After a quick review of PDB’s 2025 financial docs, I struggle to see why the organization should feel any pressure to accept terms from what I presume is an outside for-profit firm. It feels like accepting such third party terms would slowly create, and compound, additional unnecessary and unwanted work.
Without commenting specifically on Chris’ policy draft, I agree with his overall perspective. -Chris On Tue, 7 Jul 2026 at 10:19, Chris Caputo via Pdb-gov < [email protected]> wrote: > Members, > > From > > https://docs.peeringdb.com/gov/legaldocs/2026-06-08_PeeringDB_Board_Minutes.pdf > quoting: > > ==== > 7. Sponsorships. > > Some Sponsors are now requiring PeeringDB to accept their terms and > conditions, which PeeringDB has historically declined to sign. The > Board > discussed how to handle sponsor terms going forward. Discussion to > continue by email. > ==== > > I have informed the Board this would be a terrible mistake. If you feel > similarly, please speak up here and rapidly. > > I have drafted a "Donor Contract Policy" (below) to be considered and > hopefully passed by the membership in case the Board or an Officer goes > against the long standing unwritten policy of not entering into agreements > with members/sponsors/donors. It would be good to get this on the books > for current and future Board & Officers to adhere to too. > > I would revise this policy as appropriate if no contracts are entered into > by the time the membership considers this policy proposal at the next > annual member meeting. > > Respectfully, > Chris > (Secretary & Treasurer 2015-2024) > > ==== > - PeeringDB > - DRAFT Donor Contract Policy > - Approved by Membership April ??, 2027 > > - WHEREAS since the founding of the PeeringDB non-profit corporation in > the year 2015 and until 2026, PeeringDB successfully raised over $2 > million U.S. Dollars without engaging into a single contract or Terms > & Conditions with donors. > > - WHEREAS PeeringDB is first and foremost a Member-based non-profit in > which donors are granted the privilege of supporting the efforts of > the non-profit in exchange for recognition, but in which primacy > remains with the Membership. > > - WHEREAS any contract with a donor creates a legal entanglement and > associated risks with a donor which is not worth any amount of > donation to the non-profit. > > - WHEREAS any contract with a donor creates an unfair distinction > between donors and Members in which some entities have a legal > entanglement with PeeringDB while others do not, which goes against > the spirit and intent of being a Member-run non-profit organization in > which all Members are equal and only Members are the empowered > stakeholders of the organization. > > - NOW THEREFORE the Membership of PeeringDB makes clear that it is > better to avoid donations from those who require contacts, or Terms & > Conditions, and forbids the Officers of PeeringDB from engaging into > these legal entanglements for the purposes of fundraising. > > - FURTHERMORE the Secretary is directed to inform any donors in which a > contract was put into place as part of the donation, that the contract > is being terminated and that they may request a refund to the > PeeringDB Board if so desired, for any time remaining in the > sponsorship. > ==== >
