Dues:

Affiliate dues are based on the organization's operating budget and are charged to each affiliate on an annual basis. The payment of dues confirms that affiliate organizations acknowledge the relationship between the affiliate and NCLR, while at the same time financially support NCLR in the provision of its policy and programmatic initiatives. NCLR affiliates are sent an invoice each August requesting dues payment by September 30 for the next fiscal year. Delinquency notices are sent for late payment. In order to maintain good standing with NCLR and be eligible for NCLR awards and other opportunities, an affiliate must be in compliance with the General Member affiliation agreement which includes payment of dues each year.

Recertification Process:

In October 1999, based on an Affiliate Council recommendation, NCLR implemented the Affiliate Recertification Process. The Affiliate Recertification Process is a way for each organization in the Affiliate Network to demonstrate that it is an active and viable agency. The Affiliate Network is divided into three groups (A, B, and C) that rotate every year. Each year, one of the three groups must complete the recertification process, which consists of the submission of several documents to NCLR.

• Memorandum of Understanding signed by the executive director
• Current financial statements, 990 form, auditor's Letter of Opinion
• Current list of board of directors

The Affiliate Recertification Process ensures that our Affiliate Network is made up of thriving, independent community-based organizations committed to improving opportunities for the Latino community.

Affiliates who fail to pay annual dues or complete the Recertification Process are eligible for disaffiliation from NCLR.

Disaffiliation:

Affiliation represents a commitment by all parties to work together. When an individual organization fails to fulfill that commitment, the result is often a drain on the entire network. To the extent that the Affiliate Network represents and reflects the NCLR “brand,” the lowest common denominator can hurt the brand image. Acknowledging this, NCLR reserves the right to disaffiliate with any organization it believes is harming NCLR’s ability to achieve impact or whose mission is no longer aligned with NCLR’s. Similarly, any organization may disaffiliate, at any time, if it believes it is not receiving the value it should or no longer feels aligned with NCLR.

Criteria That May Lead to Disaffiliation:

• Noncompliance with Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
• Violation of mission criteria for affiliation
• Violation of ethics criteria for affiliation
• Violation of criteria related to impact

Disaffiliation Policy and Process:

NCLR, in consultation with the Affiliate Council and Board of Directors, will outline a formal Disaffiliation Policy and process, including due diligence required if an investigation is initiated, potential intermediate enforcement actions, and the periods over which specific actions will occur.

In the event that an investigation is required, the following steps will be taken:

• A team of NCLR staff will gather information on the allegation or complaint, including information from the Affiliate in question.
• The review process will provide adequate notice of affiliation criteria violations in question to permit the Affiliate to respond within 90 days.
• NCLR staff will then convene to assess the data collected and develop a recommendation regarding the status of the Affiliate, which it will forward to the Affiliate Council for deliberation.
• The Council will formulate its own recommendation, which it will then forward to the Board of Directors for final action.

In order to maintain a fair but consistent process, this policy will be reviewed and revised, as needed, by NCLR, in coordination with the Affiliate Council and the Board of Directors, at regularly scheduled intervals of time (to be determined).