[nmglug] free software foundation membership and support

[js at jasonschaefer.com]

John Sullivan from fsf wrote us on the forum about supporting free
software with their membership program. Any ideas on how fsf can help
us? I know we could help them with memberships!

http://nmglug.org/phorum/read.php?7,37

Hello from FSF
Posted by: *John Sullivan <mailto:johns at fsf.org>* (IP Logged)
Date: July 22, 2005 01:25PM

Hello!

I'm writing on behalf of the Free Software Foundation, to inquire
about some ways in which we might increase cooperation and
communication between your GLUG and the FSF.

First of all, I'm interested in any ideas you have. Are there ways you
think we could help your group get more attention or be more
successful achieving your goals?

Second, we are looking for ways that your GLUG might be able to help
us get the word out about the FSF membership program
(http://member.fsf.org).

The membership program is currently the primary source of funding for
the Free Software Foundation's activities. It's great to be funded by
individuals, because it helps keep the FSF accountable to the people
it is supposed to be serving, rather than to corporations or large
grant-making institutions. In order to keep this structure, we have to
keep our membership up. We currently have over 2000 active members,
but we should have more, as there are clearly more than 2000 active
supporters of free software worldwide!

One simple thing you could do is add a note about the FSF membership
program with a link to [member.fsf.org <http://member.fsf.org>] to your
home page.

Do you hold meetings or events often? If you do, do you distribute any
educational materials about software freedom? It would be very helpful
if you would be willing to distribute some membership sign-up cards
for the FSF at the same time. I could send you a supply of those
cards. We could also possibly provide some other educational materials
you could hand out.

If your GLUG already has members who are also FSF members, we'd love
to advertise that fact in some way on fsf.org. It could be some kind
of honor to have the GLUG with the most FSF associate members in it
smiling smiley.

Those are some basic ideas to think about. I look forward to hearing
your response. I'd also love to hear about how your group works and
what kinds of things you usually do.

I'll try to check back in the forum here, but it would be easiest for me
to hear and respond to things if people would mail them to me directly
at johns at fsf.org <mailto:johns at fsf.org>. Or, maybe we could move it to
the mailing list? Let me know what's best.

Thanks,
John Sullivan, Program Administrator
Free Software Foundation
johns at fsf.org <mailto:johns at fsf.org>