# Decentralized Organizations A Decentralized Organization (DO) is an organization that takes the community governance principles of a DAO, but does not enforce decisions automatically via a blockchain. There are lots of examples of DOs that exist in the real world already, like co-ops. The key characteristics that DAOs and DOs share are: 1. Decentralization: Both DAOs and DOs make decisions with the consent of the governed, and follow through on the decisions made by the collective. It is important for these organizations to always act in this way, not only when it benefits a small group. 2. Transparency: Even if a Decentralized Organization is not recording its decision-making on a blockchain, it is transparent in publishing the results of votes and sticking to a defined decision-making process that is collectively agreed upon. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.clarity.vote/dao-fundamentals/decentralized-organizations.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.