also an optional listserve. Subscribe to the listserves of interest on the Listserve Version page. Once subscribed, you will receive postings by email. You may then reply to the email, which posts your reply to the forum. Alternatively, each email posting provides the URL to the posting on the web site. You may click the link to go to the forum posting, then reply from the web page.
3. Getting Help. CharityChannel staff shall endeavor to respond promptly to requests for assistance. We may be contacted by any of these methods:
a. Email. Write to us at editors@charitychannel.com
b. Online. Use the Live Support page to open up a live, interactive keyboard chat with us.
c. Telephone. You may phone us at +1 949 589-5938 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. Pacific to 4 p.m. Pacific.