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Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.tex
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@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ This Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy (``Policy'') applies
to all Conservancy Member Projects (``Projects'') of Software Freedom
Conservancy (``Conservancy'') and has been created to memorialize
Conservancy's reimbursement policies relating to travel and other
business expenses incurred by employees, project volunteers, and while
engaged in business on behalf of, or at the behest Conservancy or
business expenses incurred by Conservancy staff, Project Leadership
Committee (``PLC'') members, and project volunteers while engaged
in business on behalf of, or at the behest of Conservancy and/or a
Project (``Travelers'').
Conservancy must maintain effective control of business­-related expenses
@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ their respective Projects. PLCs are also responsible for making available
a list of required response times for inquiries, including but not
limited to, the following two cases: a specific number of days to
respond to regular reimbursement requests, and a specific number of
days to respond to preauthorization requests.
days to respond to pre-authorization requests.
\section{Air Travel}
@ -84,9 +85,9 @@ upgrade.
\subsection{Advance Purchase }
Travel should be booked at least 14 days in advance; any travel booked
less than 14 days in advance requires written preauthorization by
less than 14 days in advance requires written pre-authorization by
Conservancy. Flights beyond 365 days in advance also require written
preauthorization by Conservancy.
pre-authorization by Conservancy.
\subsection{Low Fare}
@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ piece.
\subsection{Out-of-Policy Bookings }
All air travel not adhering to the above Policies are considered Out-of-Policy
and require written preauthorization by Conservancy's Executive Director.
and require written pre-authorization by Conservancy's Executive Director.
\subsection{Cancellation Fees}
@ -172,78 +173,69 @@ reimburse travelers for any costs associated with an upgrade of room
accommodations.
\subsection{Meals \& Incidental Expenses}
\subsection{Meals and Incidental Expenses}
\subsubsection{Overview. }
\subsubsection{Overview}
Travelers can submit for reimbursement receipts for meals and incidental
expenses for every day of a trip devoted to PLC- and/or Conservancy-related
mission work, including the day(s) of travel itself. Expenses shall
be reimbursed up to a ``per diem'' limit. Per diem limits within
the United States shall be based on the United States General Services
Administration's Per Diem calculator (www.gsa.gov/perdiem), using
the ZIP code of the travel destination. For example, a traveler based
in Pao Alto, CA heading to a conference in Atlanta, GA (with a layover
in Dallas, TX each way) will use the ZIP code of the destination in
Atlanta to calculate the per diem for the entire trip, including days
of travel. Per diem rates for locations outside of the United States
shall be based on the United States Department of State's ``Foreign
Per Diem Rates by Location'' calculator's ``Meals \& Incidental
Expenses'' (M\&IE) column (http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per\_diem.asp),
Travelers can submit for a per diem for meals and incidental expenses
for every day of a trip devoted to PLC- and/or Conservancy-related
mission work, including the day(s) of travel itself. Maximum per diem
rates for travel within the United States shall be based on the United
States General Services Administration's Per Diem calculator (www.gsa.gov/perdiem),
using the ZIP code of the travel destination. For example, a traveler
based in Pao Alto, CA heading to a conference in Atlanta, GA (with
a layover in Dallas, TX each way) will use the ZIP code of the destination
in Atlanta to calculate the maximum per diem for the entire trip,
including days of travel. Maximum per diem rates for locations outside
of the United States shall be based on the United States Department
of State's ``Foreign Per Diem Rates by Location'' calculator's ``Meals
\& Incidental Expenses'' (M\&IE) column (http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per\_diem.asp),
using the name of a listed city closest to the travel destination.
For example, a traveler based in Pao Alto heading to a conference
in London, England (with a layover in New York City) will use an M\&IE
per diem for London for the entire trip, including days of travel.
in London, England (with a layover in New York City) has a maximum
per diem of the M\&IE per diem listed London for the entire trip,
including days of travel.
Conservancy encourages travelers to be conservative with their per
diem submissions.
PLCs and/or Conservancy have the authority to set lower per diems
than those generated by the calculators above. In those instances,
travelers will only be able to submit for the lower per diems.
\subsubsection{Group Meals}
\subsubsection{Group Meals }
For groups of travelers on an In-Policy trip, a single traveler can
submit for reimbursement a receipt for a group meal. To do so, that
traveler must include the names of the other travelers who participated
the meal in his/her expense report, and the average cost of each meal
will be applied towards the per diem limit for each traveler. Travelers
may not submit for reimbursement the cost of meals and incidental
expenses for third parties not traveling at the behest of the PLC
and/or Conservancy (e.g., friends, contacts met at a conference, etc.)
unless the purpose of the meal is within the PLC's technical objective
and/or Conservancy's mission. However, even reimbursable meals within
third parties are subject to the traveler's calculated per diem limit.
