A Free Association is an association which meets certain mostly negative criteria. Generally, (1) It does not charge fees for membership. (2) It does not control its members. (3) It does not speak for the members except with their explicit and individual permission. (4) It does not collect unappropriated assets beyond immediate needs. (5) It does not own significant property, except perhaps its name. (6) It does not take positions on issues of controversy among its membership. It may, however, report the results of polls of its membership. (7) It does not exercise any power other than the power to facilitate communication and coordination among its members. (8) It is a direct democracy or as close to a direct democracy as practical (such as democracy by chosen and revocable proxy). (9) It does not punish its members, and it does not expel its members for offenses. However, specific meetings of a Free Association (or what is analogous, a mailing list or wiki) may set, as necessary, rules and procedures for the protection of participating members and for the maintenance of order. Such protection would never include removal of the right of vote from a member, who, even if barred from personal participation in an Association function, would still count as a member and, if proxy representation is allowed, could choose a proxy, or otherwise vote within the limits of practicality. (10) Where possible, it prefers consensus. However, the failure of a Free Association to find consensus does not bind its members or prevent them from organizing and acting as they choose, individually,within any caucus of the Association, or externally. (11) It depends on the voluntary contributions of its members for any activity requiring the expenditure of funds or other resources.

Free Associations exist to formally link members in a communications network. Power remains with the members, who may associate with each other, within the Association, in caucuses, and who may freely associate with others outside the Association.

Free Associations are similar to the informal associations that routinely exist among peers. The Free Association concept was developed to formalize the characteristics for use in larger peer organizations, in particular as a protection against common organizational hazards.

The model Free Association is Alcoholics Anonymous, and most of the Free Association characteristics can be found in the Twelve Traditions, with additional relevant ideas being found in the Twelve Concepts for World Service of AA. Alcoholics Anonymous (known commonly as A.A. or AA) is a world-wide fellowship of alcoholics whose primary purpose is to carry the message of recovery from alcoholism through the Twelve Steps. ... The Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous define the appropriate relationships between an AA group and its members, other groups, AA as a whole, and society at large. ...