---
title: Community Growth Policy
---

**ETHICAL COMMUNITY GROWTH GUIDELINES AND FRAMEWORK**

## 1. POLICY OVERVIEW AND COMMITMENT

### 1.1. Growth Philosophy and Values

This Community Growth Policy establishes ethical guidelines for how community members can contribute to sustainable, values-aligned community growth. Our approach prioritises quality relationships over quantity metrics, emphasising authentic connection, mutual support, and alignment with our core values of social justice, inclusivity, and community empowerment.

### 1.2. Core Growth Principles

**Values-Driven Growth:**
- **Quality Over Quantity**: Focus on meaningful connections rather than numerical growth
- **Authentic Engagement**: Genuine interest in community values and participation
- **Mutual Benefit**: Growth that benefits both new and existing community members
- **Sustainable Practices**: Growth approaches that support long-term community health
- **Inclusive Representation**: Prioritising diversity and representation in growth efforts

**Anti-Exploitation Stance:**
- **No Predatory Recruitment**: Reject targeting vulnerable individuals for growth purposes
- **Transparent Intentions**: Honest communication about community expectations and culture
- **Consent-Based Engagement**: Respect for individual choice in community participation
- **Boundary Respect**: Recognition of personal and cultural boundaries in outreach efforts
- **Community Autonomy**: Support for community self-determination and organic growth

### 1.3. Integration with Community Values

**Social Justice Alignment:**
- **Anti-Oppression Focus**: Growth efforts that actively support marginalised communities
- **Accessibility Prioritisation**: Ensuring growth includes people with diverse abilities and needs
- **Economic Justice**: Growth that doesn't exclude people based on economic circumstances
- **Environmental Responsibility**: Sustainable growth practices that minimise environmental impact
- **Democratic Participation**: Growth that strengthens rather than dilutes community democracy

## 2. INDIVIDUAL MEMBER GROWTH CONTRIBUTIONS

### 2.1. Personal Network Outreach

#### 2.1.1. Authentic Relationship Building

**Effective Outreach Approaches:**
- **Share Personal Experiences**: Talk about what the community means to you personally
- **Highlight Value Alignment**: Focus on how community values align with friends' interests
- **Demonstrate Impact**: Share concrete examples of positive community impact
- **Invite Participation**: Invite engagement rather than demanding commitment
- **Respect Decisions**: Accept and respect when people aren't interested

**Relationship-Centred Approach:**
- **Know Your Audience**: Understand what aspects of the community might appeal to specific individuals
- **Personal Connection**: Build on existing relationships and shared values
- **Gradual Introduction**: Allow people to learn about the community at their own pace
- **Support Integration**: Help new members find their place and feel welcome
- **Long-Term Perspective**: Focus on sustainable relationships rather than quick conversions

#### 2.1.2. Community Representation

**Positive Community Representation:**
- **Authentic Engagement**: Represent the community accurately and honestly
- **Values Demonstration**: Model community values in your interactions
- **Inclusive Language**: Use language that welcomes diverse participation
- **Cultural Competency**: Represent the community's commitment to cultural responsiveness
- **Accessible Communication**: Ensure your communication is accessible to diverse audiences

**Avoiding Harmful Practices:**
- **No Pressure Tactics**: Avoid high-pressure recruitment or manipulation
- **Respect Boundaries**: Don't persist when someone expresses disinterest
- **Honest Communication**: Don't misrepresent community culture or expectations
- **No Exploitation**: Don't target people in vulnerable situations for recruitment purposes
- **Privacy Respect**: Don't share private information about community members or discussions

### 2.2. Content Creation and Sharing

#### 2.2.1. Values-Aligned Content

**Effective Content Strategies:**
- **Educational Resources**: Create content that educates about issues the community cares about
- **Community Stories**: Share positive stories about community impact and member experiences
- **Resource Compilation**: Curate helpful resources that align with community values
- **Skill Sharing**: Share knowledge and skills that benefit broader communities
- **Advocacy Content**: Create content that supports social justice and community values

**Platform-Specific Approaches:**
- **Discord**: Share invites thoughtfully with context about what people can expect
- **Reddit**: Participate authentically in relevant subreddits whilst mentioning community when appropriate
- **Bluesky/Twitter**: Share community content and values-aligned information with appropriate hashtags
- **LinkedIn**: Professional content that demonstrates community values in professional contexts
- **GitHub**: Technical contributions and documentation that showcase community technical work
- **YouTube**: Educational or informational content that represents community values

