Join the network
Being a Democracy Network member means being part of a community. There are lots of ways being part of this community can help you achieve your aims with each member having different ways of getting involved. Some help guide and direct the Network, some use it to learn from others in the sector or to hear about what’s going on to improve our democracy, whilst others may use it to set up collaborative efforts to improve aspects of our democratic system.
Join the network!
You can choose to join the network as a Community Member or as a Campaigning Member.
We definitely need more spaces like this to exist
Why do we have different forms of membership?
Our network consists of over 400+ organisations, each of which have their own individual constitutional and legal requirements. They also have different needs and wants from the network.
Some members are interested primarily in networking opportunities, and the chance to share knowledge and skills with others across the democracy sector. Other members are campaigners who are keen to join together to amplify their impact. However, some of the members in the first category are not able to be associated with campaigning work due to the legal implications to their own work and agreements.
We have heard this and sought a way to enable members to join on the terms most appropriate and beneficial to them. We have also sought legal advice to ensure that as a network we are aware of our own obligations.
For these reasons, we have two membership types:
Community Membership – our standard networking membership, for those organisations and individuals interested in building relationships, exchanging knowledge and exploring collaboration opportunities together with fellow democracy organisations and practitioners.
Campaigning Membership – our campaigning membership seeks to provide a platform to coordinate and amplify advocacy for democratic reform, working to support people across the sector working on different issues to build on the collective knowledge, expertise and insights we share to make our impact greater than the sum of our parts.
Campaigning Members are also automatically signed up to and receive the same benefits as Community Members.
Thanks for all the work you are doing bringing us together.
What is a member of the Democracy Network?
Membership of the Democracy Network provides you with a go-to place for the latest news, resources, events, funding, jobs, research and reports, opportunities for peer-to-peer networking at our member-only webinars, roundtables and events, sector-wide convening and support and low cost training for you and your team.
With a growing community of over 700 members, over 100 of which are organisations, the Democracy Network puts you right at the heart of the conversations that really matter to democracy, power and voice in the UK.
"It's really positive to see this coming together. The sector has been so incoherent and diffuse for so long, it can be difficult to grasp what's happening even when you're working in it every day.
More than this, membership of the Democracy Network is a social contract, or pledge, between an individual or organisation and the wider community, acknowledging that we are many organisations and individuals working towards the same goal of improving democracy in the UK, sharing an intention to work together to share resources, information and expertise to support and strengthen shared efforts across the democracy sector.
By joining the Democracy Network as a member, an individual or organisation is joining a community of like minds working towards the same goals, acknowledging that if we want things to change, we need to start talking and working together more.
Engagement by members within the network may vary, there may be those that have the time, capacity and resource to engage more actively, perhaps even coordinating network activities – to those that agree with the mission and purpose of the community, but can only engage in more limited ways.
The range of network activities available aims to cater for members at whatever level they are able to engage, together we’ll meet them wherever they are at.
The meetups are really valuable, I’ve made numerous connections through it. I read the bulletin from top to bottom every fortnight, it’s genuinely useful. This would have been super useful when I started and would have saved a lot of googling.
What can membership do for you or your organisation?
‘Join for what you can get, stay for what you can give’
Members of the Democracy Network benefit from improved opportunities for connection across the democracy sector, tapping into new resources and collaboration possibilities. As a member you will:
Connect
Build stronger relationships with other democracy organisations. Foster lifelong friendships and connections. Engage in peer to peer networking at member only webinars, roundtables and events
Collaborate
Generate new opportunities with fellow organisations through our community channels. Co-design and facilitate working groups to discuss collaboration and best practice. Initiate and participate in joint fundraising bids with network members.
Campaign
Take action, influence decision makers and build the case for democratic reform through our Campaigning Membership. Work with others to set up or join opt-in campaigns to bring about the changes you want to see.
Get Informed
Get the latest democracy sector news delivered to your inbox. Be the first to find out about programmes, campaigns, funding, who’s working on what, what activities are happening and more.
Learn & Improve
Access best practice from across the UK, as well as training and development opportunities for you and your team.
Offer Support
Support efforts to build a stronger democracy through offering expertise, funding advice, leadership training and other useful resources to fellow network members.
But that’s not all, Democracy Network Members also enjoy:
- Free events
All of our events are free of charge for members, including training. - Discounted events & offers
Members benefit from a range of discounts, from access to exclusive low cost on-demand external training, to discounted conference tickets from Democracy Network partners. - Online Community
Access to our online community, where members can make connections, ask questions and share inspiration and ideas. - Free job ads
We list your vacancies for free on our website and share them amongst the wider democracy sector - Access to the UK Democracy Resource Hub
Members benefit from access to our comprehensive directory of 900+ UK democracy organisations
Whilst not an exhaustive list, the activities of the network are designed to accommodate the varying needs and capacities of the democracy sector, and importantly, each other.
Who can join the Democracy Network?
We believe that the people and organisations that want to build a stronger democracy come from all walks of life and parts of society. So, we have kept our membership criteria intentionally inclusive.
Membership of the Democracy Network is open to any individual or organisation that ascribes to the values and principles of the network, as agreed by the Steering Group and Council of Reference. This includes people who identify as being part of the ‘democracy sector, but it may also include others who work on related issues such as power, voice, media, accountability and transparency. Core to our approach is ensuring that the network is open and inclusive. We are particularly proactive about ensuring diversity within our membership.
Please note that while we aim to be as inclusive as possible, we also need to protect our members and our aims. The Democracy Network’s Steering Group, elected annually by network members, reserves the right to refuse or revoke membership if they believe a person or organisation threatens the vision, mission or reputation of the Network.