Become a Member
At Accountable Now we believe it is time to fundamentally change approaches to accountability in the civil society sector. Accountability needs to be based on a truly global understanding and it needs to move from a passive reporting exercise to a tool that promotes active stakeholder engagement.
This can only happen with a strong network of partners. We team up with experts from within and outside the sector and thought-leaders from across the world. We encourage all networks, organisations or individuals interested in partnering with us to advance to agenda of Dynamic Accountability to get in touch.
Membership Tiers
tier 1:
full member
Full Members lead the charge in accountability excellence; shaping sector standards. They publicly share practices, receive Independent Review Panel feedback, and contribute strategically to accountability across the sector.
Through their commitments to regular, transparent reporting, application of the Global Standard for CSO accountability, and continual focus on accountability, Tier 1 members model dynamic accountability for the sector.
tier 2:
associate member
Associate Members receive comprehensive support, including accompaniment for dynamic accountability action planning, access to AN’s global community, and enjoy substantial discounts on AN offers and support.
Through their participation and engagement with AN’s support, tools, and global network, Tier 2 Members demonstrate robust commitment to dynamic accountability.
tier 3:
friends of an
Friends of AN join our community for learning, networking, and professional development opportunities.
Through active participation in peer exchange, use of self-guided tools and resources, and exploration to integrate the 12 Commitments into their work, Tier 3 members signal interest in learning and growing their dynamic accountability muscles.
Check out our Membership Brochure and view the table below to learn about our full membership offer.
Member Benefits & Services
Becoming a member of Accountable Now means access to a pool of dynamic accountability tools & services, support, and a global community to strengthen your accountability practices.
Become part of the dynamic accountability movement and lets work together in collaboration so that:
CSOs are more valued and trusted
People and the planet are at the centre of CSO’s work
CSOs are able to deliver better, more long lasting impact
Which Membership Tier is Right for Us?
Tier 1 Members
Tier 1 members are committed to accountability excellence and learning, including through regular review and reflection and articulation of standards and best practices for the sector.
Through reporting and action planning, Tier 1 members publicly share their practices, receive feedback from the Independent Review Panel, and continuously refine and expand their accountability mandates and practices. Tier 1 members play a unique role as strategic contributors to accountability in the sector overall. They can become member representatives on AN’s Board and provide strategic leadership to Accountable Now. Tier 1 members benefit from all of Accountable Now’s offers, including unlimited Help Desk support and receiving 3-5 hours of tailor-made training and support from our in-house experts.
Tier 2 Associate Members
Tier 3 Friends of Accountable Now
Tier 3: Friends of Accountable Now enjoy access to the community, networking, collaboration and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, alongside discounts for all of our other offers and support. Not only so, Tier 3 Members can use our resource library for self-guided learning, with a range of templates, guidance materials and good practice being made available. For smaller and community based organizations, contributions can be made in kind. Tier 3 members can access the helpdesk once per year, participate actively in peer to peer learning and joint advocacy in the network, and join as observers and advisers to formal member voting proceedings.
How to Join
Are you interested in embedding dynamic accountability into your organisation? If your organisation meets our requirements listed below, you can apply for membership.
If you are interested in becoming an Accountable Now member, please contact us at [email protected]. Accountable Now’s Board reviews all applications and has the final decision regarding membership.
Membership is available for all CSOs who:
- Undertake operational and/or advocacy activities in the public interest on issues that benefit the environment, society as a whole or a group in particular, as well as foundations contributing to the funding of such activities.
- Have activities and management practices which are consistent with and supportive of the vision, purpose and objectives of Accountable Now.
- Will embrace, comply with and promote the Accountable Now Accountability Commitments (as amended from time to time) in its entirety.
- Will prioritize the implementation of a mechanism for internal and external complaints (if one does not already exist) within the first year of Accountable Now membership
- Will fulfill any applicable Membership obligations (see following tab)
For organizations wishing to join as a Full Member (Tier 1) or Associate Member (Tier 2):
- Prospective members must have been in existence with due diligence (valid legal
registration, published annual reports and annual externally audited account) for at least one year.
All Members are:
- Required to adopt the 12 Accountability Commitments, or relevant accountability
commitments, which can be amended from time to time by the Board; - Encouraged to share and be open about accountability accomplishments, challenges, failures and lessons learned as they relate to and go beyond the 12 Commitments;
- Entitled to attend member-only events, workshops, trainings, webinars and peer
sessions; - Entitled to be listed on Accountable Now’s website as a member, corresponding to the appropriate category;
- Entitled to use the Accountable Now logo on their website to share membership
information; - Required to pay the appropriate membership fees for their membership category as set by the Board.
Only Full Members are:
- Entitled to have their Accountability Reports, Action Plan and Report, vetted by the
Independent Review Panel and the feedback to be published on Accountable Now’s
website; - Entitled to five annual hours of consultancy service from the Accountable Now team and unlimited access to Accountable Now’s helpdesk service; beyond these, any additional consultancy hours will have a discount of 15%.
- Compelled and entitled to attend, lodge proposals, and vote at Annual General Meetings (AGMs);
- Entitled to nominate persons to stand for election to the Board as a member representative.
In order for Accountable Now to be financially self-sustaining, the management and administration costs need to be covered by the Member Organisations. Accountable Now Members are requested to pay an annual Membership fee. The Membership fee has to be paid in full for the entire Membership year which runs from January to December. If Members do not pay their fee, their Membership will eventually be terminated.
The Membership fees are based on the annual income of the Member Organisation. To calculate the Membership fee, the latest available annual income of the Member Organisation is used; this is either the income of the entire organisation or of the entity which joined Accountable Now. Donations in kind are not included when calculating annual income.
Members wishing to withdraw from Accountable Now have to give written notice of resignation to the Secretariat at least four months before the end of the year, i.e. by August 31, for the resignation to be effective as of January 1 of the following year. Members will then be asked to fill in a form explaining the reasons why they wish to withdraw and formally hand it in. In case a Member withdraws after August 31, it will be requested to pay the Membership fee for the following year.
Organizations meeting Accountable Now’s requirements are welcome to apply for membership. Prospective members wishing to join Accountable Now can get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected] or by clicking the button below.
Thereafter, prospective members will be asked to provide relevant information about their organization, as laid out in the Criteria/Eligibility section above, that will support the decision-making process for membership admission.
The full membership criteria, rights and obligations can be accessed here. For information about membership fees and requirements to withdraw Accountable Now membership, click here.
Membership decisions are made by the Accountable Now Secretariat; in cases where the Secretariat is unable to make a clear decision, decision-making power will be escalated to the Board. The turnaround time for membership decisions is between 4-6 weeks.
In case your application is accepted, your organization will become a member of
Accountable Now, at the appropriate tier.
Incoming members are asked to sign the Statement of Adoption of the 12 Commitments
and fill out any relevant intake forms (as appropriate to their joining tier).
