If you have questions relating to the technical functionality of the website (ie. blogs, forums, log-in etc.), please visit our Tech FAQs page, under the 'Help' menu item.

If you have a question that isn't listed in the FAQs below, please us an email.

Questions:

1. Can groups utilize the non-profit status of Post Carbon Institute for applying for funding?
2. Is there a membership fee for joining the Relocalization Network?
3. In what ways (if any) will our autonomy be limited if we join the Relocalization Network?
4. What mechanisms do you have to facilitate the exchange of ideas while avoiding the tendency to create "one size fits all" solutions?
5. Isn't it a contradiction to promote the strategy of Relocalization while forming an international network?
6. How are Post Carbon Institute and the Relocalization Network related?
7. What is the difference between Local Post Carbon Groups and Outposts?
8. What the Network can provide in terms of listserves?

Answers:

Can groups utilize the non-profit status of Post Carbon Institute for applying for funding?

As a group you can only issue tax receipts if you are a registered charity with 501(c)3 status or if you have another organization with 501(c)3 status act as your fiscal sponsor and receive donations on your behalf. We realize that applying for non-profit status is a difficult and expensive venture. We are currently exploring options for acting as fiscal sponsors for groups. If you are interested, please contact us. for more information.

If you are not a registered charity you are considered like a small business and would be expected to pay taxes like any other non-charitable organization. However, please review the specific tax regulations for your area to make sure you are in compliance with all applicable regulations, as we are not qualified to give you legal advice. If you are based in the United States, you can view some of this information on the IRS website at www.irs.gov.

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Is there a membership fee for joining the Relocalization Network?

There is no fee for joining the Relocalization Network, and we do not require that groups to contribute financially to the program.

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In what ways (if any) will our autonomy be limited if we joining the Relocalization Network?

Local Post Carbon Groups operate autonomously from Post Carbon Institute in all aspects of their organization, mandates and projects that they undertake. However, before joining the Relocalization Network, all groups must commit to our three core principles, which outline our basic fundamental values: groups must work towards relocalizing their community, they must do so without violence or discrimination, and they must agree to share their experiences and contribute to the development of the network.

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What mechanisms do you have to facilitate the exchange of ideas while avoiding the tendency to create "one size fits all" solutions?

This is an important concern for us as we begin to develop our services, resources, tools and templates. The goal of the Relocalization Network, as it continues to develop, is to promote and facilitate the gathering and sharing of best practices in different communities, climates and cultures. The more we work towards building working models, the better equipped future Local Groups and communities will be to design projects that are suited to the unique set of circumstances that their community faces. It is up to each community to learn what other communities are doing and use their collective experiences to design a strategy that is specific to their community.

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Isn't it a contradiction to promote the strategy of Relocalization while forming an international network?

Our tagline is 'Local Communities. Global Connections'. The majority of the problems that we face today have both local and global implications, and in order to work towards developing an effective response, we will need to work locally while collaborating our efforts at a global scale. Not to mention, while communities may have unique characteristics within their region, they may also share characteristics with communities abroad. We need everyone working in their communities towards a drastic reduction in consumption and local production in order to effectively address energy and climate vulnerability.

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How are Post Carbon Institute and the Relocalization Network related?

Post Carbon Institute is an umbrella organization for several different programs, including Global Public Media, Local Energy Farms Network, Oil Depletion Protocol, and the Relocalization Network.

Relocalize.net has become the center for communication between on-line users who are actively pursuing Relocalization. The website was established as an interactive outlet for community members to share ideas, post blogs, news and events, hold forum discussions, and communicate with other members of the Relocalization Network.

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What is the difference between Local Post Carbon Groups and Outposts?

The term “Outposts” is essentially an older name for relocalization groups. The Outpost program started in 2004 with a few groups that took on projects, or “experiments,” to see which strategies worked and which didn’t in their communities. As the Outpost program started to grow, the idea of having a network of Outpost groups, who could help each other and share experiences, came about and out of that grew the Relocalization Network program. The Relocalization Network program was originally hosted on www.postcarbon.org, but it was migrated onto its own independent site, www.relocalize.net, when the number of groups joining the Network continued to grow and it became clear that the Network needed its own web space.

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What can the Relocalize.net provide in terms of listserves for groups?

We are in the process of re-designing our listserves right now. If you are interested in helping us test the new list serve tool, please contact us.

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If your question hasn't been answered in these FAQs, please us an email.