Fundraising

http://lists.katipo.co.nz/pipermail/koha/2015-March/042249.html introduced a draft Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) which you can find at http://kete.library.org.nz/site/documents/show/367-draft-mou-for-koha-fund to the General_IRC_meeting_11_March_2015

Revised Draft MOU is now available (includes a clause about conflicts of interest 11.3)

The community needs to appoint two sets of people:

1. initial signatories to the memo on our behalf;
2. an initial Fundraising Committee to start once the memo is implemented.

Initial Signatories

Please write in your suggestions for initial signatories here. Please have them indicate their consent to act in that way if we wish in some way (write it here, say it on IRC or mailing list and link it here, whatever):

1. Brendan Gallagher
2. Chris Cormack
3. Bob Birchall
4. Paul Poulain
5. Galen Charlton
6. Nicole Engard

The signatories will be considered during Fundraising_IRC_meeting_18_March_2015

Fundraising Committee

Please write in your suggestions for the intial fundraising committee here in a similar manner:

1. Brendan Gallagher
2. Galen Charlton
3. Bob Birchall
4. Romana Franziska Wallner
5. Paul Poulain (name added after april 8 IRC meeting)

The MOU envisages that the community will form a Fundraising Committee. The draft terms of reference of the Fundraising Committee follow and will be considered at the General_IRC_meeting_10_June_2015

International Koha Fund Fundraising Committee Terms of Reference

DRAFT 8 June 2015

Preamble

a. Te Horowhenua Trust (the Trust) has established an International Koha Fund for the ongoing development and dissemination of Koha as free software (the Fund).

b. In May 2015 representatives of the Koha community entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (the Memorandum) with the Trust regarding the operation of the Fund.

c. The Memorandum anticipates that the Koha Community will:

• establish a Fundraising Committee (the Committee);
• keep the Trust informed of fundraising activities undertaken by the Koha Community;
• if requested by the Trust, provide representatives to serve on any committee or sub-committee of the Trust; and
• respond promptly to requests for information from the Trust.

d. Provision of information about the Fund to the Koha Community is the responsibility of the Committee, not of the Trust.

e. The following Articles describe how the Committee shall operate.

Article 1: Purpose

The purpose of the Fund will be to raise money for the Koha Free and Open Source Software project. The purposes of the Committee are to:

a. solicit donations to the Koha Fund;

b. promote fundraising activities, encourage applications for grants or do any other thing to encourage contributions to the Fund;

c. ensure the Responsibilities of the Koha Community as set out in the Memorandum are discharged;

d. make recommendations to the Trust on the operation of the Fund including policies for grants from the Fund;

e. to keep the Koha Community informed of the status and activities of the Fund.

Article 2: Structure

a. Membership

Committee members shall be elected via vote in a Koha General Meeting.  Candidates should announce their intention to run one month prior to the election. Elections will take place in the first meeting of each December.

b. Terms  

The term of a member shall be 1 calendar year.

c. Resignation

Any member may resign from the committee at any time by writing a letter or email to the Committee and to the Koha Community.

d. Minimum and maximum number of members

Minimum number of members should be 5, with a maximum of 9.

Article 3: Conflicts of Interest

Whenever a member has a financial or personal interest in any matter coming before the Committee, the affected person shall a) fully disclose the nature of the interest and b) withdraw from discussion, lobbying, and voting on the matter unless a majority of disinterested members vote that it is in the best interest of the Fund to allow it. The minutes of meetings at which such votes are taken shall record such disclosures, abstentions or rationale for approvals.

Article 4: Meetings and Votes

a. Meetings

Regular meetings will happen virtually, once a month (dealing with many different timezones, the format of the meetings will be virtual). The committee will make heavy use of email for discussion and debate in order to accommodate a globally disbursed committee straddling many timezones. This includes the ability to pass motions via email PROVIDED THAT such decisions and resolutions are recorded in the minutes of the monthly meetings;

The Committee will elect one of their number to be the Chairperson of each meeting.

b. Koha General Meetings

The Committee will place updates and reports on the agendas of Koha General Meetings. One member should be available to answer questions and also send messages to the community mailing list for those who can not attend the general irc meeting.  

c. Quorum and Voting

At any meeting a quorum shall be at least 50% of the membership. The method of voting at a meeting shall be unanimity in favour of a proposal, ignoring abstentions. Votes may be taken outside of a meeting using https://www.simplyvoting.com/ or similar with the same requirements.

Article 5: Amendments

Any changes or additions to these terms must be placed on the Committee agenda and pass a majority vote to be added. Changes are not effective until approved by a Koha General Meeting.

Grants Committee

The Fundraising Committee is in communication with Te Horowhenua Trust (THT) concerning the making of Rules for THT's Grants Committee. This Committee will administer the making of grants from the Koha Fund. The following draft rules are submitted for comment by the Koha Community.

International Koha Fund - Grants Committee

DRAFT 1.2 28 January 2016

DRAFT 1.3 18 April 2016

Preamble

Whereas: a. Te Horowhenua Trust (THT) has established a Fund for the ongoing development and dissemination of Koha as free software;

b. In May 2015 THT entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with representatives of the Koha community regarding the operation of the Fund;

c. Pursuant to the MOU, the Koha community has established a Fundraising Committee to, amongst other purposes, promote contributions to the Fund;

d. THT now makes these rules for the establishment and operation of a Grants Committee to administer the disbursement of grants from the Fund.

