Dan writes:
[snip] However, we don't have to exist in the mean time without the benefit of being part of a 501(c)(3); based on the draft agreement, the relationship with the Conservancy can be as lightweight as a temporary home that we can leave in 60 days if another 501(c)(3) can receive the assets. I've checked with Bradley Kuhn to ensure that would be okay, and he said "I really don't get why people don't just use as that: Keep debating the other issues while having a Conservancy membership, and even move in forming the new org in parallel." So, based on that, would it be possible to move forward on the governance front in two tracks? 1) Short-term (e.g. next month?): establish an agreement with the Conservancy that enables us to take advantage of the benefits of being part of a 501(c)(3) and provides a neutral place for holding the Evergreen collateral (trademarks, logos, domain names...). We would work directly with the Conservancy to establish the ground rules for our agreement (as Bradley offered when he sent us the sponsorship agreement - and which we have not as of yet used). Some projects simply nominate one person to act as the point of contact with the Conservancy; it could be as simple as that. If we get set up before the end of year, then Americans would be able to make tax-free donations to Evergreen as a Christmas present! 2) Longer-term (e.g. in time for the next Evergreen Conference): establish the complete set of rules of governance, including standing committees, membership rules & fees, meeting rules, compensation, possibly setting up a standalone 501(c)(3)? Dan **************** Yes, I am in complete agreement with you, Dan. As a member of the interim governance committee of the Evergreen Foundation, I endorse this approach. I think we need something short-tem to protect the Evergreen collateral (a nice way to describe it, btw), and if we got that in place now, we could move forward on the longer-term goals of the Foundation. Amy Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:24:52 -0500 From: Dan Scott <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Details of fiscal sponsorship agreement for Evergreen & Conservancy To: [email protected], [email protected] Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 The Conservancy has added one new member organization since we received the draft agreement, and it's not us! (http://sfconservancy.org/news/2010/nov/10/pypy-joins/). Based on the lack of comments, I'm wondering if anyone has looked at the Software Freedom Conservancy draft agreement that I posted to the open-ils-general list on October 21? At the time, I had suggested that we try to collect a list of questions together by October 28th, a date that has come and gone. On the governance list, we've been doing some soul-searching about whether to establish a small, focused foundation or a very broad foundation. In principle, I'm not opposed to a foundation that includes a users' group, various committees, membership fees, etc, but I worry that getting it right will take a long time - and when dealing with a scope that broad, I would much rather get things right and take a long time, than get things done fast but fatally flawed at the outset. However, we don't have to exist in the mean time without the benefit of being part of a 501(c)(3); based on the draft agreement, the relationship with the Conservancy can be as lightweight as a temporary home that we can leave in 60 days if another 501(c)(3) can receive the assets. I've checked with Bradley Kuhn to ensure that would be okay, and he said "I really don't get why people don't just use as that: Keep debating the other issues while having a Conservancy membership, and even move in forming the new org in parallel." So, based on that, would it be possible to move forward on the governance front in two tracks? 1) Short-term (e.g. next month?): establish an agreement with the Conservancy that enables us to take advantage of the benefits of being part of a 501(c)(3) and provides a neutral place for holding the Evergreen collateral (trademarks, logos, domain names...). We would work directly with the Conservancy to establish the ground rules for our agreement (as Bradley offered when he sent us the sponsorship agreement - and which we have not as of yet used). Some projects simply nominate one person to act as the point of contact with the Conservancy; it could be as simple as that. If we get set up before the end of year, then Americans would be able to make tax-free donations to Evergreen as a Christmas present! 2) Longer-term (e.g. in time for the next Evergreen Conference): establish the complete set of rules of governance, including standing committees, membership rules & fees, meeting rules, compensation, possibly setting up a standalone 501(c)(3)? Dan [snip] ======================= Amy Terlaga Assistant Director, User Services Bibliomation 32 Crest Road Middlebury, CT 06762 (203)577-4070 x101 http://www.biblio.org ---- Bibliomation's Open Source blog: http://biblio-os.blogspot.com/ Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=171935276419