As an example, a traveler may expense a lunch with a contact met at
a conference to discuss trending issues relating to free software.
The expense of both meals would be reimbursable up to the limits of
the traveler's per diem. In contrast, if that same traveler had dinner
with an old college friend in town to catch up, only the traveler's
meal would be reimbursable. The college friend's meal would not be
reimbursable, even if the traveler's daily meals and incidental expenses
were otherwise under his/her per diem limit.
For groups of travelers on an In-Policy trip, each traveler should
pay for his/her own meals, seeing as all participants will have an
opportunity to submit for separate per diems after the trip.
PLCs and/or Conservancy retain the right to allocate a separate budget
for anticipated large group meals beyond the individual per diem limits
of each traveler, provided that they are wtihin the PLC's technical
objectives and/or Conservancy's mission. Travelers anticipating a
need to cover such a large group meal may seek pre-approval from his/her
PLC and/or Conservancy for such expenses before the trip. If pre-approval
is granted, the expenses of the large group meal will not be counted
toward the individual per diem limits of any participants traveling
on behalf of his/her PLC and/or Conservancy.
For clarification purposes, this Policy does not relate to planned
group events that include meals and/or refreshments (e.g., a PLC-organized
conference that includes lunch for all attendees). Further, PLCs and/or
Conservancy retain the right to allocate a separate budget for anticipated
large group meals beyond the individual per diem limits of each traveler,
provided that they are within the PLC's technical objectives and/or
Conservancy's mission. Travelers anticipating a need to cover such
a large group meal may seek pre-approval from his/her PLC and/or Conservancy
for such expenses before the trip.
\subsubsection{No Entitlement to Balance of Per Diem}
\subsubsection{Meals For Organizational Development}
Travelers who submit for reimbursement receipts that total up to less
than the available per diem for their location shall not be entitled
to the balance of the per diem as a pay out. Travelers who book itineraries
that include extra days for personal reasons will not be allotted
a per diem for the additional days.
Travelers may occasionally have the need to invite third parties,
e.g., prospective donors, contributors, community members, etc., to
meals in order to further a PLC's technical direction and/or Conservancy's
mission. Conservancy recommends that travelers seek pre-approval from
their PLC and/or Conservancy for such meals.
\subsubsection{Phone Call Charges Part of Per Diem}
Charges for personal phone calls (e.g., made from a hotel, or via
a mobile phone in international travel) are reimbursable, and count
towards a traveler's per diem.
a mobile phone in international travel) are not reimbursable as an
expense separate from the allocated per diem.
\subsection{Ground Transportation }
@ -251,7 +243,7 @@ towards a traveler's per diem.
Ground transportation necessary as part of authorized Project trips
is considered to be a reasonable expense. Public ground transportation,
such as taxis, shuttles, buses and municipal transit, are generally
the most cost-eff­ective options and are the standard for eligible
the most cost-effective options and are the standard for eligible
ground transportation reimbursements. All car rentals require pre-authorization
by the PLC or by Conservancy's Executive Director. When car rentals
have been pre­-approved, the rental of compact cars is encouraged;
@ -286,7 +278,7 @@ following items are typically non-reimbursable expenses:
personal items
\item Supplemental travel or car rental insurance
\item Fines, penalties, or legal fees
\item Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the alotted
\item Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the allotted
per diem
\end{itemize}
@ -294,10 +286,10 @@ per diem
Reimbursed travel expenses are subject to examination by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS). Travelers are responsible for retaining documentary
evidence that all expenses are strictly for Project-related purposes,
not personal in nature, and therefor not includable as taxable income
to the traveler. Receipts are required for all expenses, no matter
the amount.
evidence that all expenses are strictly for Project- and/or Conservancy-related
purposes, not personal in nature, and therefore not includable as
taxable income to the traveler. Receipts are required for all expenses,
no matter the amount.
\section{Currency Exchange Rates }
@ -307,22 +299,41 @@ based on the exchange rate on the date of incursion. The currency
exchange rate of record shall be the one posted at Oanda.com.
\section{Approvals}
Travelers traveling on behalf of a Project must seek approvals and
submit expense reports to their PLC. PLCs are to review those expense
reports and pass them along to Conservancy's Executive Director for
final approval and reimbursement.
