Members, Subscribers, and Service Providers

The Local Contexts Hub membership and subscription model will be launched as part of our work toward sustainability (see more in this blog post). The information below is shared for transparency. While we have consulted with user communities for the development of these models, we anticipate the need to evolve as we welcome more users onto the platform. We encourage you to share your ideas and feedback in our networks.

Last Updated: October 31, 2023

Local Contexts is a non-profit organization currently supported through grant funding. Our goal is to create a multi-generational resource that supports Indigenous data sovereignty. To realize this goal, we must be able to support our operations through regular recurring revenue. Our business model is based on mutual trust and respect, and acknowledges power imbalances between Indigenous communities and institutions and organizations that hold Indigenous cultural and other heritage, genetic resources, and knowledge.

What is a Member?

Any Indigenous community may become a Member of Local Contexts by registering on the Hub. Member benefits include the ability to use the Local Contexts Hub to assign a community administrator, to create projects and edit and apply Local Contexts Labels, to invite contributing Subscribers, and to nominate representatives to the Local Contexts Council. Members are responsible for maintaining their Hub contact information and ensuring their account integrity.

Member Fees

There is no fee to become a Member.

What is a Subscriber?

Any museum, repository, university, or other organization that supports Indigenous data sovereignty is encouraged to become a Local Contexts Subscriber by registering on the Hub. Subscriber benefits include the ability to use the Local Contexts Hub to create projects, apply Notices, to invite contributing researchers, and to issue notifications to Indigenous communities registered on the Hub. Subscribers are responsible for maintaining their Hub contact information and ensuring their account integrity.

Subscriptions are not required for accessing the Collections Care Notices.

Subscriber Fees

The standard subscription fee is US$5000 per year, subject to the following size and entity type adjustments. Some organizations may qualify for more than one discount, such as a medium-sized Indigenous organization, which would be eligible for a 50% plus 75% discount on the standard fee.

Entity Type:

Indigenous organization: Subscriber must have entered into a Member Agreement to qualify for this rate.

Entity Size:

  • Small organization: Applicable to organizations whose revenue in the prior fiscal year was less than US$500,000.
  • Medium organization: Subscriber represents and warrants that its expense budget in the prior fiscal year was less than US$3,000,000 and more than US$500,000.
  • Large organization: Applicable to organizations whose revenue in the prior fiscal year was more than US$30,000,000.
Entity TypeEntity SizeSubscription Fee
Indigenous OrganizationSmallUS$250 per year
MediumUS$625 per year
LargeUS$5,000 per year
Standard (all others)US$2,500 per year
Non-Indigenous OrganizationSmallUS$500 per year
MediumUS$1,250 per year
LargeUS$10,000 per year
Standard (all others)US$5,000 per year

Founding Subscribers

During our start-up phase, we are welcoming a special class of “Founding Subscribers”, who in addition to their annual subscription fee, are able to support Local Contexts through an additional donation of at least US$10,000 or a long-term loan of at least $50,000. These funds will be used to establish organizational infrastructure and support the hiring of a full-time executive director. All Founding Subscribers will be listed on the Local Contexts webpage.

What is a Service Provider?

Any organization that integrates Local Contexts Labels and Notices into their products – free or paid. These may include museum curation platforms, repository workflow platforms, information aggregators, and more. Service Provider systems enable Local Contexts Subscribers to easily integrate Labels and Notices into local workflows and systems and ensure ongoing trust in the Local Context Labels and Notices. The Service Provider program is a means for Local Contexts to work with organizations on their use of Labels and Notices and to make product information more accessible to our community. Service Provider benefits include increased utility of their products by Local Contexts Subscribers, participation in Hub product development meetings, and for those that meet specifications a listing on the Local Contexts Partners page certifying compliance with Local Contexts integration standards.Service Provider are responsible for maintaining their Hub contact information, updating their integration to meet API requirements, and ensuring their Hub account integrity.

Service Provider Fees

The Service Provider fee is US$1500 per year, with the same entity type and size adjustments as for Subscribers.

Overview of Annual Fees, Value Propositions, and Requirements

Indigenous CommunitiesInstitutions and RepositoriesService Providers
Annual FeeNo-fee MembershipSubscription fee US$5000 (subject to size and type adjustments)Certification fee US$1500 (subject to size and type adjustments)
Value proposition
  • Participation in governance
  • Labels customization, application, and support
  • Access to Member API
  • Access to fellowships
  • Access to Notifications and Contributors
  • Access to Subscriber API
  • Promotion by Local Contexts
  • Participation in technical WG
  • Annual review
  • Promotion by Local Contexts
Requirements
  • Sign Member agreement
  • Maintain Member contact information
  • Commit to customizing Labels
  • Sign Subscriber Agreement
  • Remit annual fee
  • Maintain Subscriber contact information
  • Commit to implementing Labels and Notices
  • Integrate Labels and Notices into workflows and infrastructure
  • Sign Service Provider Agreement
  • Maintain Service Provider contact information
  • Commit to implementing Labels and Notices
  • Undergo annual review and update per API versioning

Further Information

Terms of Service
Member AgreementDraft, subject to change
Subscriber AgreementDraft, subject to change
Service Provider AgreementDraft, subject to change