@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
<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
@@ -84,10 +84,10 @@
</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>
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
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>
@@ -146,51 +146,51 @@
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 —
must transfer their assets from Conservancy in a way that is
consistent with Conservancy's not-for-profit tax status —
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>