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Dear Free Software Supporter,

**We are extending the membership drive until July 28. Together with
your help, we are confident that we can reach our goal of twenty-five
more associate members.**

Free software needs a strong community, made up of people just like
you. **Please [join the community][7] of associate members of the
Free Software Foundation (FSF).** You can start for as little as $10
per month ($5 for students), or $120 per year. With your support we
can get to the strength in numbers we need to continue our work, and
take on the challenging developments where we need to take a
stance. In return, you'll be able to enjoy all the [member
benefits][5], which include merchandise discounts, a 16GB bootable
membership card, and use of our associate member videoconferencing
server. When you join as an annual associate member at $120 or more,
you'll also be eligible for this year's sustainable and stylish,
genuine wood GNU head sticker.

[7]: [link removed]
[5]: [link removed]

We are immensely grateful for all the donations we received, the
members who renewed their support, and the new members who signed up
during our membership drive from June 26 to July 21. However, we did
not achieve our goal. One reason is that we are currently left with
one fewer channel, one with more than 50,000 followers to whom we can
spread the free software message. This is because of some unfortunate
choices made by Twitter. Since May 18, our attempts to [post to
Twitter from both our special command line script and Choqok][8] --
the two methods we had previously developed to avoid the web client's
[nonfree JavaScript][9] -- have failed, and have continued to fail. We
are [not the only ones affected][10]. We are still trying to determine
whether we can continue posting to Twitter while abiding by our
principles. In the meantime, we have been left without one important
avenue for reaching our audience at an inopportune time.

Now, we need your help more than ever to spread the word. If you are
on social media, please work with us to improve and spread free
software and [share the message][11] using the hashtag
#WorkingTogether. If you write for a blog, please consider mentioning
our work as well as the membership drive. And whether or not you're on
social media or write for a blog, please continue to share the free
software message via word of mouth.

[8]: [link removed]
[9]: [link removed]
[10]: [link removed]
[11]:[link removed]

In general, the FSF has faced immense challenges these last years, and
this year has been no different. We still see a lot of hesitation for
people to travel and meet up, and inflation has increased globally. It
has made it hard for many people to pay for even their most basic
needs, and unfortunately people's admirable continuation of charitable
giving does not balance the declining value of money and increased
expenses.

We won't let things get us down. We will extend the membership drive
until July 28. Together with your help, we are confident that we can
get twenty-five more associate members in that week. The bigger the
community of FSF associate members the bigger is our reach. The
associate member program started in November of 2002 to maintain the
core work of the free software movement. Back then, just as today, the
FSF wanted to be sustained by the community we serve. As of today,
membership dues make up most of the FSF's operational costs, and it is
notable that the fee for our membership dues have not changed in over
twenty years. Without members we would not be able to carry out the
important work the FSF does for the free software movement.

Working together with our beloved associate members, fantastic
volunteers, and groundbreaking projects, the FSF is achieving much
more than one would think that twelve staff members and a small board
could do. Over the last few weeks, we have reported on some aspects of
this work, like our latest [GNU Press summer swag][12], how our
copyright & licensing associate Craig Topham is [working together with
free software developers, lawyers, and volunteers for free software
licensing][13], as well as the [work the FSF tech team is doing behind
the scenes][14]. We completed the first round of the [FSF board
candidate evaluations][15] and are delighted to have seen a lively
discussion with more than 1,100 posts.

[12]: [link removed]
[13]: [link removed]
[14]: [link removed]
[15]: [link removed]

Furthermore, we recorded a short [tour through our GNU Press shop][16]
for those of you who can't visit us on site but have always wanted to
see, where the things you can order at [shop.fsf.org][17] are coming
from. In addition, we hosted a [Kdenlive workshop][18] and will be
hosting a ["LibrePlanet Wiki Edit Fest"][19], where we will work
together to improve an important resource for the free software
community.

[16]: [link removed]
[17]: [link removed]
[18]: [link removed]
[19]: [link removed]

We can do even more if you help us extend our membership base and gain
more members who support our work to improve and spread free software.
Together, as the free software community, we've already had a
tremendous impact on freedom in the digital world. However, we still
have a long way ahead to achieve full software freedom. Together, I
know we can do it.

In freedom,

Miriam Bastian
Program Manager

--
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Sent from the Free Software Foundation,

51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1335
United States


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