Respect Our Membership
Affected Items & Short Rationale
Resolution 14: Disallow Usage Of Membership Information For Marketing Purposes
Currently DSA occasionally uses membership information to market books and movies that are not directly related to DSA business. We should stop - because we want members, not an email list.
Resolution 16: No Title or Privilege for Donors
Donors can currently claim special titles and privileges if they donate above a certain amount. We should ban that practice - because we want members, not donors.
Why Is Build Endorsing Respect Our Membership?
Membership information should not be for sale. (Resolution 14)
Because we want members, not an email list.
DSA members are being sent emails for off-topic marketing purposes such as leftist books, magazines, and movies.
Our personal information such as email addresses must not be used to sell us products from other organizations. Email address use should be restricted to updates that are relevant to DSA.
Donating to DSA should not get you any special titles or privileges. (Resolution 16)
Because we want members, not donors.
DSA has sometimes granted donors special designations if they donate monthly or above a certain amount. For example, we currently have a “Movement Builder” designation for people who pay monthly dues.
Having special titles is unjust to comrades who cannot afford dues, or cannot afford monthly dues. They are ineligible for special titles or designations simply because they cannot afford a certain level of dues-paying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Concern: R16: Does this mean staff can’t send thank you notes or stickers to new dues-paying members?
Answer: This proposal is to disallow adding special titles and privileges to members who donate above a certain amount. Thank you notes and stickers aren’t special titles or privileges and are still allowed under this resolution.
Concern: R14: What does this staff note mean: “Note however that DSA Fund is a separate entity not governed by the DSA convention or NPC.”
Answer: If not governed by Convention, then the resolution will not apply to DSA Fund. It will still apply to DSA membership data, however, and will stop some of the marketing emails we’ve been getting.
“Be it resolved” for R14:
Be it therefore resolved that: No personal information provided to DSA or DSA Fund shall be used to promote any products not sold by DSA or publications or other media not published by DSA; nor shall such information be used to promote causes or campaigns that are not endorsed by National DSA, a National DSA Working Group, or a DSA Local. This shall apply both to the direct sharing of personal information, as well as indirect access to it via official DSA communications; and
Be it further resolved that: DSA Locals may use their membership lists according to their respective privacy policy. Locals are encouraged to adopt a policy like this one prohibiting use of the list for marketing purposes.
“Be it resolved” for R16:
Be it resolved, no person shall receive any title or privilege based on the amount or manner of their financial contributions to DSA.