Travelers traveling on behalf of Conservancy must seek approvals and
submit expense reports to Conservancy's Executive Director. Conservancy
staff must seek approvals and submit expense reports to Conservancy's
Treasurer or to another Conservancy Board Member designated by Conservancy's
Board.
\section{Expense Reporting}
Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to Conservancy
with the following information:
Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to the
appropriate channel with the following information:
\begin{itemize}
\item Name of traveler
\item Brief description of trip and trip's purpose (e.g., ``August 2011
trip to XYZ conference for ABC project, served as planning committee
member''; ``Feb. '12 FOO hackfest in Portland, OR; contributed code'')
\item Itemized list of expenses
\item Receipts (or scans of receipts) to substantiate each expense
\item Number of days traveled (with documentary evidence, e.g., conference
itinerary, etc.) and associated per diem
\item List of expenses not covered by per diem (e.g., transportation, lodging)
with substantiating receipts (or scans of receipts)
\begin{itemize}
\item In the event that it is impractical to obtain a required receipt or
if such receipt has been inadvertently destroyed, the traveler should
furnish a written statement to that effect, as well as an explanation
of the expenditure involved
\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
Any expense without a substantiated receipt and/or a supporting written
statement will not be reimbursed.

344
Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.txt Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,344 @@
Software Freedom Conservancy Travel and Reimbursable Expense
Policy
1 Purpose
This Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy (“Policy”) applies to
all Conservancy Member Projects (“Projects”) of Software Freedom
Conservancy (“Conservancy”) and has been created to memorialize
Conservancy's reimbursement policies relating to travel and other
business expenses incurred by Conservancy staff, Project
Leadership Committee (“PLC”) members, and project volunteers
while engaged in business on behalf of, or at the behest of
Conservancy and/or a Project (“Travelers”).
Conservancy must maintain effective control of business­‐related
expenses in order to maintain its financial viability and tax
exempt status. As such, Conservancy expects persons to use good
judgment and to claim reimbursement for only those expenses that
are necessary and reasonable. Excessive expenses, including but
not limited to luxury accommodations and services unnecessary for
or unrelated to the furtherance of Conservancy's charitable
mission are not eligible for reimbursement.
Any travel expense that adheres to this Policy is considered
In-Policy and does not require special approval, so long as the
trip itself has been approved in writing by Conservancy's
Executive Director or by a Project's Leadership Committee (“PLC”)
in a regular and documented PLC vote. Conservancy and/or a PLC
can limit allowable travel expenses to an amount less than what
would otherwise be considered acceptable according to this
Policy. If so, the smaller budget is the maximum allowed expense.
2 Project Leadership Committee Review
Conservancy foresees the need for periodic reasonable exceptions
to this Policy. Persons working on behalf of a specific Project
seeking an exception to this Policy must petition their PLC to
obtain written approval from Conservancy authorizing the
exception. Persons working directly on behalf of Conservancy must
seeking an exception to the Policy must obtain written approval
from Conservancy authorizing the exception.
PLCs are responsible for creating procedures for requesting
exceptions, and submitting to Conservancy reimbursement requests
associated with their respective Projects. PLCs are also
responsible for making available a list of required response
times for inquiries, including but not limited to, the following
two cases: a specific number of days to respond to regular
reimbursement requests, and a specific number of days to respond
to pre-authorization requests.
3 Air Travel
3.1 Overall Airfare Cost
Domestic travel greater than U.S.$750 requires Conservancy
approval prior to booking, even if all other Policy conditions
have been met. International travel greater than U.S.$1,500
requires Conservancy approval prior to booking, even if all other
Policy conditions have been met.
3.2 Class of Service
Coach Airfare is the only acceptable class for all flights
(domestic and international) unless a PLC provides a special
exception and a valid reason to Conservancy for written approval.
Travelers may select their airline of choice (e.g., for the
purpose of collecting airline miles and rewards), provided that
the resulting air fare otherwise meets the requirements of this
Policy. Travelers should not book out-of-Policy trips (and thus
pay a higher fare) in order to qualify for a mileage upgrade.
3.3 Advance Purchase
Travel should be booked at least 14 days in advance; any travel
booked less than 14 days in advance requires written
pre-authorization by Conservancy. Flights beyond 365 days in
advance also require written pre-authorization by Conservancy.
3.4 Low Fare
Conservancy aims to balance cost savings with convenience and
considers flights that are within U.S.$200 of the lowest logical
fare to be within Policy. Any flights greater than U.S.$200 over
the lowest logical fare require written pre­‐authorization by
Conservancy. PLCs shall use Kayak.com as the comparison shopping
site for determining the baseline lowest fare.