#### 2.2.2. Ethical Content Practices

**Content Quality Standards:**
- **Accuracy**: Ensure all content is accurate and well-researched
- **Accessibility**: Create content that is accessible to diverse audiences
- **Cultural Sensitivity**: Content that is respectful of diverse cultural perspectives
- **Privacy Protection**: Respect privacy of community members in content creation
- **Value Alignment**: All content should align with and represent community values

**Avoiding Problematic Content:**
- **No Misleading Information**: Don't misrepresent community culture or membership benefits
- **Avoid Exclusive Language**: Don't create content that excludes or marginalizes potential members
- **No Exploitation**: Don't exploit community participation for personal gain
- **Respect Boundaries**: Don't share private community discussions or member information
- **Quality Control**: Don't create low-quality content that reflects poorly on the community

### 2.3. Event Participation and Hosting

#### 2.3.1. Community Event Involvement

**Effective Event Participation:**
- **Active Engagement**: Participate meaningfully in community events and activities
- **Inclusive Facilitation**: Help create welcoming environments for new participants
- **Skill Sharing**: Contribute your skills and knowledge to community events
- **Accessibility Support**: Help ensure events are accessible to diverse participants
- **Follow-Up Engagement**: Connect with new participants after events to support integration

**Event Hosting and Organisation:**
- **Values Integration**: Ensure all events reflect and support community values
- **Accessibility Planning**: Plan events that are accessible to people with diverse needs
- **Inclusive Environment**: Create environments where diverse participants feel welcome
- **Educational Component**: Include educational elements that support community growth
- **Community Benefit**: Focus on events that benefit both community and broader society

#### 2.3.2. External Event Representation

**Community Representation at External Events:**
- **Conference Participation**: Represent the community at relevant conferences and gatherings
- **Workshop Facilitation**: Offer workshops that showcase community values and approach
- **Panel Participation**: Participate in panels that advance community values and visibility
- **Networking Events**: Network authentically whilst representing community values
- **Educational Presentations**: Present about community work and impact

**Best Practices for External Representation:**
- **Prepared Materials**: Have materials ready that accurately represent the community
- **Value Alignment**: Ensure representation aligns with community values and messaging
- **Inclusive Invitation**: Invite diverse participation rather than targeting specific demographics
- **Follow-Up Systems**: Have systems in place to follow up with interested individuals
- **Community Coordination**: Coordinate with community leadership about external representation

## 3. ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH STRATEGIES

### 3.1. Partnership Development

#### 3.1.1. Values-Aligned Partnerships

**Strategic Partnership Criteria:**
- **Shared Values**: Partner organisations must share core social justice values
- **Complementary Mission**: Partnerships should enhance rather than compromise community mission
- **Mutual Benefit**: Partnerships should benefit all involved parties
- **Community Input**: Community members should have input on significant partnership decisions
- **Ethical Practices**: Partner organisations must demonstrate ethical practices and accountability

**Partnership Development Process:**
- **Due Diligence**: Thorough research on potential partner organisations and their practices
- **Community Discussion**: Open community discussion about proposed partnerships
- **Trial Collaboration**: Start with small collaborative projects before formal partnerships
- **Regular Evaluation**: Ongoing evaluation of partnership effectiveness and alignment
- **Exit Strategies**: Clear processes for ending partnerships that no longer serve community values

#### 3.1.2. Cross-Platform Collaboration

**Multi-Platform Growth Strategies:**
- **Discord Integration**: Leverage Discord community for growth across other platforms
- **Reddit Community Building**: Build authentic presence in relevant Reddit communities
- **Social Media Coordination**: Coordinated presence across Bluesky, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- **GitHub Collaboration**: Technical collaboration that demonstrates community values
- **Gaming Community Integration**: Authentic participation in gaming communities like Guild Wars 2

**Platform-Specific Best Practices:**
- **Platform Culture Respect**: Understand and respect the culture of each platform
- **Authentic Participation**: Participate genuinely rather than just promoting community
- **Value Demonstration**: Demonstrate community values through platform participation
- **Community Building**: Focus on building authentic communities rather than just followers
- **Cross-Pollination**: Encourage organic connections between platform communities

### 3.2. Targeted Outreach and Recruitment

#### 3.2.1. Diversity-Centred Recruitment

**Priority Communities:**
- **Marginalised Identities**: Prioritise outreach to communities that are underrepresented in tech and social justice spaces
- **Geographic Diversity**: Seek geographic diversity whilst respecting cultural differences
- **Economic Accessibility**: Ensure growth includes people from diverse economic backgrounds
- **Accessibility Needs**: Actively recruit people with disabilities and diverse accessibility needs
- **Age Diversity**: Welcome participation across age groups and generational perspectives

