Gnucash Foundation [was: Re: Nothing works on Red Hat ]

gnucash@cbbrowne.com gnucash@cbbrowne.com
Wed, 04 Dec 2002 22:02:16 -0500


Linas wrote:
> There is no gnucash 'tip-jar', and there is no particular reason
> why there isn't one.  Maybe its time one was set up.
> 
> Since this involves 'real money', a bit of discussion and rules &
> regs are called for.  So:
> 
> 0) Is there general agreement that this is a good idea?  Or is this
>    a bad idea?
> 
> 1)  What should we call this thing? A 'tip jar'? a 'donation
>     account'?  A gratuity fund?  What kind of name would be
>     'obvious' to europeans as well as americans?
> 
> 2) I propose calling the entity that receives the funds 'The GnuCash
>    Foundation'.  If more than $300 or $500 accumulates (which I
>    rather doubt at the moment), I'll incorporate it as a
>    non-for-profit, and do the other footwork to make it a non-taxable
>    legal entity.  Any alternate suggestions?
> 
> 3) Where should the money be collected?  Paypal seems obvious and
>    popular. But I've also heard horror stories ... 
> 
> 4) When and how should money be disbursed?  I propose that one or
>    more 'Most Valuable Contributor' be picked every so often, and 
>    given a reward out of the accumulated funds.  How should the 
>    recipient be picked? After a series of private discussions 
>    between trusted developers (e.g. those having CVS access?)  
>    (Realizing, of course, that the most likely recipient(s) will
>    be one of those with CVS access?) After open discussions on 
>    the mailing lists? After a nomination and popular vote on 
>    the mailing list? 

You might want to take a look at the URL below, which outlines an approach 
that would be characterized as the "tuck $20 in with a Christmas card" 
approach.

On the "non-taxable legal entity" side, I'd say "Don't do it unless it's going 
to be $15,000", and if you were expecting to see $15K come in, it would 
probably make more sense to try to run an "appeal" through the FSF who already 
have most of the bureaucracy in place to deal with it.

The "Keep It Simple, Stupid" approach is for the web site to list some 
snail-mail addresses of responsible people that people might send a card to.  
Organizing things more heavily is only likely to be worthwhile if there's 
going to be a pile of money involved, and the tax implications are such that 
it may not even be worthwhile even then.

In other words, I would suggest that "whomever gets a card with $20 in it gets 
a card with $20 in it."
--
(reverse (concatenate 'string "moc.enworbbc@" "enworbbc"))
http://www.ntlug.org/~cbbrowne/fssp.html
Rules  of the  Evil  Overlord #21.  "I  will hire  a talented  fashion
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eventually  defeated and  I want  my troops  to have  a  more positive
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