1. The Koha Grants Committee

1a There shall be constituted a committee of THT to be known as the Koha Grants Committee

1b The number of members shall be determined by THT but shall be not less than three (3).

1c The Secretary of THT or her representative shall be a member of the committee.

1d THT may but is not obliged to seek nominations from the Koha community for appointment to the committee. If the number of nominations received exceeds, in the sole judgement of THT, the desired number of members of the Committee then THT may at its sole discretion determine those nominations that it will accept. Without limiting the discretion of THT, drawing of lots is an acceptable method of determination.

1e Any one library, organisation or company (including a Listed Koha Support Company) may have only one individual (e.g a principal or full-time, part-time or contract employee) serve on the Committee at any given time.

1f The term of appointment of each member shall be determined by THT but shall not exceed three years. A member may be re-appointed but no member shall serve more than three terms. The Secretary or her representative is not subject to this clause.

1g The Chairperson of the Committee will be appointed by THT from amongst the members of the Committee.

1h A member of the Committee may resign by email or other written notice to the Secretary of THT.

1i THT may terminate the appointment of a member by email or other written notice to the member. A reason need not be provided.

2. Meetings of the Koha Grants Committee

2a The Committee will meet at least two times per year but may meet more frequently.

2b Meetings of the Committee will be scheduled with at least 2 weeks of prior notice. A public agenda will be published prior to the meeting that will list all of the proposals under consideration. The agenda will specify which portions of the meeting will be open and which will be held in closed session.

2c At any meeting of the Committee, a quorum shall be half the number plus one of the number of members presently appointed and any fraction will be ignored.

2d At the commencement of each meeting the Chairman shall require members to declare any actual or potential conflict of interest affecting any matter to be discussed at the meeting.

2e Any member of the Committee who may receive financial benefit if a proposal is accepted must recuse themselves from voting on that proposal. Furthermore, they may receive no more opportunity to advocate for that proposal than any other proposer.

2f Voting shall be by majority of members in attendance at a meeting. The Chairperson shall have a deliberative vote and a casting vote.

2g The Committee has power to make binding decisions in relation to the Call for Proposals and the making of Grants. On all other matters the Committee shall make recommendations to THT.

2h The Chairperson shall use her best efforts to ensure that minutes of each meeting are posted to the Koha wiki, with notice provided to the General Mailing List, within 10 business days of the meeting. Such minutes are subject to confirmation at the succeeding meeting of the Committee.

2i. At each meeting of the Committee, the Chairperson will advise whether there are sufficient funds available for the making of grants and the amount so available. Where funds are available, the procedures in paragraph 3 shall apply.

3. Procedures for the making of grants

3a Following each meeting of the Committee, a public Call for Proposals will be issued by notice to the General Mailing List and to the Developers Mailing List. However, should the Committee determine that it is unlikely that there will be funds available for the making of grants, this notice may advise that no proposals are invited in the current period.

3b All proposals received prior to the issue of the agenda for a meeting will be listed in the agenda for consideration of the Committee. Late proposals will be held over to the next meeting.

3c The Committee may solicit feedback from the broader Koha community regarding the proposals under question. The Committee may use any available avenue to obtain a sense of the priorities for Koha development as perceived by the Koha community generally.

3d The Committee may choose to establish a Technical Advisory Group to advise on the feasibility of proposals. Members of the advisory group shall serve at the Committee's pleasure, and their names and affiliations will be made public. Advisory group members who may receive financial benefit if a proposal is accepted must recuse themselves from comment on that proposal in their role as a member of the advisory group.

3e In determining the number and quantum of grants to be allocated, the Grants Sub-Committee may (but is not obliged to) consider:

• the quantum of monies available in the Fund;
• any priorities for Koha development advised to the Committee by the Fundraising Committee, any other forum of the Koha community or from any other relevant source;
• any submission provided to the Committee by any Listed Koha Support Company;
• the past record of any individual or organisation in contributing to the development of the Koha project (including if relevant, the completion of past work funded by a grant).

3f Grants may be awarded for any purpose deemed by the Committee to be relevant and appropriate including for a specific project, to fund ongoing infrastructure costs, or to hire contractors for specific purposes. A grant may be for the whole or part of the amount sought in a proposal.

3g Until 31 December 2017, the maximum amount of each grant is NZ$5,000. Prior to 31 December 2017, THT shall seek the views of the Koha community before determining whether any limit shall apply in future years. This determination shall be made by THT in its sole discretion.

3h Decisions of the Committee are final and not contestable by any individual, group or organisation.

3i Grant awardees shall be required to submit to the Committee a written report of their progress within six months of the date of the award and upon completion. Such reports will be posted publicly after review by the Committee; failure to provide such reports may be taken into consideration when the Committee decides upon future grants.

3j With the exception of receiving reports under section 3i, neither the Committee nor THT has any obligation to monitor or enquire as to the progress or outcome of proposed work that has been funded by a grant, however they may do so if they wish, either as part of conditions imposed upon awarding a grant or afterwards. (Note: the Fundraising Committee of the Koha community may also monitor and make enquiry.)

DRAFT 1.2, 28 January 2016