Changeset - 296f237b0a13
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Bradley Kuhn (bkuhn) - 10 years ago 2013-11-13 17:47:20
bkuhn@ebb.org
Add link to the Wiki.
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www/conservancy/static/campaign/index.html
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@@ -466,49 +466,50 @@ Foundation</a>, The <a href="http://www.gnome.org/foundation/">GNOME Foundation<
 
  real-life audits; but the prototype is just a hack and needs to be
 
  rewritten.)</li>
 
<li>Ability to easily handle all these features on a project-by-project
 
  subset of the accounts, and to easily export and excise that subset from
 
  the system. (i.e., support for temporarily restricted assets, earmarked for
 
  fiscal-sponsored projects)</li>
 
<li>Multi-currency support and reporting</li>
 
</ul>
 
</p>
 

	
 
<p>We will consider the first year of this project successful <em>only if all these
 
  functions can be performed by a bookkeeper who is generally qualified as a
 
  bookkeeper</em>, but not necessarily familiar with standard Free Software tools
 
  such as GNU/Linux, Emacs, version control, and command line scripts.  This
 
  requirement is essential: Conservancy's existing system using Ledger CLI
 
  already provides sufficient functionality to manage non-profit accounting,
 
  but our system requires a bookkeeper who is also adept with the
 
  aforementioned tools already.</p>
 

	
 
<p>Finally, while the first year of work focuses on USA NPO needs,
 
  Conservancy seeks to lead an international effort, and welcomes
 
  contributions and input from everyone in the non-profit community from
 
  around the world.  Conservancy has created
 
  a <a href="http://lists.sfconservancy.org/mailman/listinfo/npo-accounting">mailing
 
  list for discussion of this project</a> and encourages interested parties
 
  list for discussion of this project</a> and
 
  a <a href="http://npoacct.sfconservancy.org">Wiki for collaboration</a>  and encourages interested parties
 
  from around the world to join the mailing list and contribute to the
 
  project!</p>
 
  
 
<h3>Why Conservancy Must Fund This Work</h3>
 

	
 
<p>As it stands, nearly all Open Source and Free Software NPOs either use
 
  proprietary software, or fully outsource their bookkeeping and accounting
 
  to third-parties.  Those that don't do so (such as Conservancy and the Free
 
  Software Foundation) have long complained that existing Free Software in
 
  this area is inadequate, and have been forced to develop customized,
 
  one-off solutions in-house to make the systems work.</p>
 

	
 
<p>It's highly unlikely that the for-profit sector will adapt existing Free
 
  Software accounting systems to meet the differing needs of NPOs (let alone
 
  the more complex needs of fiscal sponsors; based on
 
  advice from our auditors and other fiscal sponsors, Conservancy understands that <em>no existing
 
  solution &mdash; proprietary or Free &mdash; meets the requirements of fiscal sponsorship accounting</em>).  Fiscal sponsors like
 
  Conservancy must track a separate set of books for every project, keeping
 
  in mind that a project may leave at any time for another NPO and need to take
 
  their books with them.  Yet, the books of the entire organization are the
 
  aggregate of the books of all these projects, and internally, they need to
 
  be presented as a single set of books for those purposes.</p>
 

	
 
<p>Meanwhile, even if an organization is not a fiscal sponsor, non-profit
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