Interested in Joining NSAC?

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a coalition of organizations. If you are an individual farmer or advocate we encourage you to join an NSAC member organization in your state. Individuals may also sign up for NSAC Action Alerts and the Weekly Roundup, our free emails with news and action opportunities, by using the sign-up form on the left sidebar.

Benefits of Membership in NSAC

Membership means having an opportunity to have your voice heard in Washington, DC and to build power together with grassroots groups nationwide. As an NSAC member you will have:

• An opportunity to be represented in Washington, DC by a team of dedicated and experienced policy analysts and advocates
• Timely information on the latest federal farm and food policy news
• The opportunity to develop and engage in grassroots campaign efforts with the coalition.

NSAC has three categories of membership:  Represented, Participating, and Ally. Download this comparison chart to help determine the difference between membership levels and gauge which level is a fit for your organization. Membership is by application.

Steps to Becoming an NSAC Member

We take care in our membership process to ensure membership is a mutual fit! As a working, member-led coalition, our process involves thoughtful conversations and transparency about our work and what membership looks like.

1. Submit a Member Inquiry through this form.
2. This form is not an application! From here, if you are eligible to apply, an NSAC staff member will contact you to schedule a time to discuss your membership interest — please allow up to six weeks for us to reach out.
   
3. After connecting, if eligible, NSAC staff will send you a copy of the membership application for you to complete.
4. Applications will be processed according to the below timeline based on the date your application (not member inquiry) is received. Please note – a member inquiry is not the same as the member application, which is sent to prospective members by an NSAC staff member after we’ve had a chance to connect with you about your membership interest. 
5. Once your application is received it will be reviewed by our staff, NSAC member organizations in your state or region of operation, and NSAC’s Organizational Council.

Timeline for Membership Consideration

• MAY CONSIDERATION
  • Applications received by: mid-April 2024
  • Organizational Council review: May 16, 2024

• JUNE CONSIDERATION
  • Applications received by: mid-May 2024
  • Organizational Council review: June 20, 2024

• AUGUST CONSIDERATION
  • Applications received by: mid-June 2024
    
  • Organizational Council review: August 5, 2024

• OCTOBER CONSIDERATION
  • Applications received by: mid-August 2024
    
  • Organizational Council review: October 17, 2024

• NOVEMBER CONSIDERATION
  • Applications received by: mid-September 2024
    
  • Organizational Council review: November 21, 2024
    

Membership Levels and Requirements

All NSAC members must:

1. Have a major commitment to sustainable agriculture and food systems.
2. Work with, or act in support of, farmers or ranchers in some manner.
3. Distribute and respond to grassroots action alerts relevant to their constituency, or commit to working to develop the capacity to do so (unless prohibited from doing so by internal rules).
4. Attend NSAC gatherings to the best of their ability.
5. Demonstrate good will toward other member organizations and be willing to work out differences.
6. Affiliate with a regional Sustainable Agriculture Working Group or some other regional Affiliated Regional Program if appropriate for the organization.
7. Pay NSAC annual membership dues.
8. Place a link to NSAC’s website on their website, and have their website linked on NSAC’s website.

Represented Members

Represented Members are represented by NSAC before Congress and other government agencies on Capitol Hill and are listed on all NSAC communications to federal policymakers and the general public.  Represented Members each have one seat on the NSAC Policy Council and participate in at least one NSAC Issue Committee.  Represented Members also help elect the NSAC Organizational Council.

In addition to the requirements listed above, in order to be approved as a Represented Member of NSAC, the prospective member must:

• Be a non-profit, non-governmental organization (and not a multi-organization coalition, network, or alliance, unless approved by the Organizational Council) and approved by a two-thirds majority of the Policy Council.
• Be in substantial agreement with existing policy positions of NSAC.
• Be willing to have its name listed as a member organization on written and oral policy communications to Congress and the Administration and to be recognized as being represented by NSAC staff on NSAC issues.
• Have at least one representative who participates regularly in at least one Issue Committee.
• Designate an organizational representative to the Policy Council.
• If required by the Organizational Council, enter into a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with NSAC regarding direct and grassroots advocacy to ensure maximum coordination and to minimize potential conflicts.

Participating Members

Participating Members are members who prefer to not be represented by NSAC before Congress, but who wish to participate in NSAC gatherings, NSAC Issue Committees, and other NSAC activities.  Participating Members may also serve on the Organizational Council and the Grassroots Council.

In addition to the requirements listed above, in order to be approved as a Participating Member of NSAC, the prospective member must:

• Be a non-profit organization, for-profit business or organization, or a public or academic entity.
• Be entitled to sign onto particular advocacy documents (sign-on letters, policy option papers, etc.) on an ad hoc basis as such opportunities may occasionally arise.
• Participate in one or more Issue Committees.
• Be entitled to vote in Organizational Council elections.
• Be entitled to participate in discussions about policies and priorities.

Ally Members

Ally Members are members who are committed to sustainable agriculture and food systems but engage in federal policy in a limited capacity, or overlap with a limited number of policies that NSAC works on. Ally Members do not regularly participate in NSAC Issue Committees but support NSAC grassroots efforts and help groundtruth the coalition’s work.

In addition to the requirements listed above, in order to be approved as an NSAC Ally Member, the prospective member shall:

• Have a major commitment to sustainable agriculture and food systems.
• Work directly with, or in support of farmers or ranchers
• Be a non-profit organization, for-profit business or organization, or a public or academic entity.
• Be entitled to sign onto particular advocacy documents (sign-on letters, policy option papers, etc.) on an ad hoc basis as such opportunities may occasionally arise.
• Participate via regularly scheduled conference calls and other forms of communications and dialogue designed expressly for allies.
• Pay the NSAC annual allied organization dues as established by the Organizational Council.

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Affiliated Regional Programs

Regional sustainable agriculture coalitions, including but not limited to the regional Sustainable Agriculture Working Groups, may join NSAC as regional programs to facilitate the interaction between their regional program and NSAC with respect to policy development, education, and outreach activities.