Rewrote overview.
This commit is contained in:
parent
d2af6a0cb5
commit
c20c6dfc07
1 changed files with 42 additions and 139 deletions
|
@ -5,150 +5,53 @@
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<h1>Overview</h1>
|
<h1>Overview</h1>
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>The Software Freedom Conservancy is an organization composed of Free,
|
<p>The Software Freedom Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization that
|
||||||
Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) projects (called Conservancy's
|
helps promote, improve, develop, and defend Free, Libre, and Open Source
|
||||||
“member projects”). Conservancy is a fiscal sponsor for these
|
Software (FLOSS) projects. Conservancy provides a non-profit home and
|
||||||
member projects, thus the Conservancy's member projects benefit from
|
infrastructure for FLOSS projects. This allows FLOSS developers to
|
||||||
financial, administrative services and non-profit oversight. By joining
|
focus on what they do best — writing and improving FLOSS for the
|
||||||
the Conservancy, member projects can obtain the benefits of a formal legal
|
general public, while Conservancy takes care of the projects' needs that
|
||||||
structure while keeping themselves focused on software development.</p>
|
do not relate directly to software development.</p>
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p><b>What are the benefits of joining the Conservancy?</b></p>
|
<p>FLOSS projects whose <a href="/members/apply">applications are
|
||||||
|
accepted</a> become an actual part of the Software Freedom Conservancy
|
||||||
|
(akin to a separate department for a large agency). Once joined, the
|
||||||
|
<a href="/members">—member project”</a> receives most of
|
||||||
|
the benefits of existing as a non-profit corporate entity without
|
||||||
|
actually having to form and maintain one. Conservancy aggregates the
|
||||||
|
work of running a FLOSS non-profit for <a href="/members/current/">its
|
||||||
|
many members</a>.</p>
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>One of the principal benefits of joining the Conservancy is that member
|
<p>The Conservancy provides a large group of important services for its
|
||||||
projects get all the protections of being a corporate entity without
|
member projects. Member projects can take directed donations, which
|
||||||
actually having to form and maintain one. These benefits include, most
|
allows donors to earmark their donations for the benefit of a specific
|
||||||
notably, the ability to collect earmarked project donations and protection
|
FLOSS project. Conservancy provides fiscal oversight to ensure that
|
||||||
from personal liability for the developers of the project. Projects can
|
these funds are spent in a manner that advances the project and fits
|
||||||
continue to operate in the same way they did before joining the
|
with Conservancy's 501(c)(3) mission to advance software freedom.</p>
|
||||||
Conservancy without having to select a board of directors or any other
|
|
||||||
layer of corporate management, without having to maintain corporate
|
|
||||||
records and without having to do any of the other things required of
|
|
||||||
incorporated entities. The Conservancy handles all of that burden on
|
|
||||||
behalf of its projects.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>The Conservancy is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, so member
|
<p>If the member project's leaders want, Conservancy can also hold other
|
||||||
projects can receive tax-deductible donations to the extent permitted
|
assets and titles on behalf of the projects, such as copyrights,
|
||||||
by law. The Conservancy files a single tax return that covers all of
|
trademarks, domain names, online hosting accounts, title and ownership
|
||||||
its member projects and handles other corporate and tax related issues
|
of physical hardware. Also at discretion of the project's leaders,
|
||||||
on behalf of its members, who are, of course, always free to join and
|
Conservancy can assist in defending the rights represented in these
|
||||||
leave the Conservancy at any time. Additionally, by not having to
|
assets. For example, Conservancy is available to assist member projects
|
||||||
form a new organization, projects avoid having to pay the fees and
|
in enforcing the terms of the projects' FLOSS license.</p>
|
||||||
spend the time required by the state incorporation and federal tax
|
|
||||||
exemption application processes.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Another benefit of joining the Conservancy is that projects can use
|
<p>Finally, developers of Conservancy's member projects, when operating in
|
||||||
it to hold assets, which are managed by the Conservancy on behalf of
|
their capacity as project leaders, receive some protection from personal
|
||||||
and at the direction of the project. For example, any monies received
|
liability for their work on the project.</p>
|
||||||
by a project are put in a separate Conservancy fund and maintained
|
|
||||||
there until the project directs the Conservancy to do something with
|
|
||||||
the funds. This prevents developers from having to commingle project
|
|
||||||
funds with their own accounts or having to set up their own project
|
|
||||||
specific account. Since the Conservancy is a tax-exempt organization,
|
|
||||||
there are some limits that the law places on what member projects can
|
|
||||||
do with their assets, but those limits are the same as if the project
|
|
||||||
was an independent non-profit entity.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>All of these benefits are currently provided for free. The Conservancy
|
<p>A full and detailed <a href="/member/services/">list of Conservancy's
|
||||||
does not currently charge its member projects any fees. The Conservancy
|
services for its member projects</a> and a <a href="/members/current/">a
|
||||||
of course welcomes and appreciates voluntary contributions from member
|
list of Conservancy's current member projects</a> are available.</p>
|
||||||
projects to help cover the cost of providing these services.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p><b>How does a project join the Conservancy?</b></p>
|
<p>Conservancy and
|
||||||
|
its <a href="/about/directors">directors</a>, <a href="/about/officers">officers</a>,
|
||||||
<p>In order to join, projects need to meet certain criteria, including the
|
and <a href="/about/staff">staff</a> believe strongly in the principles
|
||||||
requirement that the project be exclusively devoted to the development of
|
of software freedom, and believe that all users should have the right to
|
||||||
Free and Open Source Software and that it be consistent with the
|
study, improve and share their software. Conservancy helps protect,
|
||||||
Conservancy's tax-exempt purposes and the financial requirements imposed
|
enable, coordinate, facilitate and defend the public's right to copy,
|
||||||
by the IRS. Most FLOSS projects will meet these requirements. To find out
|
share, modify and redistribute FLOSS both non-commercially and
|
||||||
if your project can join the Conservancy, or to get more information,
|
commercially.</p>
|
||||||
<a href="/about/contact/">contact us</a>, preferably by email. Qualifying
|
|
||||||
projects that wish to join the Conservancy will form an agreement with the
|
|
||||||
Conservancy that sets out all of their rights and responsibilities.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>While any project licensed under a widely recognized FOSS license can
|
|
||||||
apply, the Conservancy seeks in particular projects that are
|
|
||||||
well-established and have some track record of substantial contributions
|
|
||||||
from a community of volunteer developers. The Conservancy does gives
|
|
||||||
higher priority to projects that have an established userbase and
|
|
||||||
interest, but also tries to accept some smaller projects with strong
|
|
||||||
potential.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p><b>If my project joins the Conservancy, how will it change?</b></p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Substantively, member projects continue to operate in the same way as they
|
|
||||||
did before joining the Conservancy. So long as the project remains
|
|
||||||
devoted to Free and Open Source Software and operates consistently with
|
|
||||||
the Conservancy's tax-exempt status, the Conservancy does not intervene in
|
|
||||||
the project's development other than to provide administrative assistance.
