Mission Statement
The mission of BNI® is to help BNI® Members increase their business through a structured, positive, and professional referral marketing program that enables them to develop long-term, meaningful relationships with quality business professionals.
Vision
BNI®’s Vision statement is Changing the Way the World Does Business®
BNI® Core Values
Givers Gain®
Be willing to give first, before you expect to gain. Giving unconditionally creates a better world for everyone and creates important opportunities and lasting relationships.
Building Relationships
Building strong relationships creates an environment of trust and support that yields happiness, opportunity and meaning.
Lifelong Learning
Your value grows as you develop your knowledge and skills. Create a curriculum based on the person you want to become and follow that curriculum to get yourself there.
Traditions + Innovations
We honor our traditions and look for a brighter future fuelled by innovation, optimism, and excitement.
Positive Attitude
We find the good in everything that happens to us and that propels our lives forward. Finding the good in every person enables us to attract terrific people, opportunities, and wealth.
Accountability
We keep the promises we make, especially when it is hard to do so. This creates trust and supports strong relationships.
Recognition
We appreciate that recognition fuels the growth of successful organizations. The person who masters the art of recognition attracts success, meaning, and happiness.
BNI® Code of Ethics
When evaluating Members, please apply the following BNI® Code of Ethics to the various situations. This is not meant to be a list of specifics but can be applied in principle to almost any conflict or complaint.
Upon acceptance to BNI®, I agree to abide by the following BNI® Code of Ethics during the service of my participation in the organization:
I will provide the quality of services at the price I have quoted.
I will be truthful with the Members and their referrals.
I will build goodwill and trust among Members and their referrals.
I will take responsibility for following up on the referrals I receive.
I will display a positive and supportive attitude.
I will live up to the ethical standards of my profession. *
*Professional standards outlined in a formal code of conduct for any profession supersede the above standards
General Policies
Membership Committees of each Chapter have final authority related to enforcement of the BNI® Policies. Membership Committees may put a Member on probation or open a Member’s classification for failure to comply with the Member Policies, the Code of Ethics, or BNI® Core Values.
Only one person from each BNI® classification can join a Chapter of BNI®. Each Member can only hold one BNI® classification in a BNI® Chapter.
BNI® Members must only represent the professional classification approved by the Membership Committee.
BNI® Members must arrive on time and stay for the entire published meeting time.
An individual can only be a Member of one BNI® Chapter. A Member cannot be in any other program that allows only one person per profession and/or where referral generation is a goal of membership.
A BNI® Member is allowed three absences within a continuous six-month period. If a Member cannot attend, they may send a substitute; this will not count as an absence.
Members are expected to be engaged in the BNI® Chapter by bringing qualified referrals and/or visitors.
Visitors may attend BNI® Chapter meetings up to two times.
Only BNI® Members who have completed the Member Success Program and BNI® Directors/Director Consultants can do Feature Presentations during the BNI® Meetings.
Leaves of absence are possible for certain extenuating circumstances (e.g., an extended medical issue that prevents Member from working) at the discretion of the Membership Committee.
Members who wish to change their BNI® classification must have Membership Committee approval.
All BNI® Membership lists are for the purpose of giving referrals and building relationships only. Before sending any marketing or business solicitation communications to BNI® Members outside your Chapter or Director/Director Consultants, the recipient must give their consent. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.
Membership renewal is subject to approval by the Chapter Membership Committee.
Policies are subject to change. All proposed policy changes need to be reviewed first by the International Board of Advisors. Click here to download a PDF version of the policies.
Administrative Policies
There is an initial application fee. Participation fees are paid annually or biannually. Contact the Region Office for amounts. Fees may be paid with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or eCheck.
BNI® may establish Chapters in every city or community with people interested in developing a referral-based business. In addition, BNI® reserves the right to open more than one Chapter per community or city where the demand for BNI®'s services is requested.
Membership fees are payable 30 days prior to the due date. Members not paid by the first day of the month they are due are considered late and will be assessed a late charge. If fees are not paid within 15 days, the Member will be officially dropped by BNI®.
Fees are non-refundable. A certificate of credit will be given, upon request, to Members in good standing for the unused portion of their time.
Fees cannot be transferred from one person to another unless the fees are from the same company and the membership is a Corporate paid membership.