3.5 Reasonable Flights
Conservancy asks that travelers allow for flexibility with
respect to departure times during a desired day of travel, as
well as longer trips in order to reduce cost. However,
Conservancy does consider flights with two or more connections as
unreasonable and does not expect travelers to consider those
flight options to be reasonable.
3.6 Additional Days of Travel
Travelers often seek to add extra days before or after an
approved trip (e.g., the weekend before a conference). A traveler
may seek approval for the expenses associated with an extended
stay prior to booking the trip, provided that the additional days
are solely to enable a traveler to conduct work within the PLC's
objectives and Conservancy's charitable mission. Travelers may
seek approval to book travel itineraries that include extra days
for personal reasons, so long as the cost of the flight meets the
other requirements of this Policy. Other expenses incurred during
extra personal days beyond air fare and transportation to and
from the airport are not reimbursable.
3.7 Excess Baggage
Should a team member travel on an airline that charges for a
single piece of checked baggage, such a baggage expense is
eligible for reimbursement. Team members are responsible for
charges on any baggage beyond a single piece.
3.8 Out-of-Policy Bookings
All air travel not adhering to the above Policies are considered
Out-of-Policy and require written pre-authorization by
Conservancy's Executive Director.
3.9 Cancellation Fees
Cancellation fees and other penalties incurred result of a change
of plans are reimbursable at Conservancy's discretion. In
general, Conservancy shall reimburse such fees if the traveler
can submit a valid reason for the change of plans. Acceptable
reasons include Conservancy and/or the PLC canceling or altering
the trip or unexpected delays in flight connections. In instances
where these fees are incurred without adequate explanation,
Conservancy reserves the right to refuse to reimburse the cost of
the fees.
4 Other Reimbursable Expenses
Conservancy will reimburse persons for Project-related expenses
that are incurred while traveling on approved Project business
and/or approved Conservancy business. Only necessary, ordinary
and reasonable expenses are eligible for reimbursement, and only
those categories of expenses listed in this document qualify.
4.1 Lodging
In some cases, Conservancy or a PLC may decide to book lodging on
behalf of travelers. In this case, Conservancy­‐booked lodging is
always considered In-Policy. If a traveler wants to stay
elsewhere or self-book at the same location, Conservancy will
only reimburse the team member the amount that it would otherwise
have paid. Travelers are expected to be cost-conscious and
prudent when booking lodging for approved trips. Lodging
documentation submitted as part of a reimbursement request must
include a copy of the hotel invoice detailing all charges (credit
card receipts alone are unacceptable). Conservancy will not
reimburse travelers for any costs associated with an upgrade of
room accommodations.
4.2 Meals and Incidental Expenses
4.2.1 Overview
Travelers can submit for a per diem for meals and incidental
expenses for every day of a trip devoted to PLC- and/or
Conservancy-related mission work, including the day(s) of travel
itself. Maximum per diem rates for travel within the United
States shall be based on the United States General Services
Administration's Per Diem calculator (www.gsa.gov/perdiem), using
the ZIP code of the travel destination. For example, a traveler
based in Pao Alto, CA heading to a conference in Atlanta, GA
(with a layover in Dallas, TX each way) will use the ZIP code of
the destination in Atlanta to calculate the maximum per diem for
the entire trip, including days of travel. Maximum per diem rates
for locations outside of the United States shall be based on the
United States Department of State's “Foreign Per Diem Rates by
Location” calculator's “Meals & Incidental Expenses” (M&IE)
column (http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp), using the
name of a listed city closest to the travel destination. For
example, a traveler based in Pao Alto heading to a conference in
London, England (with a layover in New York City) has a maximum
per diem of the M&IE per diem listed London for the entire trip,
including days of travel.
Conservancy encourages travelers to be conservative with their
per diem submissions.
PLCs and/or Conservancy have the authority to set lower per diems
than those generated by the calculators above. In those
instances, travelers will only be able to submit for the lower
per diems.
4.2.2 Group Meals
For groups of travelers on an In-Policy trip, each traveler
should pay for his/her own meals, seeing as all participants will
have an opportunity to submit for separate per diems after the
trip.
