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\title{Software Freedom Conservancy Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy }

\maketitle

\section{Purpose }

This Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy (``Policy'') applies

to all Conservancy Member Projects (``Projects'') of Software Freedom

Conservancy (``Conservancy'') and has been created to memorialize

Conservancy's reimbursement policies relating to travel and other

business expenses incurred by employees, project volunteers, and while

engaged in business on behalf of, or at the behest Conservancy or

Project (``Travelers''). 

Conservancy must maintain effective control of business­-related expenses

in order to maintain its financial viability and tax exempt status.

As such, Conservancy expects persons to use good judgment and to claim

reimbursement for only those expenses that are necessary and reasonable.

Excessive expenses, including but not limited to luxury accommodations

and services unnecessary for or unrelated to the furtherance of Conservancy's

charitable mission are not eligible for reimbursement. 

Any travel expense that adheres to this Policy is considered In-Policy

and does not require special approval, so long as the trip itself

has been approved in writing by Conservancy's Executive Director or

by a Project's Leadership Committee (``PLC'') in a regular and documented

PLC vote. Conservancy and/or a PLC can limit allowable travel expenses

to an amount less than what would otherwise be considered acceptable

according to this Policy. If so, the smaller budget is the maximum

allowed expense. 

\section{Project Leadership Committee Review}

Conservancy foresees the need for periodic reasonable exceptions to

this Policy. Persons working on behalf of a specific Project seeking

an exception to this Policy must petition their PLC to obtain written

approval from Conservancy authorizing the exception. Persons working

directly on behalf of Conservancy must seeking an exception to the

Policy must obtain written approval from Conservancy authorizing the

exception. 

PLCs are responsible for creating procedures for requesting exceptions,

and submitting to Conservancy reimbursement requests associated with

their respective Projects. PLCs are also responsible for making available

a list of required response times for inquiries, including but not

limited to, the following two cases: a specific number of days to

respond to regular reimbursement requests, and a specific number of

days to respond to preauthorization requests. 

\section{Air Travel}

\subsection{Overall Airfare Cost }

Domestic travel greater than U.S.\$750 requires Conservancy approval

prior to booking, even if all other Policy conditions have been met.

International travel greater than U.S.\$1,500 requires Conservancy

approval prior to booking, even if all other Policy conditions have

been met.

\subsection{Class of Service }

Coach Airfare is the only acceptable class for all flights (domestic

and international) unless a PLC provides a special exception and a

valid reason to Conservancy for written approval. Travelers may select

their airline of choice (e.g., for the purpose of collecting airline

miles and rewards), provided that the resulting air fare otherwise

meets the requirements of this Policy. Travelers should not book out-of-Policy

trips (and thus pay a higher fare) in order to qualify for a mileage

upgrade. 

\subsection{Advance Purchase }

Travel should be booked at least 14 days in advance; any travel booked

less than 14 days in advance requires written preauthorization by

Conservancy. Flights beyond 365 days in advance also require written

preauthorization by Conservancy. 

\subsection{Low Fare}

Conservancy aims to balance cost savings with convenience and considers

flights that are within U.S.\$200 of the lowest logical fare to be

within Policy. Any flights greater than U.S.\$200 over the lowest

logical fare require written pre­-authorization by Conservancy. PLCs

shall use Kayak.com as the comparison shopping site for determining

the baseline lowest fare. 

\subsection{Reasonable Flights }

Conservancy asks that travelers allow for flexibility with respect

to departure times during a desired day of travel, as well as longer

trips in order to reduce cost. However, Conservancy does consider

flights with two or more connections as unreasonable and does not

expect travelers to consider those flight options to be reasonable.

\subsection{Additional Days of Travel}

Travelers often seek to add extra days before or after an approved

trip (e.g., the weekend before a conference). A traveler may seek

approval for the expenses associated with an extended stay prior to

booking the trip, provided that the additional days are solely to

enable a traveler to conduct work within the PLC's objectives and

Conservancy's charitable mission. Travelers may seek approval to book

travel itineraries that include extra days for personal reasons, so

long as the cost of the flight meets the other requirements of this

Policy. Other expenses incurred during extra personal days beyond

air fare and transportation to and from the airport are not reimbursable. 