**Culturally Responsive Outreach:**
- **Cultural Competency**: Develop cultural competency for outreach to diverse communities
- **Language Accessibility**: Provide materials in multiple languages when possible
- **Cultural Sensitivity**: Respect cultural differences in communication and participation styles
- **Community Liaisons**: Work with community members who have connections to underrepresented communities
- **Safe Space Creation**: Ensure outreach creates genuinely safe spaces for marginalised individuals

#### 3.2.2. Interest-Based Community Building

**Skill and Interest Alignment:**
- **Technical Communities**: Outreach to technical communities interested in ethical technology
- **Social Justice Organisations**: Connection with organisations working on related social justice issues
- **Gaming Communities**: Authentic participation in gaming communities with shared values
- **Educational Institutions**: Outreach to educational communities interested in community building
- **Professional Networks**: Engagement with professional networks focused on ethical practices

**Community Need Identification:**
- **Gap Analysis**: Identify gaps in community representation and expertise
- **Skill Mapping**: Map community needs to potential recruitment priorities
- **Interest Surveys**: Survey community members about areas where growth would be beneficial
- **Capacity Assessment**: Assess community capacity for integrating new members effectively
- **Resource Planning**: Ensure adequate resources for supporting community growth

### 3.3. Brand Development and Messaging

#### 3.3.1. Community Identity and Values Communication

**Brand Messaging Principles:**
- **Authenticity**: All messaging should authentically represent community culture and values
- **Accessibility**: Communication should be accessible to diverse audiences
- **Inclusivity**: Messaging should welcome diverse participation and representation
- **Impact Focus**: Emphasise concrete community impact and social justice work
- **Community Voice**: Brand should reflect diverse community voices rather than single perspectives

**Consistent Messaging Across Platforms:**
- **Core Values**: Consistent communication of core values across all platforms
- **Community Culture**: Accurate representation of community culture and expectations
- **Impact Stories**: Consistent sharing of community impact and member stories
- **Accessibility Information**: Clear information about community accessibility and inclusion efforts
- **Participation Options**: Clear information about different ways to participate and contribute

#### 3.3.2. Marketing Ethics and Transparency

**Ethical Marketing Practices:**
- **Honest Representation**: Never misrepresent community culture, benefits, or expectations
- **Transparent Communication**: Be clear about community structures, expectations, and limitations
- **Consent-Based Marketing**: Respect privacy and obtain consent for marketing communications
- **Cultural Sensitivity**: Ensure marketing is culturally sensitive and appropriate
- **Accessibility Compliance**: Ensure all marketing materials meet accessibility standards

**Avoiding Problematic Practices:**
- **No False Promises**: Don't promise benefits or outcomes that cannot be guaranteed
- **No Exploitation**: Don't exploit personal stories or community member experiences without consent
- **No Pressure Tactics**: Avoid high-pressure marketing or manipulation techniques
- **No Exclusive Claims**: Don't claim to be the only or best option for community or social justice work
- **No Privacy Violations**: Never use private member information for marketing purposes without explicit consent

## 4. COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND SUPPORT

### 4.1. New Member Onboarding

#### 4.1.1. Welcoming and Orientation Process

**Comprehensive Onboarding:**
- **Welcome Systems**: Systematic welcome processes for new members across all platforms
- **Orientation Resources**: Clear orientation materials that explain community culture and expectations
- **Mentor Assignment**: Connection with experienced community members for guidance and support
- **Platform Training**: Assistance with navigating different community platforms and tools
- **Value Integration**: Education about community values and how they guide participation

**Accessibility-Focused Integration:**
- **Accommodation Assessment**: Assessment of accessibility needs and accommodation provision
- **Multiple Participation Options**: Information about different ways to participate based on capacity and interest
- **Communication Preferences**: Respect for different communication styles and preferences
- **Flexible Engagement**: Recognition that engagement levels and styles vary amongst community members
- **Support Systems**: Connection to appropriate support systems and resources

#### 4.1.2. Community Culture Integration

**Cultural Assimilation Support:**
- **Community Norms**: Education about community norms, expectations, and culture
- **Conflict Resolution**: Training on community conflict resolution and communication approaches
- **Value Application**: Practical guidance on applying community values in daily participation
- **Relationship Building**: Facilitation of relationship building with established community members
- **Feedback Systems**: Systems for new members to provide feedback on their integration experience

