Who is Eligible?

Whether you are a full-time or part-time freelancer, an employee some of the time, a social or sole entrepreneur, or a member of another union through another job, you can join the Canadian Freelance Guild. You may be freelancing as an individual, or through an association, collective or professional group.

Whether you’re a beginner at your craft, an emerging or newly independent professional, or have a lifetime of expertise freelancing in your field, we welcome you.

Regardless of your citizenship, place of residence or mobility, you can join the Canadian Freelance Guild. Here is our full list of professions eligible for membership:

Journalists – Text/Audio/Video
Podcasters
Bloggers
Web content providers
Photographers
Translators
Public Relations professionals
Media trainers
Business and Technical Writers
Editors (text/audio/video)
Illustrators
Graphic Designers
Sound Designers
Website/Blog Designers
Public Speakers
Videographers
Academic writers
App content writers
Copywriters
Ghostwriters
Book authors
E-book writers
Novelists
Screenwriters
Self-published authors
Animators
Game Designers
Software Developers
Digital Media Analysts
Copy Editors
Social Media Manager

Contracts

Our staff can offer advice & counsel on all contracts and negotiations.

Freelance contracts have many unique needs that clients don’t often consider.

With two decades of experience negotiating for freelancers, our staff can quickly advise on contracts, work concerns and negotiation strategies. We have ideas to help you get paid. We can also consult our legal team for you.

Call us – our discussions remain fully confidential.

Contact Don Genova, Canadian Freelance Guild Organizer at organizer@canadianfreelanceguild.ca or call 778-991-4439 (Pacific Time).

Freelancer Directory

Profile yourself, your expertise and portfolio in our Freelancer Directory.

The Find A Freelancer feature on our home page is where clients and engagers can find you, and members can find each other.

Connect with the growing roster of skilled freelancers who are collaborating across different sectors of work, and changing Canada’s media, communications, IT and creative landscape.

Job Bank

The Job Bank is where you will find media jobs and contract opportunities collected and curated by our own Robyn Roste and Rachel Sanders. Once you are a member you can subscribe to the Job Bank to receive daily or weekly updates of all the latest postings.

Pitching

We help find contact info for the decision makers who hire freelancers

Have a story, a project or an idea to pitch? Have skills and services but don’t know whom to inform about your availability?

If you need the names of current editors or producers, departmental or project leads, or the person commissioning work at a given publication, company, organization or broadcaster, we can help.

If we don’t know directly, we’re usually only a phone call or two away from finding out.

Contact us and we’ll do our best to find you the right names and numbers to call. Contact us here.

Health & Insurance Benefits

As a CFG member, you can obtain group rates on health, drug, dental, life and travel insurance for you and your family through the Writers’ Coalition. Through these plans you can also access an Employee and Family Assistance Program at no extra cost. No medical exam is required, and the monthly premiums may be tax-deductible.

Commercial General Liability and Errors & Omissions insurance are available from Hub International. Each member requesting an insurance quote will be dealt with on an individual basis. For more information write to Tyler Vigneux at Hub International or call him at 416-591-7074.

Online Training

Hone your skills & business smarts with professional tutorials via LinkedIn Learning

You get gain free and unlimited access to more than 2900 video courses with industry experts through an online video training service: LinkedIn Learning.

Refresh your media skills, learn new ones and sharpen your business sense anytime, anywhere, from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Once you are a CFG member and want to access this resource, write to this address with “Sign me up for LinkedIn Learning” in the subject line.

Access to Webinars

Can’t make it to our events? Catch up online via our webinars!

The webinars are on a range of topics, brought to you from your peers with knowledge of your day to day realities. We are building this resource all the time.

CFG Member Card

Your CFG member card is your official sign of professional membership.

Media Card

The Canadian Freelance Guild is offering a Media Card to qualified members. This photo ID card may help you gain access to exclusive venues or interviews and a QR code on the card will link to your member profile. Your member profile should be as complete as possible and your profile name should be your full real name, not a nickname or some sort of alias.
Your application will be reviewed by a panel of senior freelance journalists for approval. You must provide references and show that you make at least some of your living from journalistic publications.

Volunteer!

As a member we invite you to get involved with the guild’s projects, campaigns and committees. It’s a valuable avenue to meeting peers and learning new skills. Watch our social media channels and websites to discover just what you can gain… and give. If you need supports that are not here, please contact us with your need or suggestion. We welcome all ideas.