Conservancy assists FLOSS project leaders by handling all matters other + than software development and documentation, so the developers can focus + on what they do best: improving the software for the public good. The + following are the services and options that are available to FLOSS + projects that have joined Conservancy as a member project.
+ +Member projects can receive earmarked donations through Conservancy. + Since Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) charity incorporated in New York, + donors can often deduct the donation on their USA taxes. Additionally, + the donors can indicate that their donation should be used to advance a + specific member project, and those funds are kept in a separate account + for the member project by Conservancy. This structure prevents + developers from having to commingle project funds with their own + personal accounts or having to set up their own project specific + account.
+ +Since Conservancy is a tax-exempt organization, there are some + limits that the law places on what member projects can do with their + assets, but those limits are the same as if the project was an + independent non-profit entity. Usually, the project leadership + instructs Conservancy's leadership on how the project's funds are spent. + Conservancy spends these funds on the project's behalf on any expenses + that constitute appropriate activity under Conservancy's 501(c)(3) + not-for-profit mission. Some typical uses of earmarked donations by + Conservancy's member projects are:
+ +Conservancy can hold any assets for the project on its behalf. This + includes copyrights, trademarks, domain names, physical computer + equipment or anything that should be officially held in the name of the + project. Member projects are not required that Conservancy hold all + assets of a project. (For example, member projects are + not required to assign copyrights to Conservancy.) + However, Conservancy can accommodate the needs of projects that want + their assets under the control of a not-for-profit entity and exercised + only for the public good.
+ +Projects sometimes need to negotiate and execute a contract with a + company. For example, when a project wants to organize and run a + conference, the venue usually has a complicated contract for rental of + the space and services. Conservancy assists projects in the negotiation + of such contracts, and can sign them on behalf of the project.
+ +Many Conservancy projects have an annual conference. Conservancy + provides logistical support for these conferences, particularly in the + area of financial responsibility and liability. Conservancy provides a + small amount of logistical support for conference in other ways, + resource-permitting.
+ +Since projects, upon joining, become organizationally part of + Conservancy, Conservancy can provide basic legal services to its member + projects through Conservancy's own General Counsel, outside counsel, and + pro-bono attorneys. For example, Conservancy assists its projects in + handling issues related to trademark registration, trademark policy + development and licensing, trademark enforcement, copyright licensing + and enforcement, and non-profit governance questions and issues.
+ +Complying with FLOSS licenses is easy, as they permit and encourage + both non-commercial and commercial distribution and improvements. + Nevertheless, violations of FLOSS licenses (in particular of + the GPL + and LGPL) are all + too common. At request of the project's leaders, Conservancy can carry + out license enforcement activity on behalf of the project's copyright + holders.
+ +Conservancy provides various tools and advice to member projects on + methods of raising funds for their projects' earmarked accounts.
+ +Member projects can continue to operate in the same way they did before +joining Conservancy without having to select a board of directors or +any other layer of corporate management, without having to maintain +corporate records and without having to do any of the other things +required of incorporated entities. Conservancy handles all of that +burden on behalf of its projects.
+ + +Many of Conservancy's directors are + experienced FLOSS project leaders. They offer themselves as a resource + to member project leaders who need assistance or face challenges in + their work leading their projects.
+ +When a project joins Conservancy, it formally becomes part of the + Conservancy. (The project is thus somewhat analogous to a division of a + company or a department in a large agency.) As such, project leaders + benefit from some amount of protection from personal liability for their + work on the project.
+ +Conservancy will organize and run community leadership committee elections + and/or ballot initiatives for its member project communities, + using online voting + software.
+ +Those familiar with non-profit terminology will recognize most of these + services + as fiscal + sponsorship services. This term is not particularly well + known in the FLOSS community, and many are confused by that term. + However, if you are familiar with what a fiscal sponsor typically does + in the non-profit sector, the term does fit many of services that + Conservancy offers its member projects.
+ +Project +leaders that believe their project might benefit from these services can +apply to become a member project.
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