**Ongoing Support Systems:**
- **Check-In Processes**: Regular check-ins with new members during their first months
- **Issue Resolution**: Clear processes for addressing problems or concerns during integration
- **Participation Encouragement**: Encouragement and support for active community participation
- **Leadership Development**: Pathways for new members to develop leadership skills and take on responsibilities
- **Community Investment**: Support for new members to develop investment in community success

### 4.2. Retention and Engagement

#### 4.2.1. Sustainable Participation

**Long-Term Engagement Strategies:**
- **Meaningful Participation**: Opportunities for community members to contribute meaningfully
- **Personal Growth**: Support for personal growth and development within the community
- **Leadership Development**: Pathways for community members to develop and exercise leadership
- **Skill Building**: Opportunities to build skills that benefit both individuals and community
- **Impact Visibility**: Clear communication about community impact and member contributions

**Preventing Burnout and Over-Engagement:**
- **Boundary Support**: Support for community members to maintain healthy boundaries
- **Capacity Recognition**: Recognition that participation capacity varies and changes over time
- **Rest and Recovery**: Normalization of breaks and reduced engagement periods
- **Sustainable Volunteerism**: Sustainable approaches to volunteer engagement and responsibility
- **Well-Being Priority**: Prioritisation of member well-being over community productivity

#### 4.2.2. Community Evolution and Adaptation

**Growth-Responsive Community Development:**
- **Culture Preservation**: Maintaining community culture and values whilst accommodating growth
- **Structure Adaptation**: Adapting community structures to serve larger and more diverse membership
- **Democracy Protection**: Ensuring growth doesn't undermine democratic participation and decision-making
- **Quality Maintenance**: Maintaining community quality and values during periods of rapid growth
- **Change Management**: Effective management of changes that come with community growth

**Member Voice and Participation:**
- **Democratic Processes**: Maintaining democratic processes for community decision-making
- **Feedback Integration**: Regular integration of member feedback into community evolution
- **Representation**: Ensuring diverse member representation in community leadership and decision-making
- **Conflict Resolution**: Effective conflict resolution processes that scale with community growth
- **Community Self-Determination**: Support for community self-determination and autonomous development

## 5. SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPACT MEASUREMENT

### 5.1. Growth Sustainability

#### 5.1.1. Resource Management and Planning

**Capacity Planning:**
- **Resource Assessment**: Regular assessment of community capacity to support new members
- **Infrastructure Scaling**: Scaling community infrastructure to accommodate growth
- **Support System Expansion**: Expanding support systems to serve larger membership
- **Leadership Development**: Developing additional community leadership to support growth
- **Quality Maintenance**: Ensuring growth doesn't compromise community quality or values

**Environmental and Social Sustainability:**
- **Environmental Impact**: Consideration of environmental impact of community growth
- **Social Impact**: Measurement of social impact and community benefit
- **Economic Sustainability**: Sustainable economic approaches to community operations
- **Cultural Sustainability**: Preservation of community culture and values during growth
- **Member Well-Being**: Prioritisation of member well-being in growth planning

#### 5.1.2. Growth Rate Management

**Sustainable Growth Pacing:**
- **Organic Growth Priority**: Prioritisation of organic growth over rapid expansion
- **Integration Capacity**: Growth that matches community capacity to integrate new members effectively
- **Quality Maintenance**: Growth pacing that maintains community quality and member experience
- **Resource Alignment**: Growth that aligns with available resources and support capacity
- **Community Input**: Community input on appropriate growth rates and targets

### 5.2. Impact Assessment and Measurement

#### 5.2.1. Community Health Metrics

**Quantitative Measures:**
- **Member Engagement**: Measurement of member engagement and participation across platforms
- **Retention Rates**: Analysis of member retention and reasons for leaving
- **Diversity Metrics**: Measurement of community diversity across relevant dimensions
- **Accessibility Participation**: Assessment of participation by community members with accessibility needs
- **Geographic Distribution**: Analysis of geographic diversity and global participation

**Qualitative Assessment:**
- **Member Satisfaction**: Regular surveys and feedback collection on member experience
- **Community Culture**: Assessment of community culture health and values alignment
- **Impact Stories**: Collection and analysis of member stories about community impact
- **Conflict Resolution**: Analysis of conflict resolution effectiveness and community harmony
- **Values Integration**: Assessment of how well community values are integrated in daily practice

