Member Guide

SpiritDAO Community App: Complete Operations Guide

What Is SpiritDAO?

SpiritDAO is federated infrastructure for self-sovereign communities, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gives communities the tools to own their data, their governance, and their treasury, without depending on platforms they don't control. Founded by Ron Rivers and built on the Base blockchain, it replaces VC-backed intermediaries with transparent governance, collective economic coordination, and meaningful participation.

SpiritDAO is open to new communities and members. You can join an existing community, or organize your own. Membership is dynamic and family-friendly.

Grounded in the philosophy of Temporal Naturalism and oriented toward the Eight Dignities (a framework of universal rights unbound from any state or institution), SpiritDAO treats the mission as something members advance through participation in the ecosystem, not a mandate each community carries on its own.

SpiritDAO is organized into self-governing groups called Pods, governed transparently, and animated by a shared commitment to becoming more, together.

The Eight Dignities

The Eight Dignities are the heart of SpiritDAO's mission. They represent the material conditions required for human actualization in a world where time is real and the future is genuinely open:

  1. Food & Water: Access to nutritious food and clean water
  2. Housing: Safe, stable shelter for individuals and families
  3. Health Care: Physical and mental health services accessible to all
  4. Education: Lifelong learning opportunities for personal and communal growth
  5. Information: Open access to knowledge and truthful information
  6. Communication: The ability to connect, speak freely, and be heard
  7. Transportation: Freedom of movement to participate fully in society
  8. Energy: Sustainable power for homes, communities, and shared infrastructure

Philosophical Foundation

The Eight Dignities emerge from the philosophical framework of Temporal Naturalism. Philosopher Roberto Mangabeira Unger and physicist Lee Smolin argued that reality is not a fixed structure but an unfolding process, time is real, the laws of nature may evolve, and the future is genuinely open. If the universe itself is becoming, then so are we. Human beings are not finished products living in a closed world; we are participants in an open process of transformation.

Ron Rivers extended this insight into a spiritual practice: if transformation is real, then the conditions that enable human flourishing are not optional amenities, they are sacred prerequisites. The Eight Dignities name those conditions. They draw on Unger's political philosophy of structural transformation, Smolin's arguments for the reality of time, and the broader tradition of process theology, the idea that the divine is not static perfection but creative becoming.

How SpiritDAO Furthers the Eight Dignities

SpiritDAO doesn't just theorize about dignity, it builds infrastructure to practice it:

The Eight Dignities are not abstract ideals to be admired from a distance. They are a living framework, and members advance them simply by participating in the ecosystem: every donation, every vote, every bounty completed, every event attended.

Membership & Tokens

Membership Tokens

Proof of Curiosity (PoC)

Your entry membership token, minted automatically when you join SpiritDAO. It signifies your curiosity about and commitment to the community, and it is required for basic platform access and pod membership. Holding it places you at the Curious band of your Tenure, so it appears in the Tenure space on your identity page.

Advocate

The Advocate token grants governance voting power on DAO-wide proposals. It is earned through your first donation to SpiritDAO and minted automatically after your donation is processed. Because it empowers voting on DAO-wide financial decisions, it is reserved for members who have fiscally contributed to our shared mission. Voting power is active immediately (no manual delegation step is required). It appears under Accreditations on your identity page.

Community Currencies

SpiritDAO operates with two complementary tokens. One is a fiat-bound currency designed to facilitate work, operations, marketplaces, and events. The other is a time-bound currency that is exchanged for unique access and agency within the ecosystem, and tracked cumulatively as Tenure.

$SYSTEM Token

$SELF Token

Note: $SELF was redesigned in 2026 from an older transferable model into this soulbound, time-fading form. Pods no longer hold or distribute $SELF. Instead, each pod has a participation budget (a minting capacity) that the protocol mints against as members earn. If you see older references to "sending $SELF" or "pod $SELF balances," they describe the retired model.

Tenure: Your Lifetime Standing

While individual $SELF units fade, the participation they represent is remembered permanently through Tenure. Tenure is your ecosystem-wide standing, based on the total $SELF you have ever earned across every community. It never goes down, even when you spend or let $SELF expire.

There are five Tenure bands:

BandLifetime hoursMeaning
Curious0–10You hold Proof of Curiosity and are moving through onboarding toward your first contributions. Every member starts here.
Resident10–50You now dwell in the ecosystem, present and participating across communities.
Mainstay50–250A reliable, load-bearing presence whose sustained participation helps keep things running.
Pillar250–600A sustained, structural contributor the ecosystem leans on.
Elder600+Longest-tenured, with years of accumulated participation, among the deepest roots of the community.

Your Tenure band appears on your identity page. It is a recognition of contribution over time, not a spendable balance and not money.

