Frequently Asked Questions

What is Associate.com?

Associate.com AG (more simply known as Associate) is a Swiss Tech Start-up that provides a global platform for Decentralized Associations.

What is a Decentralized Association?

The concept of decentralised associations removes borders and barriers to stimulate and support global cooperation between people and their projects.

How does it work?

Associate supports initiation and full governance of projects with distributed member control. Outcomes are decided by vote or by an elected administrator and are enforced by our platform.

Why have you made Associate?

Associate is designed for a more democratic internet age — one without monopolisation by large tech companies or dependencies on country-specific regulations for such organised and incorporated activities.

Who have we made Associate for?

Anyone who has some positive motivation and an internet connection! Especially because, we really want people who use Associate to make better use of their valuable screen-time.

Why should I sign up to Associate?

You will be joining a hub of productivity through projects governed by people from all over the world who are coming together to do something worthwhile and sustainable.

How do I create a Decentralized Association?

Setup is achieved upon completion of a simple registration process that captures basic details and key information — the process can be concluded within minutes.

What are the integrated capabilities that I can use?

Administrators can easily manage essential tasks like making payments or bank transfers and they can leverage web-services by Dropbox, GitHub, Amazon and name.com, directly on the platform.

How does Associate fund member activities?

The primary source of our income is generated by monthly membership fees and member donations.

What are the rules?

Our users must accept our Terms & Conditions. There are no specific legal requirements for using Associate, however, country, and local laws apply.

Can I create and manage more than one Decentralised Association?

Yes. However, you cannot create multiple user accounts.

How many people can become members of my Decentralised Association?

An unlimited number of members may join.

Can I upload videos to Associate?

Currently we do not support video on Associate, however we regularly feature video content on our social channels.

Can my page be in any language?

Yes, we are a global company, and we support all international languages.

Can I choose my balance currency?

No, we currently only support USD.

Are all Decentralised Associations non-profit?

Yes, if it is not a non-profit, it is not a Decentralised Association.

What is the voting feature?

Member votes determine outcomes which are automatically applied by the Associate platform.

How can I initiate a vote?

Administrators can initiate a vote at any time. Members can also initiate a vote if they are in-favour at the designated threshold of the association.

What happens when a vote is passed?

The decision is immediately applied based on the resolution type. The "digital statutes" are then updated to reflect the decision. The vote is then archived, a message is posted in the Association´s page and an email notification is sent to the members.

How is the voting threshold determined?

The voting threshold is set by the creator of the Association at the setup stage, e.g. 20%. This value can be changed by members who vote to revise the existing threshold.

What happens if a member doesn´t pay their membership fees?

In the event of member non-payments, voting privileges are suspended. Following three-months of non-payment, a member will be automatically removed from the Association.

For how long does a Decentralised Association remain on Associate?

Your Association will remain if you have one single active member. It may be dissolved subject to a member vote. We also reserve the right to dissolve an Association for housekeeping or infringement of our Terms & Conditions.

I run a traditional Association; can I migrate it to Associate?

When you start a new Decentralised Association with Associate, you will need to manually manage the closure of your traditional Association.