Solicitation Policy

C200 Member Solicitation Guidelines

One of the hallmarks of C200 is the support members provide to one another, sharing their knowledge, connections, and friendship. As a business community, opportunities for members to do business together naturally arise and can be very beneficial to all parties.

The following guidelines are intended to delineate that fine line between an exchange of information (permitted) and solicitation/marketing (strongly discouraged) within our membership. C200 supports members doing business with each other.  The key objective of these guidelines is to ensure that these sorts of conversations and engagements occur between willing participants only.

Member-to-Member  

C200 can be a means for members to build their businesses through networking, developing relationships, and lending expertise to projects and programs on a volunteer basis.

As with any event at which professionals are present, it is appropriate to share information about your business or the work that you do at C200 events. It is also appropriate to share business cards after this type of business conversation between members. Conversely, it is not appropriate to pass out business cards to everyone with whom you come in contact at an event.

Following up on a business conversation with an email or a call is appropriate only if specifically requested. Unsolicited emails, calls, and newsletters, either sent individually or a mass distribution to all members, are inappropriate,

The C200 Membership Directory may be used to find the contact information for someone you met at a C200 event. You may also use it to contact a member to ask for help. You may not use it to market your business, to solicit business, or to solicit career opportunities. Similarly, it cannot be used to solicit charitable contributions or engage in political or religious activity.

C200 provides members a great opportunity to learn from each other, both formally and informally. Members are free to call on one another for guidance or advice. Members should not reach directly to others for the sole purpose of soliciting business.

Members may recommend the business of one member to another if they have reason to believe that member may benefit from the business offerings of another member.  Members who receive fees for or would financially benefit from promoting the business interests of other members, or third parties, have a responsibility to disclose this arrangement when discussing business opportunities with other members.

C200 has no responsibility for the outcome of business relationships among members or between members and Advancing Women Program (AWP) participants and alumnae.

Member-to-Advancing Women Program (AWP) Participant

Given the potential perception of a power imbalance, C200 members and anyone acting on a member’s behalf are prohibited from soliciting business from any Advancing Women Program (AWP) participants or recent alumnae. This includes C-Ahead®, CHAMPION, and Protégé program participants and participants in any future program.  AWP participants are also prohibited from marketing or soliciting business from C200 members.

If a member is unsure if an activity would be appropriate or not, in view of these solicitation guidelines, please contact the Board Chair or the Chair of the Governance Committee for guidance.