\subsection{Excess Baggage }

Should a team member travel on an airline that charges for a single

piece of checked baggage, such a baggage expense is eligible for reimbursement.

Team members are responsible for charges on any baggage beyond a single

piece. 

\subsection{Out-of-Policy Bookings }

All air travel not adhering to the above Policies are considered Out-of-Policy

and require written preauthorization by Conservancy's Executive Director.

\subsection{Cancellation Fees}

Cancellation fees and other penalties incurred result of a change

of plans are reimbursable at Conservancy's discretion. In general,

Conservancy shall reimburse such fees if the traveler can submit a

valid reason for the change of plans. Acceptable reasons include Conservancy

and/or the PLC canceling or altering the trip or unexpected delays

in flight connections. In instances where these fees are incurred

without adequate explanation, Conservancy reserves the right to refuse

to reimburse the cost of the fees. 

\section{Other Reimbursable Expenses }

Conservancy will reimburse persons for Project-related expenses that

are incurred while traveling on approved Project business and/or approved

Conservancy business. Only necessary, ordinary and reasonable expenses

are eligible for reimbursement, and only those categories of expenses

listed in this document qualify. 

\subsection{Lodging }

In some cases, Conservancy or a PLC may decide to book lodging on

behalf of travelers. In this case, Conservancy­-booked lodging is

always considered In-Policy. If a traveler wants to stay elsewhere

or self-book at the same location, Conservancy will only reimburse

the team member the amount that it would otherwise have paid. Travelers

are expected to be cost-conscious and prudent when booking lodging

for approved trips. Lodging documentation submitted as part of a reimbursement

request must include a copy of the hotel invoice detailing all charges

(credit card receipts alone are unacceptable). Conservancy will not

reimburse travelers for any costs associated with an upgrade of room

accommodations. 

\subsection{Meals \& Incidental Expenses}

\subsubsection{Overview. }

Travelers can submit for reimbursement receipts for meals and incidental

expenses for every day of a trip devoted to PLC- and/or Conservancy-related

mission work, including the day(s) of travel itself. Expenses shall

be reimbursed up to a ``per diem'' limit. Per diem limits within

the United States shall be based on the United States General Services

Administration's Per Diem calculator (www.gsa.gov/perdiem), using

the ZIP code of the travel destination. For example, a traveler based

in Pao Alto, CA heading to a conference in Atlanta, GA (with a layover

in Dallas, TX each way) will use the ZIP code of the destination in

Atlanta to calculate the per diem for the entire trip, including days

of travel. Per diem rates for locations outside of the United States

shall be based on the United States Department of State's ``Foreign

Per Diem Rates by Location'' calculator's ``Meals \& Incidental

Expenses'' (M\&IE) column (http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per\_diem.asp),

using the name of a listed city closest to the travel destination.

For example, a traveler based in Pao Alto heading to a conference

in London, England (with a layover in New York City) will use an M\&IE

per diem for London for the entire trip, including days of travel. 

\subsubsection{Group Meals}

For groups of travelers on an In-Policy trip, a single traveler can

submit for reimbursement a receipt for a group meal. To do so, that

traveler must include the names of the other travelers who participated

the meal in his/her expense report, and the average cost of each meal

will be applied towards the per diem limit for each traveler. Travelers

may not submit for reimbursement the cost of meals and incidental

expenses for third parties not traveling at the behest of the PLC

and/or Conservancy (e.g., friends, contacts met at a conference, etc.)

unless the purpose of the meal is within the PLC's technical objective

and/or Conservancy's mission. However, even reimbursable meals within

third parties are subject to the traveler's calculated per diem limit.

As an example, a traveler may expense a lunch with a contact met at

a conference to discuss trending issues relating to free software.

The expense of both meals would be reimbursable up to the limits of

the traveler's per diem. In contrast, if that same traveler had dinner

with an old college friend in town to catch up, only the traveler's

meal would be reimbursable. The college friend's meal would not be

reimbursable, even if the traveler's daily meals and incidental expenses

were otherwise under his/her per diem limit. 