|
|
||||||
For example, the Conservancy keeps and maintains books and records for the
|
|
||||||
project and assists with the logistics of receiving donations, but does
|
|
||||||
not involve itself with technical or artistic decision making. Projects
|
|
||||||
are asked, however, to keep the Conservancy up to date on their
|
|
||||||
activities.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p><b>Once a project joins, who owns its assets (money, copyrights, trademarks,
|
|
||||||
etc.)?</b></p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>The Conservancy holds assets on behalf of its member projects and
|
|
||||||
manages and disburses those assets in accordance with the project's
|
|
||||||
wishes. Monies received by the Conservancy on behalf of a project are
|
|
||||||
kept track of separately for each specific project and the management of
|
|
||||||
those funds is directed by the project. For example, if a donor wanted to
|
|
||||||
contribute $100 to Project X, they would formally make the donation to the
|
|
||||||
Conservancy and identify Project X as the desired project to support. The
|
|
||||||
Conservancy would then deposit the check and earmark the funds for use by
|
|
||||||
Project X. Project X would then tell the Conservancy how that money
|
|
||||||
should be spent.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Similarly, any copyrights, trademarks or other assets transferred to a
|
|
||||||
project can also be held by the Conservancy on behalf of the project. A
|
|
||||||
significant service that the Conservancy provides its members is a vehicle
|
|
||||||
through which copyright ownership in the project can be unified. There
|
|
||||||
are several advantages to having a consolidated copyright structure,
|
|
||||||
including that it makes enforcement activity easier and more effective.
|
|
||||||
However, although it is almost always beneficial for projects to
|
|
||||||
consolidate their copyrights, such is not a requirement in order to join
|
|
||||||
the Conservancy.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p><b>How can a project leave the Conservancy?</b></p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>As set out in an agreement between member projects and the Conservancy,
|
|
||||||
projects can leave the Conservancy at any time. Federal tax exemption
|
|
||||||
law, though, states that projects must transfer their assets from the
|
|
||||||
Conservancy in a way that is consistent with the Conservancy's
|
|
||||||
not-for-profit tax status — meaning the assets cannot be transferred
|
|
||||||
to an individual or a for-profit entity. Generally, a project would
|
|
||||||
either find another fiscal sponsor or form their own independent
|
|
||||||
tax-exempt non-profit.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p><b>Who runs the Conservancy?</b></p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Like many non-profits, The Conservancy is directed by a
|
|
||||||
self-perpetuating <a href="/about/team/board/">Board of Directors</a>, who
|
|
||||||
appoint <a href="/about/team/officers/">Officers</a> to carry out the
|
|
||||||
day-to-day operations of the Conservancy. The Directorship of the
|
|
||||||
Conservancy is designed to include both talented non-profit managers and
|
|
||||||
seasoned FOSS project leaders who can both guide the administrative
|
|
||||||
operations of the organization as well as mentor member project leadership
|
|
||||||
as needed. Our Directors constantly search for additional directors who
|
|
||||||
can contribute a variety of expertise and perspective related to the
|
|
||||||
Conservancy's mission.</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<h2>Public Filings</h2>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Like all USA non-profits, the Conservancy files an annual Form 990 and, as
|
|
||||||
a non-profit in the State of New York, files an annual CHAR-500 with New
|
|
||||||
York State. Below, Conservancy makes available these filings for public
|
|
||||||
inspection:</p>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p><ul>
|
|
||||||
<li>Fiscal Year 2008</li>
|
|
||||||
<ul>
|
|
||||||
<li><a href="/docs/conservancy-form-990-fy-2008.pdf">Federal Form 900 (PDF)</a></li>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<li><a href="/docs/conservancy-CHAR-500-fy-2008.pdf">New York State
|
|
||||||
CHAR-500 (PDF)</a></li>
|
|
||||||
</li>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
{% endblock %}
|
{% endblock %}
|
||||||
|
|
Loading…
Reference in a new issue