Credentials

Credentials are role tokens that prove your membership and position within specific Pods:

Accreditations

Accreditations are reputation-based tokens that create a verifiable proof of your participation and reputation. They are a form of credentialing, a portable record of what you have done and earned across the ecosystem, and they may be used to grant or gate access and agency privileges.

Getting Started: Onboarding

SpiritDAO is presently in open enrollment, so getting started is simple. Download the application, connect with a community, or organize your own. Executive Pod members are here to support you if you need help.

Step 1: Join

Open the SpiritDAO application and create your account. During open enrollment, anyone can join. (If you receive a 6-character invite code from an existing member, you can enter it at the login screen, though a code is not required to join today.)

Step 2: Create Your Wallet

When you connect for the first time, SpiritDAO creates an embedded wallet for you automatically. This wallet is:

We use an embedded wallet so you get the added security and simplicity of self-custody without needing any cryptocurrency or prior blockchain experience.

Using multiple devices: your wallet is tied to the device and browser you signed in with. When you sign in on a new device, SpiritDAO recognizes you by email and walks you through linking that device, so all of your devices stay connected to the same identity, tokens, and history. (A more polished linked-devices settings screen is on the way.)

Step 3: Accept Terms of Service

You will be asked to read and digitally sign SpiritDAO's Terms of Service. Key points:

This signature is stored permanently as your agreement to community standards.

Step 4: Receive Your Membership Token

After signing the Terms of Service, you automatically receive your Proof of Curiosity membership token. It is minted to your wallet and grants you community access, placing you at the Curious band of your Tenure.

Step 5: Set Up Your Profile

Visit the Identity page to complete your profile:

Your profile is visible to all community members in the Members directory. Other members contact you via in-app Direct Messages (the Message button on your profile); your email stays private and is used only for your own login and notifications.

Some features rely on detailed profile information. For example, if you use the marketplace to buy or sell physical goods, you need an accurate shipping address on file. Because the app's infrastructure is intimately linked, you do not re-enter your address at checkout. The marketplace pulls it from your profile for you.

Pods

What Are Pods?

Pods are self-governing working groups within SpiritDAO. Each pod functions as a mini-organization with:

Pods can be organized around any purpose: education initiatives, development projects, community outreach, artistic collaboration, practice groups, or anything a community sets out to do.

Pods can also be time-restricted or eternal. Some pods are meant to run indefinitely (a standing community or working group), while others are created for a fixed span (a seasonal cohort, a festival, or a time-boxed project) and wind down when their work is complete.

Creating a Pod

Creating a pod follows a proposal-review-activation workflow:

  1. Submit Proposal: Fill out the pod creation form with your pod's name, description, image, proposed leaders, and accountability statement. This creates a proposal on the blockchain.
  2. Pending Review: Your pod starts in "pending review" status. The Executive Pod reviews all new pod proposals.
  3. Activation: Once approved by the Executive Pod, your pod becomes active and accessible to members.

The entire process is gasless, so you don't pay any fees to create a pod proposal.

Pod Roles & Permissions

Each pod has a role system that controls what members can do:

Permissions include forum access and moderation, chat access, bounty creation and management, governance participation (voting on pod proposals), treasury management, member approval, and knowledge base access and management.

Pod Modules

Pods are built from modules, and there are three kinds:

Core modules are the standard building blocks, available to every pod and free to enable:

Add-on modules are optional extras a pod can switch on when it needs them:

Paid modules are premium capabilities that carry a subscription:

A pod leader turns modules on and off in the pod's management panel. Members then see only the modules their role gives them access to.

Role-Based Access

A core principle of SpiritDAO: you have access to any and all functions your community roles allow. Your roles determine what you see and what you can do. If you hold a leadership role in a pod, you see the management tools. If you're a member, you see the participation features your role permits.

This means your experience of the platform is shaped by your community involvement. As you join more pods and take on more roles, more features become available to you.

Governance

SpiritDAO uses a three-tier governance model that balances transparency, efficiency, and community sovereignty:

Tier 1: DAO-Wide Constitutional Votes

For decisions that affect the entire DAO, treasury allocations, smart contract changes, constitutional amendments:

Tier 2: Pod Treasury Votes

For pod-level decisions involving fund movements or binding commitments:

Tier 3: Pod Operational Decisions

For routine pod coordination, approving new members, assigning roles, moderating content:

How to Vote

  1. Navigate to the Governance page
  2. Browse active proposals (filtered by pod or DAO-wide)
  3. Read the proposal details and any linked forum discussion
  4. Cast your vote: For, Against, or Abstain
  5. Your vote is recorded immediately

For DAO-wide proposals, your vote is an on-chain transaction (gasless via sponsored transactions). For pod-level proposals, your vote is recorded in the database.