PLCs and/or Conservancy retain the right to allocate a separate budget

for anticipated large group meals beyond the individual per diem limits

of each traveler, provided that they are wtihin the PLC's technical

objectives and/or Conservancy's mission. Travelers anticipating a

need to cover such a large group meal may seek pre-approval from his/her

PLC and/or Conservancy for such expenses before the trip. If pre-approval

is granted, the expenses of the large group meal will not be counted

toward the individual per diem limits of any participants traveling

on behalf of his/her PLC and/or Conservancy.

\subsubsection{No Entitlement to Balance of Per Diem}

Travelers who submit for reimbursement receipts that total up to less

than the available per diem for their location shall not be entitled

to the balance of the per diem as a pay out. Travelers who book itineraries

that include extra days for personal reasons will not be allotted

a per diem for the additional days. 

\subsubsection{Phone Call Charges Part of Per Diem}

Charges for personal phone calls (e.g., made from a hotel, or via

a mobile phone in international travel) are reimbursable, and count

towards a traveler's per diem. 

\subsection{Ground Transportation }

Ground transportation necessary as part of authorized Project trips

is considered to be a reasonable expense. Public ground transportation,

such as taxis, shuttles, buses and municipal transit, are generally

the most cost-eff­ective options and are the standard for eligible

ground transportation reimbursements. All car rentals require pre-authorization

by the PLC or by Conservancy's Executive Director. When car rentals

have been pre­-approved, the rental of compact cars is encouraged;

mid-size vehicles are authorized when necessary (e.g., when compact­-sized

vehicles are not available or the number of passengers or volume of

baggage makes a compact vehicle impractical). 

\subsection{Rail Transportation}

Rail transportation as a means of travel for an authorized Project

trip is considered to be a reasonable expense. All rail transportation

must be in economy class in North America. 

\subsection{Use of Personal Vehicles }

When circumstances require travelers to utilize their personal vehicles

for Project purposes, he/she can be reimbursed at the current IRS

rate per mile, plus any related parking expenses and toll fees.

\section{Non-reimbursable Expenses}

Non-reimbursable expenses are identified throughout this policy. The

following items are typically non-reimbursable expenses: 

\begin{itemize}

\item Partner, spouse, and/or companion travel

\item First class travel

\item Upgrades to air travel, car rentals, or hotel rooms

\item Purchase of clothing, luggage, toiletries and other miscellaneous

personal items 

\item Supplemental travel or car rental insurance

\item Fines, penalties, or legal fees

\item Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the alotted

per diem

\end{itemize}

\section{Satisfaction of IRS Requirements }

Reimbursed travel expenses are subject to examination by the Internal

Revenue Service (IRS). Travelers are responsible for retaining documentary

evidence that all expenses are strictly for Project-related purposes,

not personal in nature, and therefor not includable as taxable income

to the traveler. Receipts are required for all expenses, no matter

the amount.

\section{Currency Exchange Rates }

Expenses incurred in foreign currencies will be converted to US dollars

based on the exchange rate on the date of incursion. The currency

exchange rate of record shall be the one posted at Oanda.com. 

\section{Expense Reporting}

Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to Conservancy

with the following information:

\begin{itemize}

\item Name of traveler 

\item Brief description of trip and trip's purpose (e.g., ``August 2011

trip to XYZ conference for ABC project, served as planning committee

member''; ``Feb. '12 FOO hackfest in Portland, OR; contributed code'')

\item Itemized list of expenses

\item Receipts (or scans of receipts) to substantiate each expense

\item In the event that it is impractical to obtain a required receipt or

if such receipt has been inadvertently destroyed, the traveler should

furnish a written statement to that effect, as well as an explanation

of the expenditure involved

\end{itemize}

Any expense without a substantiated receipt and/or a supporting written

statement will not be reimbursed. 

Conservancy requests that all expense reports be submitted within

two weeks of travel. Expense reports filed more than 60 days after

expenses are incurred will not be reimbursed without the approval

of Conservancy's Board. 

\section{Consequences of Policy Violations}

Failure to comply with this policy may result in the denial of, or

delay in payment for, reimbursement requests. 

\section{Policy Changes }

The Conservancy reserves the right to change any terms of this Policy

from time to time. The Policy of record shall be the Policy most recently

distributed by the Conservancy. 

\end{document}