The financial contribution issue

[Linas Vepstas]

On Tue, Aug 19, 2003 at 03:54:10PM -0400, Benoit Gr?goire was heard to remark:
> On Tuesday 19 August 2003 02:27, Chris Lyttle wrote:
> > On Mon, 2003-08-18 at 22:54, Benoit Gr?goire wrote:
> > > We would need a paypal tip jar very soon.  Linas can you set one quickly
> > > with a @gnucash,org address?
> >
> > This is the only part of your email I disagree with, I've stated this
> > before but here goes... I really don't like the idea of using paypal to
> > collect/keep any monies for the project, I have seen examples (the
> > abiword project being the most recent) of bad things happening where
> > projects loose money given to them because of paypal policies. I would
> > be willing to compromise on monies passing thru it to facilitate
> > donations but there being sufficient care taken to remove the money from
> > paypal taking it out of an account.
> 
> Well I wasn't advocating keeping the money inside the paypal account 
> indefinitely.  Whoever manages this would be expected to empty it on a 
> regular basis, and keep the money in a normal bank account.  As for Abiword, 

I'm less than thrilled with the idea of using paypal, although there
are no viable alternatives, so I guess one has to use it.

I've heard stories of ebay using paypal to empty money from a bank
account.  So it sounds like moving the money to a bank account might 
make it a little safer, but it still can be electronically robbed.

I've spoken to a few banks but could not find an account that had 
an electronic-deposit-only feature.  There didn't seem to be a way
to setting up the account to bar withdrawls origniated by paypal.

The last problem was with the name on the account.  I'd like the
bank to put the account under the name of 'the GnuCash Foundation'
however that requires 'the GnuCash Foundation' to be incorporated.
Which means doing US taxes annually.  And local franchise taxes.
And property taxes. And other filings.  

I was gonna incorporate in January but then never got around to 
it ....  and if there is a formal organization called the 'GnuCash
Foundation', then there's the question: who are the officers? 
How are they elected/appointed?  Who gets to handle the money,
who makes it fair?

--linas


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