BNI Member Policies, Guidelines, Code of Ethics and Privacy Statement

BNI’S PHILOSOPHY

Success in BNI means you need to be a positive and supportive Member of an organisation which is based upon a philosophy of mutual support. This requires commitment to your fellow Members as well as to the philosophy of ‘Givers Gain’: by giving business to others, you will get business in return.

CODE OF ETHICS to be followed by Members:
1. I will provide the quality of services at the prices that I have quoted.

2. I will be truthful with the Members and their referrals.

3. I will build goodwill and trust among Members and their referrals.

4. I will take responsibility for following up on the referrals I receive.

5. I will live up to the ethical standards of my profession.*

6. I will display a positive and supportive attitude with BNI Members.

*(Professional standards outlined in a formal code of ethics, supersede the above standards.)

BNI GENERAL POLICIES

Membership Committees of each Chapter have final authority related to BNI® Policies. Membership Committees may put a BNI 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.

1. Only person from each BNI classification can join a Chapter of BNI. Each Member can only hold one BNI classification in a BNI Chapter.

2. BNI Members must represent their primary professional focus.

3.  BNI Members must arrive on time and stay for the entire published meeting time.

4.  An individual can only be a Member of one BNI Chapter. A Member cannot be in any other program that holds Members accountable to pass referrals.

5.  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.

6.  Members are expected to be engaged in the BNI Chapter by bringing qualified referrals and/or visitors.

7.  Visitors may attend BNI Chapter meetings up to two times.

8.  Only BNI Members who have completed the Member Success Program, and BNI Directors/Director Consultants can do Feature Presentations during the BNI Meetings.

9.  Leaves of absence are possible for certain extenuating circumstances (e.g., extended medical issue that prevents the Member from working) at the discretion of the Membership Committee.

10. Members who wish to change their BNI classification must submit a new membership application for approval.

11. All BNI membership lists are for the purpose of giving referrals 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.

Policies are subject to change. All proposed policy changes need to be reviewed first by the International Board of Advisors.

BNI ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES

1. There is an initial application fee. Membership fees are paid annually or biennially. Contact the local Secretary/Treasurer for amounts and payment instructions.

2. 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 demand for BNI's services are requested.

3. Membership fees are payable 30 days prior to the due date. Members not paid by the first day of the month 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.

4. Fees are non-refundable. The certificate of credit will be valid for a duration of 2 years from the issue date. 

5. Fees cannot be transferred from one person to another unless the fees are from the same company.

6. Members entering into a finance agreement to pay their BNI membership are bound by the terms of their agreement with Fifo Capital, however if the Member should default on their payments, BNI has the right to revoke their membership. If a Member is in default, Leadership Teams and /or BNI Director Consultants may be advised of the details as part of the recovery/follow up process.

7. BNI is a marketing service provided by BNI Global, LLC. BNI or any of its Franchisees/Sub Franchisees reserve the right to discontinue a Member’s participation in this program.

(i) Each Chapter is part of the Company's operation and intellectual property;

(ii) Members are not agents of the Company but are permitted by the Company to be involved in a chapter and use the BNI system strictly under the terms of the policies and only while a Member.

8. A Member requesting a transfer 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, if the Member has less than 6 months of paid membership credit, they must submit a renewal payment. Or, if the Member has more than 6 months of paid membership credit, no additional investment is required. Upon acceptance into the new Chapter, the credit from their previous Chapter will be added to their membership in the new Chapter as well as the renewal time, if applicable.

9. By applying for membership in a New Zealand BNI Chapter you agree to BNI NZ emailing you periodic information about your membership status, referral marketing and the BNI newsletters. You provide permission for BNI NZ to publish any photographs taken of you at BNI events, and your name and likeness, for use in BNI NZ's print, online and video-based marketing materials, as well as other company communications.

10. Agents and third party contractors: occasionally we engage companies or individuals to perform functions on our behalf related to your membership of BNI (e.g. administration functions). Where we use such third-party contractors, we may need to share some of your personal information to allow them to perform the functions for which they were engaged. Through our contractual relationships with those third party contractors we ensure that they abide by the terms of our privacy policies (including the Privacy Act), that they keep your personal information confidential and secure, and that they only use such information for the purposes for which it was shared with them.

11. Each Member will indemnify the Company against any liability etc. for any statements or actions the Member may make or take that result in liability for the Company.

12. The Company is the only person entitled to represent BNI in any relationships with the public via the media and so on. All Members will be covered by the non-competition agreement below.

13. Each Member agrees not to take any action or make any claim against any Member of the Leadership Team for any matter relating to BNI.

NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENT

While you are a Member of BNI and for a period of 6-months after you have ceased to be a Member of BNI, you undertake:

1. Not to become a Member of another referral organisation that is in direct competition with BNI. This restriction does not include Chambers of Commerce or service clubs such as Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis.

2. Not to utilise and/or directly or indirectly divulge or disclose to others any of BNI’s trade secrets or confidential information acquired by you in the course of your membership relating to the operations, functions, activities or product development of BNI except to the extent that such information has become common knowledge.

3. Not to participate in, or assist with, either directly or indirectly, any Chapter, region or group that breaks away from BNI.

4. Not to compete with BNI, either directly or indirectly, by starting, assisting and/or taking employment with a competing organisation.

5. That any documents, manuals or records (including written instructions, notes or memoranda) relating to BNI’s business and trade secrets which are made by you or which come into your possession during the period of your membership of BNI shall be deemed to be the property of BNI, and shall be surrendered to BNI on demand, and in any event upon the termination of your membership of BNI, and you will not retain any copies of, or extracts from, that material.

For the purpose of this agreement, “BNI’s business and trade secrets” shall mean:

1. All internal control systems, including accounting and administration

2. Financial details of BNI’s relationship with its suppliers and Members

3. Names of Members and potential Members

4. All group operating procedures

5. All other matters that relate to the business of BNI (All of the matters set out above shall only be deemed to be BNI’s trade secrets if they are peculiar and special to BNI and its business). Should any part or portion of this agreement be held invalid the remainder of the agreement shall continue in full force and effect.

OUR STATEMENT ON EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION

BNI requires that BNI Chapters review and select candidates for BNI Membership without discriminating on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, age or disability. BNI will not support actions by a Chapter in violation of this statement.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Personal data is jointly controlled by BNI worldwide Development Ltd (BNI Connect Privacy Policy | Effective date: May 25, 2018 (bnitos.com)) and BNI New Zealand Ltd & governed by GDPR and the New Zealand Privacy Act. BNI New Zealand knows that you care how information about you is used and shared, and we appreciate your trust that we will do so carefully and sensibly.  We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. 

By visiting this website, you are accepting the practices described in our BNI New Zealand Privacy Policy.

The BNI websites are not to be used for the purposes of generating mailing lists/spam emails.

If you have any queries or concerns about our website privacy policy, please contact us in writing:

BNI New Zealand
PO Box 9182,
Tower Junction,
Christchurch, 8024

You can also contact us via our secure online form: Send Message (bni.co.nz)