EOT HANDBOOK
Section 1: Requirements PG 1: Team member requirements PG 2: Ethical requirements PG 3: Category requirements PG 4: Participation requirements PG 5: Removal from the team PG 6: Dues PG 7: Team administration and volunteers Section 2: etsyorganicteam.com Content and Use PG 8: EOT email PG 9: The EOT Shop PG 10: Using flickr for exposure PG 11: Submitted content
Team member requirements (applies to all categories): ● have an active shop (updated no less than once every 3 months) ● have and maintain at least one item that meets organic standards (detailed in category pages)1 ● use etsyorganicteam tag ONLY on products meeting organic standards ● participate in team activities, events, etc. (detailed in participation requirements) ● maintain a high level integrity (detailed in ethical requirements) ● move towards offering a wider range of organic products
1 Categories may have their own percent or item number requirements, so please check the detailed category requirements on pg 3.
EOT Ethical Requirements: ● refrain from copyright violation (this includes using pictures, descriptions, etc. without knowledge or approval of copyright owner) ● label all products truthfully and be able to present certification, organic plan, etc. if asked ● conform to government mandated product requirements (labeling laws, etc.) ● maintain a 95%+ higher feedback rating (exceptions may be made on a case-bycase basis2) Why have ethical requirements for the EOT? In order to maintain and present the EOT as a collective dedicated to the organic mission, a certain level of integrity must be established. Incidences of copyright infringement, incomplete labeling, etc. in a team member's shop encourage doubt and questioning about the rest of a seller's promises and claims. When the integrity of one seller is challenged, the rest of the team also falls under this shadow. If members are found to have violated any of the above requirements, they may be removed immediately.
2 If your feedback score drops below 95%, please contact team administration immediately. We understand that it's impossible to make every customer happy, and will review each case individually to determine whether suspension from the team or temporary hold until feedback can be resolved is necessary.
Fabric goods organic requirements: ● made up of at least 70% certified organic fabric/materials
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trim (labels, buttons, zippers, thread etc) don't have to be organic to call a finished clothing item organic. eco-friendly fabric/materials such as hemp/bamboo must be certified must have fiber and care information available
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Plant/seed organic requirements:
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See: www.ota.com/standards/nop/certification.html Follow USDA organic standards
Jewelry organic requirements:
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must be made of at least 50% renewable resources natural/organic materials should be harvested in a sustainable fashion purchased woods/seeds should be ethically sourced and from a FSC certified supplier products should communicate the use of organic materials through their design and marketing
Bath/body organic requirements:
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products must consist of 80% or more organic ingredients all products must have complete ingredient information available include no synthetic fragrance oils include no synthetic colorants aqueous products must include a preservative (non-paraben) OR preservative free aqueous products need to include clear storage and shelf life instructions in the listing descriptions 50% of listings must be organic
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Food organic requirements:
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all products must have complete ingredient information available To be labeled Organic:
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contain at least 95–99% organic ingredients (by weight) remaining ingredients not available organically must be approved by the NOP must contain 70–94% organic ingredients cannot bear USDA organic seal – can list three ingredients on front of packaging
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To be labeled Made with Organic Ingredients:
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Participation requirements:
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pay dues on an annual basis (details of budget updated and discussed yearly) maintain an active status on Etsy (updated no less than once every 3 months) accurately use the team tag to mark organic products submit your information for the team directory submit an existing members application every year before paying dues
Encouraged participation activities:
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actively discuss issues on the EOT forums promote the team on and outside of Etsy join the weekly promotional thread volunteer content for the team blog volunteer to administer a category create team treasuries recruit new members
Removal from the EOT Upon removal from the team for any reason:
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Keep in mind that your membership dues are nonrefundable Know that any content submitted to the team website will remain live Contact Big Kahunas, if requesting removal, to be expunged from the team database, calendar, and directory
You may be removed from the EOT without refund of dues if:
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You are found to be in violation of the ethical requirements of the team You have repeatedly fallen short of membership requirements and failed to rectify the issue(s) You continually disrupt forums or group communications
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See EOT Process and Administration Handbook for more details on the disciplinary policies.
