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www/conservancy/static/members/apply/index.html
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    <li>The project must be exclusively devoted to the development and
 
    documentation of FLOSS.  The project's goals must be consistent with
 
    the Conservancy's tax-exempt purposes, and other requirements imposed
 
    Conservancy's tax-exempt purposes, and other requirements imposed
 
    on Conservancy by the IRS' 501(c)(3) rules.  Namely, the goal of the
 
    project must to develop and document the software in a not-for-profit
 
    way to advance the public good, and must develop the software in
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</p>
 

	
 
<p>While any project meeting the criteria above can apply, meeting these
 
  criteria doesn't guarantee acceptance of your project.  The Conservancy
 
  criteria doesn't guarantee acceptance of your project.  Conservancy
 
  favors projects that are well-established and have some track record of
 
  substantial contributions from a community of volunteer developers.
 
  Furthermore, the Conservancy does give higher priority to projects that
 
  Furthermore, Conservancy does give higher priority to projects that
 
  have an established userbase and interest, but also tries to accept some
 
  smaller projects with strong potential.</p>
 

	
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  infrastructure and facilitates the project's ability to raise its own
 
  funds.  Conservancy therefore assists your project in raising funds, and
 
  allows your project to hold those funds and spend them on activities
 
  that simultaneously advance the non-profit mission of the Conservancy
 
  that simultaneously advance Conservancy's non-profit mission
 
  and the FLOSS development and documentation goals of the project.</p>
 

	
 
<h2>What will the project leaders have to agree to if our project joins?</h2>
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  project to join Conservancy.</p>
 

	
 

	
 
<h2>If my project joins the Conservancy, how will it change?</h2>
 
<h2>If my project joins Conservancy, how will it change?</h2>
 

	
 
<p>Substantively, member projects continue to operate in the same way as
 
they did before joining the Conservancy.  So long as the project remains
 
they did before joining Conservancy.  So long as the project remains
 
devoted to software freedom and operates consistently with the
 
Conservancy's tax-exempt status, the Conservancy does not intervene in the
 
Conservancy's tax-exempt status, Conservancy does not intervene in the
 
project's development other than to provide administrative assistance.
 
For example, the Conservancy keeps and maintains books and records for the
 
For example, Conservancy keeps and maintains books and records for the
 
project and assists with the logistics of receiving donations, but does
 
not involve itself with technical or artistic decision making.  Projects
 
are asked, however, to keep the Conservancy up to date on their
 
are asked, however, to keep Conservancy up to date on their
 
activities.</p>
 

	
 
<h2>Once our project joins, who holds its assets (money, copyrights, trademarks, etc.)?</h2>
 

	
 
<p>The Conservancy holds assets on behalf of its member projects and
 
<p>Conservancy holds assets on behalf of its member projects and
 
manages and disburses those assets in accordance with the wishes of the
 
project's leadership.  Funds received by the Conservancy on behalf of a
 
project's leadership.  Funds received by Conservancy on behalf of a
 
project are kept track of separately for each specific project and the
 
management of those funds is directed by the project.  For example, if a
 
donor wanted to contribute $100 to Project Foo, they would formally make
 
the donation to the Conservancy and identify Project Foo as the desired
 
project to support.  The Conservancy would then deposit the check and
 
the donation to Conservancy and identify Project Foo as the desired
 
project to support.  Conservancy would then deposit the check and
 
earmark the funds for use by Project Foo.  Project Foo would then tell the
 
Conservancy how that money should be spent.  As long as that expense is a
 
legitimate non-profit expense fitting with Conservancy's non-profit
 
  mission, Conservancy pays the expense on the Project's behalf.</p>
 

	
 
<p>Similarly, any copyrights, trademarks, domain name or other assets
 
transferred to a project can also be held by the Conservancy on behalf of
 
the project.  A significant service that the Conservancy provides its
 
transferred to a project can also be held by Conservancy on behalf of
 
the project.  A significant service that Conservancy provides its
 
members is a vehicle through which copyright ownership in the project can
 
be unified.  There are several advantages to having a consolidated
 
copyright structure, including that it makes enforcement activity easier
 
and more effective.  However, copyright, trademark, and domain name
 
assignment is not a requirement in order to join the Conservancy, rather,
 
assignment is not a requirement in order to join Conservancy, rather,
 
it is an option for those projects that ask for it.</p>
 

	
 
<h2>If our project joins, must it be a member project of Conservancy forever?</h2>
 

	
 
<p>All agreements between member projects and the Conservancy stipulate
 
clearly that the member project can leave the Conservancy with a few
 
<p>All agreements between member projects and Conservancy stipulate
 
clearly that the member project can leave Conservancy with a few
 
months' notice.  Federal tax exemption law, though, states that projects
 
must transfer their assets from the Conservancy in a way that is
 
consistent with the Conservancy's not-for-profit tax status &mdash;
 
must transfer their assets from Conservancy in a way that is
 
consistent with Conservancy's not-for-profit tax status &mdash;
 
meaning the assets cannot be transferred to an individual or a for-profit
 
entity.  Generally, a project would either find another fiscal sponsor or
 
form their own independent tax-exempt non-profit.</p>