Social Media Policy

This policy governs the publication of and commentary on social media by members and employees of Assistance League ® of Ventura County. For the purposes of this policy, social media means any facility for online publication and commentary, including, without limitation, blogs, websites and social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.

Assistance League members and employees are free to publish or comment via social media in accordance with this policy. Assistance League members and employees are subject to this policy to the extent they identify themselves as an Assistance League member or employee (other than as an incidental mention of place of employment in a personal blog on topics unrelated to Assistance League).

Publication and commentary on social media carries similar obligations to any other kind of traditional written or spoken publication or commentary. All uses of social media must follow the same code of ethics that Assistance League members and employees must otherwise follow.

Social media accounts for the chapter shall be set up only by the chapter Social Media Administrator as authorized by the chapter. Refer to Guidelines for Social Media Administrators for guidance on setting up accounts.

All posts and comments shall be in compliance with the chapter’s code of ethics and all other established policies.

All Assistance League social media postings shall portray the chapter and/or corporation in a professional manner. Use common sense.

Refrain from posting items that could reflect negatively on Assistance League or otherwise embarrass the organization. Social media posts are widely accessible and will be around for a long time, so consider the content carefully. Google has a long memory.

Refer negative comments or posts found on chapter social media sites to the chapter Social Media Administrator. Do not respond or engage in dialogue about such posts.

Be transparent. When posting or commenting as a representative of Assistance League, disclose your name and the fact that you are an employee/member/volunteer of Assistance League. Do not post a glowing review about Assistance League without disclosing your association with the chapter.

Be accurate and correct any mistakes as soon as possible.

Be considerate. Post meaningful, respectful comments.

Do not publish Assistance League’s (or anyone else’s) confidential information. Confidential information includes things such as unpublished details of current projects, members’ personal information and items not yet approved by membership.

Respect the law, including those laws governing defamation, libel, discrimination, harassment, and copyright and fair use. All posts incorporating copyright material should properly cite source material and provide links to original sources when possible.

Show proper respect for people’s privacy and for topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory. Always obtain permission from Assistance League members, staff, partners, vendors, community members or program recipients before writing about them or posting their photos.

Be interesting, relevant and share Assistance League’s hard work and commitment to the community. Uphold and promote the mission and vision statements of Assistance League and adhere to all established policies.

Show appreciation to community partners. Be generous about the work of community partners and link to their social media platforms, where appropriate, to increase visibility of Assistance League’s social media presence, in accordance with the policies for chapters regarding placement of chapter logos and links.

Use disclaimers. When posting or commenting in a capacity unrelated to Assistance League, make clear that any statements made are solely your own and do not represent the opinions or viewpoints or official policies of Assistance League.

All members and employees must have the Consent Regarding Photographs form and a social media policy agreement signed annually.

For more information on any of our programs, please refer to the appropriate link.