What is a Community Charter and Why is it Important?

A Community Charter is a foundational document that outlines your community's purpose, values and shared expectations. It acts like a compass, heping guide both members and moderators as the community grows.

Think of it as your community's "Why" and "How" captured in one place. If you approach community building with Minimum Viable Community approach, you might want to define your Charter first. It's also important while performing Community Audit

Difference between Community Charter and Community Guidelines

Community guidelines focus on rules and behavior. Community Charter focuses on the bigger picture - Why the community exists, what it hopes to achieve and what kind of culture you want to nurture.

Community Charter Includes:

• Purpose: Why this community exists and who it is for
• Vision and Values: What the community believes and how it operates
• Member Expectations: What members can expect and what's expected of them
• Moderator Role: Who's responsible for what, how are decisions made
• Content or Activity Scope: What kind of content or conversations belong to the community

What is Community Charter Important?

1. Sets the tone early - A clear charter helps attract the right people and filters out who may not align with community goals.
2. Grows with you - As community scales, a stronger charter becomes a reference point for decisions, disagreements and evolution.
3. Empowers members - When people understand the purpose and values, they are more likely to act in alignment without constant moderation
4. Builds trust - Transparency around how the community runs increases trust and makes people feel safe and welcomed.

The Chief Marketing Offers usually ask the community management team to build the Community Charter before committing to long-term community building.