#### 5.2.2. External Impact Measurement

**Social Justice Impact:**
- **Advocacy Effectiveness**: Measurement of community advocacy and social justice impact
- **Policy Influence**: Assessment of community influence on relevant policies and practices
- **Education and Awareness**: Measurement of community educational impact and awareness raising
- **Resource Provision**: Assessment of resources provided to members and broader communities
- **Partnership Impact**: Evaluation of impact through partnerships and collaborations

**Community Contribution:**
- **Open Source Contributions**: Measurement of community contributions to open source and public goods
- **Knowledge Sharing**: Assessment of community knowledge sharing and educational contributions
- **Innovation Development**: Measurement of community innovation and technological contributions
- **Cultural Impact**: Assessment of community cultural impact and representation
- **Movement Building**: Evaluation of community contribution to broader social justice movements

## 6. ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

### 6.1. Growth Practice Evaluation

#### 6.1.1. Regular Assessment and Review

**Growth Strategy Review:**
- **Quarterly Assessments**: Regular quarterly review of growth strategies and effectiveness
- **Community Feedback**: Integration of community feedback into growth practice evaluation
- **Impact Analysis**: Analysis of growth impact on community culture and member experience
- **Resource Effectiveness**: Assessment of resource allocation effectiveness for growth activities
- **Value Alignment**: Regular evaluation of growth practice alignment with community values

**Adaptation and Improvement:**
- **Strategy Modification**: Modification of growth strategies based on evaluation results
- **Best Practice Development**: Development of best practices based on successful growth approaches
- **Problem Resolution**: Address problems and challenges identified in growth practices
- **Innovation Integration**: Integration of innovative approaches to community growth
- **Learning Documentation**: Documentation of lessons learned for future growth planning

#### 6.1.2. Community Accountability

**Transparent Reporting:**
- **Growth Reports**: Regular reports to community on growth activities and results
- **Resource Allocation**: Transparent reporting on resource allocation for growth activities
- **Challenge Communication**: Honest communication about growth challenges and setbacks
- **Success Celebration**: Recognition and celebration of successful growth initiatives
- **Member Recognition**: Recognition of community members who contribute to ethical growth

**Democratic Oversight:**
- **Community Input**: Regular community input on growth strategies and priorities
- **Democratic Decision-Making**: Democratic decision-making about significant growth initiatives
- **Accountability Mechanisms**: Clear accountability mechanisms for growth-related decisions
- **Conflict Resolution**: Processes for resolving conflicts related to growth practices
- **Value Enforcement**: Enforcement of community values in all growth activities

### 6.2. Continuous Learning and Innovation

#### 6.2.1. Best Practice Development

**Internal Learning:**
- **Experience Documentation**: Documentation of growth experiences and lessons learned
- **Success Analysis**: Analysis of successful growth approaches and their replication
- **Challenge Resolution**: Development of approaches to common growth challenges
- **Member Insight**: Integration of member insights and perspectives into growth practices
- **Cultural Evolution**: Understanding of how community culture evolves with growth

**External Learning:**
- **Community Research**: Research into best practices from other ethical communities
- **Academic Integration**: Integration of relevant academic research on community building
- **Movement Learning**: Learning from broader social justice and community building movements
- **Technology Integration**: Appropriate integration of new technologies for community growth
- **Innovation Adoption**: Adoption of innovative approaches to ethical community building

#### 6.2.2. Future Planning and Vision

**Long-Term Vision Development:**
- **Community Vision**: Development of long-term vision for community growth and impact
- **Strategic Planning**: Strategic planning for sustainable community development
- **Impact Goals**: Setting and working towards long-term social impact goals
- **Innovation Integration**: Planning for integration of emerging technologies and approaches
- **Movement Contribution**: Planning for community contribution to broader social justice movements

**Adaptive Planning:**
- **Scenario Planning**: Planning for different potential future scenarios and community needs
- **Flexibility Maintenance**: Maintaining flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities
- **Crisis Preparedness**: Planning for potential crises and their impact on community growth
- **Opportunity Readiness**: Preparation to take advantage of opportunities for positive growth
- **Values Consistency**: Ensuring all future planning maintains consistency with community values

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*This Community Growth Policy establishes ethical guidelines for sustainable, values-aligned community growth. It works in conjunction with our Community Support Policy, Crisis and Mental Health Management Policy, and staff training materials to ensure holistic community development. All growth activities should prioritise quality relationships, authentic engagement, and alignment with social justice values over numerical metrics or rapid expansion.*

