IfNotNow Membership: Frequently Asked Questions
Our membership page describes what membership means and why it is important to become a member. Below are answers to some common questions not addressed there.
What if I already actively participate in IfNotNow actions? Do I also have to pay dues?
I signed up to be a member! Now what?
Why do members have to agree to the Code of Conduct?
How are member dues spent for advancing IfNotNow’s mission?
How do IfNotNow’s membership policies reflect its core values?
What if I can’t afford the suggested dues levels?
Is there a way to become a member other than the online form?
How do I know if my membership is up to date?
How can I update my payment information?
Are dues for IfNotNow tax-deductible?
Can I become a member if I don’t live in the U.S.?
About IfNotNow’s Membership
What if I already actively participate in IfNotNow actions? Do I also have to pay dues?
Dues are a requirement for official membership, but the sliding scale was adopted to prevent this requirement from being a burden. If the rate of $5/year prevents a financial hardship, we have the option for a dues-waiver. You don’t have to be a member to participate in many IfNotNow activities, but it is a significant way to formalize your support and participation. All active chapter volunteers and organizers are expected to be dues-paying members.
Member numbers signal the growing portion of the U.S. Jewish community that believes our freedom and safety are intertwined with those of Palestinians. Rising numbers of members and supporters show that we represent a growing and critical mass – a movement that can shift the tides within Jewish institutions, at the polls, in the streets, and in government.
I signed up to be a member! Now what?
There are many ways to support the movement, and people have different amounts of time, money, and talent to offer. Being a member means taking action in any way that works for you - that can mean paying membership dues and reading our emails, attending actions, or organizing with a chapter or national team. To get more plugged into the movement, please sign up to attend one of our Welcome Calls. Hosted every other week by members like you, these calls are an important grounding point to learn more about IfNotNow's strategy, structure, and how you can plug in.
Why do members have to agree to the Code of Conduct?
As a member of IfNotNow, you are part of a community. The Code of Conduct outlines agreements for acceptable behavior and communication within our movement that help make spaces welcoming and safer for everyone. Consequences when someone violates our Code of Conduct range from asking someone to cease a particular behavior, leave an event or action, or suspend their involvement with IfNotNow. Unacceptable behavior in a virtual space or chat may lead to any of these consequences or expulsion from the virtual space. When violations of the Code of Conduct are most extreme or continuing, IfNotNow reserves the right to revoke membership.
How are member dues spent for advancing IfNotNow’s mission?
Pooling resources from thousands of activists and supporters enables IfNotNow to work for a better future without compromising our values – and while being accountable to those who invest time and energy to advance the mission. The driving purpose behind all IfNotNow spending is to grow a movement of people who act locally as well as nationally to make change. This snapshot of IfNotNow finances provides further information on the use of our funds, including examples of specific expenses.
How do IfNotNow’s membership policies reflect its core values?
In defining the criteria to become a member, our leadership team thought hard about what principles center our work. One core value in our work is equity – the belief that our fight for justice in Palestine-Israel is fundamentally intertwined with a challenge to other forms of systemic oppression. We have learned from our foremothers: in 1971, Black civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer said “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free” and in 1883 Jewish poet Emma Lazarus wrote, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.” We put this wisdom in practice by resisting the norms of our society that value people by their financial means, their racial and ethnic identities, their proximity to social power, and other artificial distinctions that reinforce hierarchy and division.
This principled commitment to equity means IfNotNow is dedicated to building a movement that is truly multi-racial, multi-ethnic, cross-class and inclusive of people who have experienced identity-based oppression and marginalization both within and outside of Jewish spaces in the U.S.. We therefore welcome people who identify as Black, Indigenous, Jews of Color, Sephardic, Mizrachi, disabled, poor & working class or otherwise historically marginalized to select member dues on a sliding scale starting at $5/year if that enables you to explore the potential of this movement for your liberation. If you are an active member of a chapter, we also have a dues waiver option. Please reach out to your chapter’s field organizer to discuss this process.
Practicalities
What if I can’t afford the suggested dues levels?
As a multi-racial, cross class movement, we are committed to equitable access to membership and have therefore decided on a sliding scale for dues. Using the Member at any Rate option, you can select whatever dues rate feels right for you, which can be as low as $5/year. We encourage those who can support the work at a higher level to do so in accordance with principles of equity and solidarity.
Is there a way to become a member other than the online form?
If you would like to become a member without entering payment information online, you can mail a check made out to IfNotNow Movement with “Membership Dues” in the memo line. Please also provide your name, phone number, address and email so we can make sure we can contact you about your membership and other opportunities to participate in the movement. Checks can be mailed to 1629 K St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006.
How do I know if my membership is up to date?
If you set up a monthly contribution on your membership form, you will remain a member in good standing as long as your monthly contributions continue – and if you cancel, the membership continues for a year after your last payment. If you choose to make a one-time payment when submitting your membership form, your membership will expire one year from the date of submission. Every time you make a new contribution, it pushes the expiration date back to the one-year anniversary of the latest gift. If you’re not sure when your last contribution was you can email development@ifnotnowmovement.org.
How can I update my payment information?
You can update your payment method or amount anytime through the IfNotNow Self Service Portal. If you would prefer to provide new payment information over the phone, please email development@ifnotnowmovement.org to schedule a call.
Are dues for IfNotNow tax-deductible?
If you use the simplest method of signing up as an IfNotNow member, our online membership form, your dues payment(s) will go to IfNotNow Movement, a 501(c)(4) organization, and will not be tax-deductible. If, however, tax deductions are important for your financial planning, you can pay IfNotNow dues to IfNotNow Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, which makes your contribution eligible for a tax deduction. You can use this 501(c)(3) form instead. All donations are considered membership dues. You can also send a check, made out to IfNotNow Education Fund with “member dues” in the memo line, to 1629 K St SW, Suite 300, Washington DC, 20006.
Can I become a member if I don’t live in the U.S.?
Yes! If you are a U.S. citizen living abroad, you may sign up through the regular online membership form. If you are a foreign national, U.S. law requires that your contributions must only go to IfNotNow Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization. You can use this 501(c)(3) form instead and select the option to apply the contribution to member dues. You can also send a check, made out to IfNotNow Education Fund with “member dues” in the memo line, to 1629 K St SW, Suite 300, Washington DC, 20006.