Why have yearly dues? Requiring dues will limit the number of individuals who join teams without any true interest in the team's mission and encourage a higher level of participation. The former philosophy of the EOT included constant monitoring of individual shops and continuous pleas for team participation. That philosophy put a huge burden on team administrators and became impossible to maintain as the team grew. Where do my dues go? Current investments include
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the etsyorganicteam.com domain name webhosting costs for etsyorganicteam.com promotional printings for team members (free EOT cards for team members) advertisement costs (ProjectWonderful, blog ads, etc.) expanded email hosting so every team member has an etsyorganicteam.com email address promotional mailings purchasing EOT members' products for gift bundles to be sold in the EOT Shop or reviews end of year donations to charities and causes supporting the organic mission
Future investments include:
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How much are dues and how do I pay? Dues are $10 for existing and $12 for new members, nonrefundable fee, to be paid once a year. An email reminder will be sent out the beginning of the month before your membership expires. If your dues are not paid, your shop information will be removed the following month. Dues payments can be made through the For Members section using the PayPal shopping cart. A receipt will be sent to the treasurer's email account to be entered into the team database and calendar. What if I have an emergency and have to put my shop on hold indefinitely? In the case of an emergency or major life change, please notify EOT admin. We will make a note on your account and hold your membership for a period of 1 year. When you are able to take control of your shop again, please notify admin and your membership will be put back on the clock. If you fail to notify admin within 1 year, your membership will be removed and you will need to reapply to rejoin the team. Determined on a case-by-case basis. How does the treasury work? See EOT Process and Administration Handbook entry.
What are the duties and responsibilities of EOT administration? The EOT hierarchy is currently made up of 3 main 'levels':
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Big Kahunas
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founding members manage budget, website, general content, membership, and other 'top level' tasks volunteers review applicant shops inform Big Kahunas of application status (approved/denied) moderate category forum in team discussions area (or assign another moderator for the category)
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Category Wizards
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inform Big Kahunas of any changes to category requirements ○ inform Big Kahunas of any membership changes ○ decide on content for team page ○ address any monitoring concerns ○ help gather or submit content related to category for blog entries Guild Members ○ conform to requirements outlined in this handbook
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Are there any volunteer positions? Yes! If you are interested in volunteering for any of the following areas or think you can help, please let us know: ● Forum moderation ○ Duties include: keeping threads on track, suggesting resources or answering questions, reporting continually disruptive members, etc. ● Category Wizard ○ Duties outlined above ● Membership tracking ○ Duties include: checking calendar at the beginning of each month and sending out notices of dues expiration to members ● Promotions ○ Assess interest of EOT community in participating and organize promotions and promotional efforts ● Blog organizer ○ Organize content and contributions to the blog
Do I get an etsyorganicteam.com email address? Currently, EOT email addresses are only for administrators and volunteers. Depending on the interest level and number of members, we may open up addresses for all members. Administrative use of the EOT email address is addressed in the EOT Process and Administration Handbook.
What is the EOT Shop? This will be the home of the team shop and will serve as both a gateway to members' Etsy shops and offer a direct checkout for certain functions3. Direct checkout options (all moneys go directly into EOT treasury):
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Anyone will be able to buy bundles of team members' organic products without being redirected to another site
Gateway to Etsy shops:
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Members will be able to select 2 listings to 'place' in shop Buyers will be redirected to the Etsy listing for direct purchase from seller
3 See EOT Process and Administration Handbook for more information on where monies collected through the EOT Shop go and how the treasury functions.
Using flickr for exposure on etsyorganicteam.com Currently incorporated into the website are several flickr slideshows. On the homepage (www.etsyorganicteam.com), any team member who has submitted photos to the EOT flickr group (http://www.flickr.com/groups/etsyorganicteam/) will appear. Each category page also has slideshows. To be found in your category's slideshow, you will have to have certain tags for your flickr photos:
Fabric Goods & Clothing Fabric Clothing Bath & Body Bath Body Plants & Edibles Plant Edible Jewelry Jewelry Supplies Supply
If one of the above, category-appropriate tags is not applied, your images will not appear in the category slideshows. Please tag your items appropriately. Tag abuse will not be tolerated and considered a violation of the EOT Ethical Requirements.
Submitted content You agree by submitting written content to the EOT blog, directory, discussions areas, etc. that it remains live regardless of your membership status. Photo content will be linked back to its original source.