BNI® has a strict policy on returned checks. A Member has three working days in which to contact the BNI® Region Office and resolve the matter. Any returned checks not resolved within this period will be turned over to collections. All returned checks will be assessed a minimum $35 returned check fee. If a Member passes a second NSF check, that Member will be subject to immediate termination.
BNI® is a marketing service provided by BNI Global, LLC. BNI® or any of its franchisees reserve the right to discontinue a Member’s participation in this program.
A Member requesting to change from their current Chapter to a New Chapter will be required to submit a completed New Member Application to the Membership Committee of the New Chapter. In addition, the applicant will be required to complete a New Membership payment. Upon acceptance into the New Chapter, the credit from their previous Chapter will be added to their membership in the New Chapter, if applicable.
Non-Discrimination Disclosure Statement
BNI® Global requires that Chapters review and select persons for membership in all classifications based on qualifications without regard to actual or perceived race (including hair texture and natural hairstyles), color, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and religious grooming), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, age or physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition or information as defined by local or state law, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, enrollment in a public assistance program or any other classification protected by applicable law (referred to as “protected characteristics”). BNI® will support no Chapter’s action when in violation of this non-discrimination statement.
No-Harassment Policy
BNI® does not tolerate harassment of our Franchisees, regional teams, leadership teams, or Members at the hands of another. Any form of harassment on the basis of race, creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, religion, marital status, disability, military service or veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances is prohibited and will be treated as a disciplinary matter. BNI is committed to freedom from harassment within our network. In addition, BNI® is a global organization with a diverse membership. It is the responsibility of all Members, Directors, Franchisees, regional teams, and leadership teams to promote mindfulness of and sensitivity to cultural differences. Doing so ensures BNI® is best able to serve its Members by creating a welcoming environment.
Program Guidelines
Program Guidelines are not policies but are recommended practices that allow Chapters to run more smoothly and effectively.
Visiting Chapters
Before visiting another Chapter, the visiting Member should call that Chapter's President first.
Members visiting other Chapters should announce that they are from another Chapter.
Visiting Members must not do or say anything that competes with a Member of that Chapter.
The Chapter should be cautious in giving referrals to individuals they don't know, including visiting Members.
Visiting Members should pay for their meeting dues.
Visiting Members follow the same visiting policies as non-members; no more than two visits are allowed.
Absences and Tardiness
Absences and tardiness mean less business for Members; therefore, the Membership Committee may give warnings to Members who are consistently late or leave early. If the problem continues, the Member's classification may be subject to being re-opened.
Substitute Program
Potential substitutes include customers, friends, family, and/or employees.
The primary purpose of a substitute is to represent a BNI® Member. BNI® recommends minimal use of a substitute. However, a Member may use substitutes up to three times in six months.
Members should alert the Chapter of a substitute so that the Visitor Host can be there to greet him/her.
Business Representation
Members agree to only represent the business classification approved by the Membership Committee.
Members of BNI® who represent multi-level marketing organizations should represent their products and services in BNI® and not the business opportunity element of their business.
Branding Compliance
Complying with all branding requirements is important for Leadership Teams in BNI® to properly market and build relationships. When branding requirements are not properly followed, it can hurt our brand, it could result in serious consequences including legal repercussions.
Leadership Teams must comply with all current branding requirements for all Chapter PowerPoint presentations, printed and digital materials, tablecloths, signage, promotional items, and social media pages.
Some Leadership Teams have tried to circumvent complying with our branding requirements by leaving off “BNI” or our logo. This is not appropriate and hinders our ability to build a strong, professional brand. BNI® needs to be appropriately used on all materials related to the Chapter, marketing the Chapter, or marketing individuals engaged in activity related to BNI®.
Executive Directors are responsible for enforcing branding compliance. Before you produce anything for BNI®, seek written approval.
Leadership Teams will have 3 months to update branded items after any official changes are made to the BNI brand. For more information about branding, refer to the Brand Standards Manual.
GDPR Compliance
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides the world’s toughest data and privacy protection laws. It imposes requirements on organizations that collect data or target people in the European Union (EU). As an international organization, GDPR impacts BNI Members, Leadership Teams, Directors, and Global Support Team regardless of if you are in the EU or not.
GDPR Date, Retention and Erasure Requirements
All Member-facing forms need to have a GDPR Disclaimer with the appropriate “lifespan” (see below). Here is an example: “To protect personal data under GDPR & Privacy Shield, this form must be destroyed within 3 working days after reasonable lifespan.”