In the crowdsourced world, I like to think that we evaluate ideas and programs based on their merits rather than who makes a decision. I grant that some heirarchy is good and necessary, and in this case the heirarchy made a reasoned decision to include Bitcoin in the donation options, and did so in a way that makes a lot of sense except that one of the primary attractions of Bitcoin, privacy, seems to have not been a priority. I'm asking about how this can be addressed. It's possible that WMF can't offer to accept anonymous bitcoin donations at all, but as an optimist I like to think that it can, and my experience with other nonprofits is that anonymous donations are possible.
Pine On Jul 30, 2014 2:26 PM, "Pete Forsyth" <petefors...@gmail.com> wrote: > Pine, I think Lisa already answered your question -- it's complicated. It's > possible (based on my limited knowledge, anyway) that what you suggest is > possible; but she never said it was impossible. She said it was the safest > approach, given a complicated scenario. This is her professional expertise, > so we have to assume a basic level of competence to make those judgment > calls. > > Don't we? > Pete > [[User:Peteforsyth]] > > > On Wed, Jul 30, 2014 at 2:14 PM, Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hi Lisa, > > > > Hm, that is different from my understanding of the IRC. You are required > to > > offer a receipt, not to actually send one if the donor declines, right? > > Then you could have a checkbox to disable personal info and the receipt. > > You could also enable anonymous donations under $5000 or whatever the > > threshold is for reporting the donor's info to the IRS, right? > > > > Pine > > On Jul 30, 2014 2:06 PM, "Lisa Gruwell" <lgruw...@wikimedia.org> wrote: > > > > > As Andrew said, it is complicated. We decided that asking for the > > > information was the safest approach and best enables to comply with > U.S. > > > laws as well as laws in other countries. For example, we are required > to > > > send a receipt for tax purposes to U.S. donors who give over a certain > > > amount and we have already today received gifts through bitcoin over > that > > > threshold. > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Jul 30, 2014 at 1:22 PM, Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > Nonprofits in the US are only required to report major donors AFAIK. > > > > Bitcoins aren't assets with more complicated transfer rules like > real > > > > estate or stock shares. Simple property donations like a can of food > > for > > > a > > > > food bank don't require identification info. > > > > Pine > > > > On Jul 30, 2014 1:01 PM, "Andrew Gray" <andrew.g...@dunelm.org.uk> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi Pine, > > > > > > > > > > The IRS link includes the note that: > > > > > > > > > > "A payment made using virtual currency is subject to information > > > > > reporting to the same extent as any other payment made in > property." > > > > > > > > > > - no expert, but I suspect this is the explanation. Because the IRS > > > > > treat bitcoin as "property" (like, eg, shares) rather than > currency, > > > > > it triggers different - and presumably more complex - reporting > > > > > requirements. > > > > > > > > > > Andrew. > > > > > > > > > > On 30 July 2014 20:20, Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > There is a post on the blog saying that bitcoin is accepted but > > there > > > > are > > > > > > several questions about why WMF is asking for contact info. Is > that > > > an > > > > > IRS > > > > > > requirement? Might want to post the reason in the blog entry. > AFAIK > > > > with > > > > > > the nonprofits I donate to none require personal info for small > > > > > > contributions. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Pine > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > > > > Unsubscribe: > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org > ?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > - Andrew Gray > > > > > andrew.g...@dunelm.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > > > Unsubscribe: > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org > ?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > > Unsubscribe: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