Creating a Proposal

  1. Navigate to the Governance page
  2. Click "Create Proposal"
  3. Select the governance tier (DAO-wide, Pod Treasury, or Pod Operational)
  4. Write your proposal title and description
  5. Optionally link a forum discussion thread for community deliberation
  6. Submit, the proposal enters the voting period

Donations

How Donations Work

SpiritDAO accepts donations through the platform, converting fiat currency (USD) into $SYSTEM tokens for the donor. Every dollar donated becomes one $SYSTEM token in your wallet.

Making a Donation

  1. Navigate to the Donations page
  2. Select a preset amount ($10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500) or enter a custom amount (minimum $10)
  3. Provide your email address for receipt and notifications
  4. Choose your payment method:
    • Credit/Debit Card: Stripe processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30
    • ACH Bank Transfer: Lower fee of 0.8%
  5. Complete payment through the secure Stripe checkout

Fee Breakdown

After payment processing fees, SpiritDAO applies an 8% platform fee on the net amount, split evenly:

Example: $100 card donation

Donation Processing Timeline

  1. Payment Submitted: Stripe processes your payment
  2. Settlement Period: 3-7 days for card payments, faster for ACH
  3. Executive Approval: An Executive Pod member reviews and approves your donation
  4. Token Minting: $SYSTEM tokens are minted to your wallet
  5. First-Time Bonus: If this is your first donation, you also receive an Advocate governance token automatically

You'll receive email notifications at each step of the process.

Claims (Token-to-Fiat Payout)

The Claims system allows you to convert $SYSTEM tokens back into fiat currency (USD). This is a permanent, irreversible process.

How to Make a Claim

  1. Enter Amount: Specify how many $SYSTEM tokens you want to burn
  2. Provide Email: Enter the email address where you'll receive payout instructions
  3. Approve Token Spend: Authorize the smart contract to access your tokens (gasless transaction)
  4. Burn Tokens: Your tokens are permanently destroyed on the blockchain (irreversible)
  5. Server Confirmation: The burn is recorded and the Executive Pod is notified
  6. Executive Review: An Executive Pod member reviews your claim and either approves or rejects it
  7. Payout: If approved, you'll receive an email with instructions to provide your bank details for ACH/wire transfer. You must have a bank account that can interact with US Banks in order to receive payouts.

Important: Token burning is permanent. Once burned, tokens cannot be recovered, even if your claim is rejected. The estimated payout is 1:1 (1 $SYSTEM = $1 USD), minus any transfer fees applied at payout.

Events

Creating Events

Pod leaders and members with appropriate permissions can create community events:

Registering for Events

  1. Browse available events
  2. Click "Register" on an event
  3. If the event has a token fee, complete the payment and register:
    • $SYSTEM-priced events: approve the token spend and register
    • $SELF-priced events: your ticket purchase burns the required $SELF and mints you a soulbound ticket receipt, which is checked at the door
  4. You'll receive a registration confirmation

All registration transactions are gasless, you only spend the event's token fee (if any). Events are a first-class place to spend $SELF before it expires.

Event Check-In

Events use a QR code-based check-in system:

Attendance Accreditations

When an event is completed, all checked-in attendees receive an Event Completion Certificate, a verifiable token that proves your attendance and participation. These certificates:

Video Rooms

SpiritDAO includes built-in video conferencing for virtual events and meetings:

Bounties

What Are Bounties?

Bounties are task-based work opportunities posted by pod leaders. They offer token rewards ($SYSTEM or $SELF) for completing specific deliverables, writing, design, development, research, outreach, or any other contribution.

Bounty Workflow

For Bounty Creators (Pod Leaders):

  1. Create a bounty with title, description, requirements, and reward amount
  2. Optionally add specific deliverables, questions for bidders, and milestone-based payment
  3. Review incoming bids from community members
  4. Approve the best bid to begin work
  5. Review submitted work, approve, or request revisions
  6. Release payment upon satisfactory completion

For Workers (Bidders):

  1. Browse available bounties across pods
  2. Submit a bid with your experience, plan of action, timeline, and proposed amount
  3. Answer any required questions from the bounty creator
  4. If your bid is approved, complete the work according to requirements
  5. Submit your deliverables with links and descriptions
  6. Receive payment upon approval

Payment Options

Bounties support three payment models:

Marketplace

The Marketplace (also called Artifacts) is where community members buy and sell goods and services using $SYSTEM or $SELF tokens.

Browsing & Purchasing

  1. Browse available products, what you see depends on your roles and memberships
  2. Products may be token-gated (requiring specific membership to view/purchase)
  3. Add items to your cart
  4. At checkout, approve token spending and complete the purchase
  5. All transactions are gasless

Creating Products

Members can create products for sale:

Products without token requirements (visible to everyone) can only be created by Executive Pod members to prevent spam.

