diff --git a/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.txt b/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b6f5ce97ada68f893fe3781de483ab8dccec52e4..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/Travel/Conservancy-Travel-Policy.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,344 +0,0 @@ -Software Freedom Conservancy Travel and Reimbursable Expense -Policy - -1 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 Conservancy staff, Project -Leadership Committee (“PLC”) members, and project volunteers -while engaged in business on behalf of, or at the behest of -Conservancy and/or a 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. - -2 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 pre-authorization requests. - -3 Air Travel - -3.1 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. - -3.2 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. - -3.3 Advance Purchase - -Travel should be booked at least 14 days in advance; any travel -booked less than 14 days in advance requires written -pre-authorization by Conservancy. Flights beyond 365 days in -advance also require written pre-authorization by Conservancy. - -3.4 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. - -3.5 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. - -3.6 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. - -3.7 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. - -3.8 Out-of-Policy Bookings - -All air travel not adhering to the above Policies are considered -Out-of-Policy and require written pre-authorization by -Conservancy's Executive Director. - -3.9 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. - -4 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. - -4.1 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. - -4.2 Meals and Incidental Expenses - -4.2.1 Overview - -Travelers can submit for a per diem 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. Maximum per diem rates for travel 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 maximum per diem for -the entire trip, including days of travel. Maximum 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) has a maximum -per diem of the M&IE per diem listed London for the entire trip, -including days of travel. - -Conservancy encourages travelers to be conservative with their -per diem submissions. - -PLCs and/or Conservancy have the authority to set lower per diems -than those generated by the calculators above. In those -instances, travelers will only be able to submit for the lower -per diems. - -4.2.2 Group Meals - -For groups of travelers on an In-Policy trip, each traveler -should pay for his/her own meals, seeing as all participants will -have an opportunity to submit for separate per diems after the -trip. - -For clarification purposes, this Policy does not relate to -planned group events that include meals and/or refreshments -(e.g., a PLC-organized conference that includes lunch for all -attendees). Further, 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 within 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. - -4.2.3 Meals For Organizational Development - -Travelers may occasionally have the need to invite third parties, -e.g., prospective donors, contributors, community members, etc., -to meals in order to further a PLC's technical direction and/or -Conservancy's mission. Conservancy recommends that travelers seek -pre-approval from their PLC and/or Conservancy for such meals. - -4.2.4 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 not reimbursable as -an expense separate from the allocated per diem. - -4.3 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). - -4.4 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. - -4.5 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. - -5 Non-reimbursable Expenses - -Non-reimbursable expenses are identified throughout this policy. -The following items are typically non-reimbursable expenses: - -• Partner, spouse, and/or companion travel - -• First class travel - -• Upgrades to air travel, car rentals, or hotel rooms - -• Purchase of clothing, luggage, toiletries and other - miscellaneous personal items - -• Supplemental travel or car rental insurance - -• Fines, penalties, or legal fees - -• Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the - allotted per diem - -6 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- and/or Conservancy-related purposes, not personal in -nature, and therefore not includable as taxable income to the -traveler. Receipts are required for all expenses, no matter the -amount. - -7 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. - -8 Approvals - -Travelers traveling on behalf of a Project must seek approvals -and submit expense reports to their PLC. PLCs are to review those -expense reports and pass them along to Conservancy's Executive -Director for final approval and reimbursement. - -Travelers traveling on behalf of Conservancy must seek approvals -and submit expense reports to Conservancy's Executive Director. -Conservancy staff must seek approvals and submit expense reports -to Conservancy's Treasurer or to another Conservancy Board Member -designated by Conservancy's Board. - -9 Expense Reporting - -Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to -the appropriate channel with the following information: - -• Name of traveler - -• 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”) - -• Number of days traveled (with documentary evidence, e.g., - conference itinerary, etc.) and associated per diem - -• List of expenses not covered by per diem (e.g., transportation, - lodging) with substantiating receipts (or scans of receipts) - - – 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 - -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. - -10 Consequences of Policy Violations - -Failure to comply with this policy may result in the denial of, -or delay in payment for, reimbursement requests. - -11 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. -