For clarification purposes, this Policy does not relate to
planned group events that include meals and/or refreshments
(e.g., a PLC-organized conference that includes lunch for all
attendees). Further, PLCs and/or Conservancy retain the right to
allocate a separate budget for anticipated large group meals
beyond the individual per diem limits of each traveler, provided
that they are within the PLC's technical objectives and/or
Conservancy's mission. Travelers anticipating a need to cover
such a large group meal may seek pre-approval from his/her PLC
and/or Conservancy for such expenses before the trip.
4.2.3 Meals For Organizational Development
Travelers may occasionally have the need to invite third parties,
e.g., prospective donors, contributors, community members, etc.,
to meals in order to further a PLC's technical direction and/or
Conservancy's mission. Conservancy recommends that travelers seek
pre-approval from their PLC and/or Conservancy for such meals.
4.2.4 Phone Call Charges Part of Per Diem
Charges for personal phone calls (e.g., made from a hotel, or via
a mobile phone in international travel) are not reimbursable as
an expense separate from the allocated per diem.
4.3 Ground Transportation
Ground transportation necessary as part of authorized Project
trips is considered to be a reasonable expense. Public ground
transportation, such as taxis, shuttles, buses and municipal
transit, are generally the most cost-effective options and are
the standard for eligible ground transportation reimbursements.
All car rentals require pre-authorization by the PLC or by
Conservancy's Executive Director. When car rentals have been
pre­‐approved, the rental of compact cars is encouraged; mid‐size
vehicles are authorized when necessary (e.g., when compact­‐sized
vehicles are not available or the number of passengers or volume
of baggage makes a compact vehicle impractical).
4.4 Rail Transportation
Rail transportation as a means of travel for an authorized
Project trip is considered to be a reasonable expense. All rail
transportation must be in economy class in North America.
4.5 Use of Personal Vehicles
When circumstances require travelers to utilize their personal
vehicles for Project purposes, he/she can be reimbursed at the
current IRS rate per mile, plus any related parking expenses and
toll fees.
5 Non-reimbursable Expenses
Non-reimbursable expenses are identified throughout this policy.
The following items are typically non-reimbursable expenses:
• Partner, spouse, and/or companion travel
• First class travel
• Upgrades to air travel, car rentals, or hotel rooms
• Purchase of clothing, luggage, toiletries and other
miscellaneous personal items
• Supplemental travel or car rental insurance
• Fines, penalties, or legal fees
• Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the
allotted per diem
6 Satisfaction of IRS Requirements
Reimbursed travel expenses are subject to examination by the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Travelers are responsible for
retaining documentary evidence that all expenses are strictly for
Project- and/or Conservancy-related purposes, not personal in
nature, and therefore not includable as taxable income to the
traveler. Receipts are required for all expenses, no matter the
amount.
7 Currency Exchange Rates
Expenses incurred in foreign currencies will be converted to US
dollars based on the exchange rate on the date of incursion. The
currency exchange rate of record shall be the one posted at
Oanda.com.
8 Approvals
Travelers traveling on behalf of a Project must seek approvals
and submit expense reports to their PLC. PLCs are to review those
expense reports and pass them along to Conservancy's Executive
Director for final approval and reimbursement.
Travelers traveling on behalf of Conservancy must seek approvals
and submit expense reports to Conservancy's Executive Director.
Conservancy staff must seek approvals and submit expense reports
to Conservancy's Treasurer or to another Conservancy Board Member
designated by Conservancy's Board.
9 Expense Reporting
Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to
the appropriate channel with the following information:
• Name of traveler
• Brief description of trip and trip's purpose (e.g., “August
2011 trip to XYZ conference for ABC project, served as planning
committee member”; “Feb. '12 FOO hackfest in Portland, OR;
contributed code”)
• Number of days traveled (with documentary evidence, e.g.,
conference itinerary, etc.) and associated per diem
• List of expenses not covered by per diem (e.g., transportation,
lodging) with substantiating receipts (or scans of receipts)
– In the event that it is impractical to obtain a required
receipt or if such receipt has been inadvertently destroyed,
the traveler should furnish a written statement to that
effect, as well as an explanation of the expenditure involved
Any expense without a substantiated receipt and/or a supporting
written statement will not be reimbursed.
Conservancy requests that all expense reports be submitted within
two weeks of travel. Expense reports filed more than 60 days
after expenses are incurred will not be reimbursed without the
approval of Conservancy's Board.
10 Consequences of Policy Violations
Failure to comply with this policy may result in the denial of,
or delay in payment for, reimbursement requests.
11 Policy Changes
The Conservancy reserves the right to change any terms of this
Policy from time to time. The Policy of record shall be the
Policy most recently distributed by the Conservancy.