Membership Policy for the GNOME Foundation

Who is eligible for membership in the GNOME Foundation?

Per the GNOME Foundation's charter, any contributor to GNOME is eligible for membership. Although it is difficult to specify a precise definition, a contributor generally must have contributed to a non-trivial improvement of the GNOME Project. Contributions may be code, documentation, translations, maintenance of project-wide resources, or other non-trivial activities which benefit the GNOME Project. While large amounts of advocacy or bug reporting may qualify one as a member, such contributions must be significantly above the level expected of an ordinary user. Membership eligibility is an individual determination: while contributions made in the course of employment will be considered, they will generally be ascribed to the individuals involved, rather than accruing to all employees of a "contributing" corporation. As noted above, these guidelines are not meant to define precise objective criteria: ultimately, an individual's membership eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis, in the sound discretion of the Membership Committee and the Board of Directors.
For a more complete definition of the guidelines, you can look at the proposal for guidelines that was accepted by the board in 2002 October.

How can I apply for membership in the GNOME Foundation?

To apply for membership, please complete the form available at http://foundation.gnome.org/membership-form.php. Please note that applications for membership must include sufficient information to allow the Membership Committee to verify the applicants' eligibility; applications which include inaccurate or insufficient information may be rejected at the committee's discretion.

My application was rejected; what can I do?

If you have questions as to why your application was rejected, please contact the Membership Committee by electronic mail to membership-committee@gnome.org; you may be able to provide additional information which will lead to the approval of your application. If you are still dissatisfied with the Membership Committee's determination, you may appeal the decision to the Board of Directors by e-mailing board@gnome.org.

Renewing your membership

Membership in the GNOME Foundation ordinarily lasts for two years. A reasonable period of time before your membership expires, you will be contacted by the Membership Committee with a request that you file a renewal application, available here. Renewal applications will be reviewed according to the same standards outlined above for an initial membership, and must generally be supported by recent or ongoing contributions to GNOME. If you do not file a valid renewal application by the specified deadline, your membership will terminate; former members may, of course, file a new application for membership at a later date, again provided it is supported by recent or ongoing contributions.