Communications between members FAQ

Why would I receive communications from another CIRA member?

As a member-based organization, we rely on members for our governance. A scenario under which you may receive a communication from another CIRA member is if a member wishes to contact other members for purposes related to the affairs of the organization. This includes voting during the CIRA board of director’s election. As such, you may receive an email from an election candidate who is also a member looking to promote their candidacy and garner votes.

Although receiving an email from another member may seem unusual, it is permitted under section 23 of the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and is in the spirit of good governance. Rest assured, we follow strict guidelines and processes when member contact information is requested by a member.

How does a member get access to my member contact information?

Members who request the member list must submit the required Statutory Declaration in accordance with section 23 of the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and pay a $500 fee. The list is provided in an electronic format through a secure channel, and includes the members’ names, postal addresses and email addresses. 

Is CIRA allowed to give out my member contact information to another member?

Yes. Under the section 23 of the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, CIRA is required to provide the list to a member who makes the request for the list and submits the required Statutory Declaration and pays a reasonable fee for the list.

This mechanism is in place so that members can communicate with other members for matters related to the affairs of the organization.

While CIRA is obligated by law to provide the list, we take the privacy of member information seriously. CIRA strongly encourages members who receive the list to only contact those members who are part of their professional and/or social circle and to refrain from sending unsolicited mass emails to respect members’ privacy. CIRA also requires that any email sent to members not include tracking links and that members’ information remain in Canada. We are hopeful that this process strikes the right balance between the privacy of members and CIRA’s obligations under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.

Why is CIRA charging a fee to obtain the list of members?

The Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act allows organizations to charge a reasonable fee for providing the membership list to members.  CIRA has set the fee to be $500, which reflects the time and effort exercised by CIRA Staff in preparing and compiling the membership list, which will be donated to The United Way at the end of the year.

Is providing my member email address to another member in compliance with CASL/privacy laws?

Members who receive the list are required to comply with all pieces of legislation, including the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and the Canada Anti-Spam Legislation. We encourage members who receive the list to retain their own legal counsel to ensure that any use of the list is compliant with the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act as well as any other pieces of legislation.

Your privacy is important to us. Although CIRA is obligated to provide the list of members, we encourage recipients of the list to only contact those members who are part of their professional and/or social circle to respect members’ privacy.

How can I report a member who is abusing the use of the member list?

If you suspect that a member is abusing the use of the member list, we want to know. Report this activity immediately to [email protected] or by calling us at 1-877-913-5335 Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm ET.

Can I opt-out of receiving communications from other members?

Members cannot opt-out of having their names and contact information included in the list of members. It is up to recipients of the list to decide who they wish to contact, and as noted above, we encourage recipients of the list to only contact those members who are part of their professional and/or social circle to respect members’ privacy.

On the other hand, members can opt-out of receiving non-mandatory emails that come directly from CIRA. For example, members can opt out of receiving our quarterly member newsletter. However, we would note that if you opt-out of non-mandatory emails, you will still receive mandatory emails from us including emails related to the AGM and board of director’s elections, and the administration of your membership and domain name registration.