Hi Caryl
I totally agree. We should not require dues. We can ask for donations.
While the story is confused, my understanding is that the funds which
you described as 'carelessly disbursed' were from a grant and not from
donations to Sugar Labs.
Tony
On 05/24/2016 08:40 AM, Caryl Bigenho wrote:
Hi All….
Busy time for us so I haven't had a chance to chime in on the motion
for "dues." I personally do not care to contribute any unearmarked
funds to SugarLabs. I am not at all pleased at the way funds have been
carelessly disbursed to a select few in the past and feel no need to
send my good money off to be used in a similar fashion.
Every year at tax time we enumerate our contributions in support of
SugarLabs, and other sub-organizations, and I can assure you they are
substantial They include such things as expenses to attend
conferences, booth banners, printing costs for hand-outs etc. We reach
hundreds of potential Sugar users and, occasionally, potential Sugar
"contributors."
Meanwhile, SugarLabs funds are freely distributed to others to cover
their expenses to do similar things and other things that have far
smaller "returns on investment." So, although I cannot vote on this
(since I am not a member of SLOB), I do want to voice my opposition to
this motion.
I am not alone in this.
I think if it passes you will lose many members who are strong
supporters of Sugar and open source but feel, as I do, that SugarLabs
is not the only way to do it. Put simply, they will "vote with their
feet."
I have no objection to contributing something "in kind" in lieu of
dues… a new banner, some clever swag or the like to use in marketing
Sugar and SugarLabs. But, dues… no thanks!
Caryl
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: d...@lab6.com
Date: Mon, 23 May 2016 10:00:14 -0400
To: tony_ander...@usa.net
CC: iaep@lists.sugarlabs.org
Subject: Re: [IAEP] Fwd: Re: [SLOBS] Motion: Solicit Membership
Donations + Public Statements
Hi!
On 23 May 2016 at 09:44, Tony Anderson <tony_ander...@usa.net
<mailto:tony_ander...@usa.net>> wrote:
I am not aware of any method to donate money to Sugar Labs. I
understand we need to make the donations to SFC and somehow have
the money arrive in our funds.
That's right.
The #1 service for member projects listed at
http://sfconservancy.org/members/services/ is:
*Tax-Deductible, Earmarked Donations*
Member projects can receive earmarked donations through
Conservancy. Since Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) charity incorporated
in New York, donors can often deduct the donation on their USA
taxes. Additionally, the donors can indicate that their donation
should be used to advance a specific member project, and those
funds are kept in a separate account for the member project by
Conservancy. This structure prevents developers from having to
commingle project funds with their own personal accounts or having
to set up their own project specific account.
Since 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. Usually, the project leadership
instructs Conservancy's leadership on how the project's funds are
spent. Conservancy spends these funds on the project's behalf on
any expenses that constitute appropriate activity under
Conservancy's 501(c)(3) not-for-profit mission. Some typical uses
of earmarked donations by Conservancy's member projects are:
o funding travel expenses for project developers to attend
relevant conferences.
o domain name fees, bandwidth costs, and computer equipment
purchases.
o purchasing media for distribution of project software at
conferences and events.
o paying key developers on a contractual basis to improve the
project's software and its documentation.
o sponsoring and organizing conferences for the project.
o trademark registration and enforcement.
o FLOSS license enforcement and compliance activity.
http://sfconservancy.org/donate/ says,
*Donate to Our Member Projects*
Finally, Conservancy also maintains directed donation programs for
its member projects. Donation links for these directed donation
programs are typically found on the individual websites of our
members.
https://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Labs/Donate says,
Mail us a check
Please make your check payable to:
Software Freedom Conservancy, Inc.
and place this note in the memo field:
Directed donation: Sugar Labs
Checks should then be mailed to:
Software Freedom Conservancy, Inc.
137 MONTAGUE ST STE 380
Brooklyn, NY 11201-3548
USA
This needs to be made very clear on the web site.
Sure :) Please draft something for what you think should be on the
website donation page :)
I am not referring to 'lying', I am referring to asking the
question. If it is a donation, a person can donate what they feel
comfortable with.
I don't understand your point :)
--
Cheers
Dave
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