Forum

How Forums Work

Each pod can have its own forum for threaded discussions. Forums support:

Role-Based Access

Forum categories can be gated by role tokens:

Moderation

Pod members with moderation permissions can:

Knowledge Base

The Knowledge Base provides educational resources and documentation:

Global Knowledge Base

Available to all community members, covering:

Resources include video tutorials, articles, and step-by-step documentation.

Pod-Specific Knowledge Base

Each pod can maintain its own knowledge base with internal documentation, meeting notes, best practices, and pod-specific resources. Access is controlled by pod role permissions.

Chat & Direct Messaging

Pod Chat Channels

Each pod can have chat channels for real-time communication:

Direct Messages (DMs)

Send private messages to any community member. DMs are how members contact each other (not email). To start one, open a member's profile and click the Message button:

Gift System

Send $SYSTEM or $SELF tokens directly to any community member as a gift:

  1. Visit a member's profile (from the Members directory or any profile link)
  2. Click the Gift button
  3. Choose the token ($SYSTEM or $SELF)
  4. Enter the amount (or use quick presets: $10, $25, $50, $100)
  5. Optionally add a personal message
  6. Send, the transfer is gasless and immediate

Gifts appear in the Explorer activity feed and are recorded in your transaction history.

Explorer (SpiritDAO Pulse)

The Explorer is a live activity feed showing everything happening across the community:

Filter by category to focus on specific activity types. The feed updates in real-time and shows community statistics (total events, weekly activity).

Members Directory

The Members page shows all active community members:

Contacting members: To reach another member, open their profile and use the Message button, which starts an in-app Direct Message. Member emails are never shown or clickable in profiles or the directory. A member's email is private: it is used only for that member's own login and notifications, and is never shared with or shown to other members.

Openness to Connect: Each member sets an availability level (Low/Limited, Open/Available, or Actively Collaborating). This controls the availability badge on their profile and how they sort in the directory (actively-collaborating members appear first). It does not restrict who can message them: any member can still send a Direct Message regardless of the setting.

Identity & Profile

Your Identity page is your community home base:

Profile Information

Your email is private. It is used for your own login and notifications, and is never shown to other members. Members contact you through in-app Direct Messages (the Message button on your profile), not by email.

Tenure

Your lifetime standing in the ecosystem, based on total $SELF ever earned:

Accreditations

Granted credentials and proofs:

Credentials

Your pod roles and positions:

Token Balances

Your current holdings:

Video Conferencing

SpiritDAO includes built-in video conferencing for virtual meetings and events:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need cryptocurrency to use SpiritDAO? A: No. Your wallet is created automatically, all transactions are gasless (fees are sponsored), and you earn tokens through participation. You don't need to buy any cryptocurrency.

Q: How do I earn $SYSTEM tokens? A: By donating to SpiritDAO. Every dollar you donate becomes one $SYSTEM token in your wallet.

Q: How do I earn $SELF tokens? A: By participating, attending and completing accredited events, completing bounties, and contributing verified work. $SELF is earned automatically through these records; it cannot be purchased, transferred, or sold.

Q: What's the difference between $SYSTEM and $SELF? A: $SYSTEM is transferable money, backed 1:1 by capital donations, movable between members, and convertible back to fiat through Claims. $SELF is the opposite: a soulbound record of your verified time that you can only earn and only spend by burning. $SYSTEM measures value; $SELF measures participation.

Q: Does my $SELF expire? What happens to it? A: Yes, $SELF is spendable for about six months (the season you earned it plus the next two), then it expires. Expiring $SELF isn't wasted: the participation it represents is permanently counted toward your Tenure band. Spend it on marketplace items or event tickets before it fades, or let it convert into lasting standing.

Q: Can I send $SELF to another member? A: No. $SELF is soulbound, so it can never be transferred, only earned and burned. (You can gift $SYSTEM, which is transferable.)

Q: How do I get an Advocate token for governance voting? A: Make your first donation to SpiritDAO. An Advocate token is automatically minted to your wallet after your donation is processed, and your voting power is active immediately (no delegation step is needed).

Q: Can I leave a pod? A: Yes. Pod membership is voluntary and you can leave at any time.

Q: Are my transactions private? A: Wallet addresses are public by nature (blockchain). However, SpiritDAO does not sell personal data to third parties. Your profile information (name, bio, etc.) is visible to other community members.

Q: What happens if I burn $SYSTEM tokens and my claim is rejected? A: The tokens are permanently destroyed regardless of the claim outcome. Only burn tokens you're prepared to lose, and ensure your identity profile is complete before submitting a claim.

Q: How do I contact support? A: Ask questions in the Forum, reach out to pod leaders via Chat or DMs, or use the Sensemaker AI assistant (that's me!) for guidance. For technical issues, contact a member of the Executive Pod.