The GNOME Foundation is comprised of a number of bodies - the Board of Directors, the Executive Director, the Advisory Board and the GNOME Membership. The GNOME Foundation Charter outlines the overall purpose, structure, and process for the GNOME Foundation. The GNOME Foundation By-laws (PDF) document the policies and procedures of the Foundation as a non-profit group.
The GNOME Foundation is run by a Board of Directors, which is elected annually by the GNOME community, as the GNOME Membership, to carry out much of the GNOME Foundation's tasks. The Board of Directors meets every other week with a phone conference to discuss various topics pertaining to the regular activities of the GNOME Foundation and GNOME. The minutes to these meetings are posted publicly on the foundation-list archives.
The Board of Directors for Fall 2005 through Fall 2006 is:
The Advisory Board is made up of organizations and companies that support GNOME. The Advisory Board has no decision-making authority but provides a vehicle for its members to communicate with the Board of Directors and help the Directors guide the overall direction of GNOME and the GNOME Foundation.
The Advisory Board consists of representatives from the following GNOME Foundation member corporations and projects:
Advisory board member companies pay an annual fee which helps finance the operations of the GNOME foundation. There are two levels for commerical companies.
No fee is paid by the invited non-profit organizations that are part of the advisory board.
The GNOME Membership consists of all the contributors to the GNOME project. Members can run for election to the Board of Directors, vote in the elections for the Board of Directors, and suggest referenda.