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{% block subtitle %}Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy - {% endblock %}
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<h1 id="software-freedom-conservancy-travel-and-reimbursable-expense-policy">Software Freedom Conservancy Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy</h1>
<h2 id="december-2023-amendment">Amendment to Travel Policy, 2023-12-10</h2>
<p>The following changes are put in place to modify the existing  policy. We recognize that there are multiple portions of the policy that are out dated and that these changes are necessary to support travelers as they do their good work of contributing to FOSS. The intention of these changes is to grant additional flexibility above and beyond that already written into the policy.</p>
<p>It is permissible to adjust the times in your fare search to only reasonable travel times (i.e. avoiding redeyes where possible,  avoiding very early morning or late at night flights or if you need certain times due to obligations, personal or professional, you cannot move).  If the cheapest flight includes a layover of more than 3 hours more than the other relevant flights, or an overnight layover where one is not necessary, you can simply ignore the cheaper inconvenient flight (and say so in your reimbursement request).</p>
<p>If you want to upgrade your flight at your own expense, you can do so without prior approval. You will not be reimbursed for the additional amount.</p>
<p>If the cheapest fare is a basic economy fare, you may add an additional $200 to flight budget so that you can choose a regular economy fare (please note that basic economy fares have hidden costs like baggage and seat assignment fees that ultimately make those fares more expensive). This would make the flight budget $300 above the cheapest available flight. Alternatively, you may include a luggage fee for your first bag (either carry on or checked) and a fee for advanced seat selection up to the price of that increased flight budget.</p>
<p>You may stay at the official conference hotel or any hotel that is the same price or less. Where there is no conference hotel, you may book a hotel at the GSA or Department of state rate +15%.</p>
<p>SFC reserves the right to reject any reimbursement that is submitted after 90 days (this could become particularly urgent depending on times related to closing our financial books). Where we are able to pay after the 90 days, unless there is some exceptional circumstance, we will reimburse you for less money the longer after the 90 days the request is submitted.</p>
<p>If you are attending an event that is nearby to where you live (accessible by local transportation), you may claim M&IE for any day of attendance at the travel day rate (75% rate).</p>
<p>Please also consider if your destination may be reasonably reached by train, rather than by plane for environmental reasons.</p>
<h2 id="covid-19-travel-policy-amendment-2022-07-25">COVID-19 Travel Policy Amendment, 2022-07-25</h2>
<p>The travel hiatus instituted by Software Freedom Conservancy from 2022-03-27
through 2022-07-25 has been lifted.  In its place is the following amendment
to our policy, effective 14 July 2022:</p>
<p>Software Freedom Conservancy recommends against travel due to the risks to
travelers and others from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic/epidemic.  No
volunteer, contractor or staffer is required by SFC to undertake any travel
whatsoever at this time. Those travelers who have evaluated the risks and
still choose to travel may be reimbursed under our standard policy.  As such,
travelers will personally assume any additional expenses or liability arising
from the travel and their exposure to COVID-19, including extended hotel
stays, medical fees or any other unexpected expenses due to illness.</p>
<p>In addition to the expenses reimbursed in the travel policy, Conservancy will
reimburse any traveler up to four COVID-19 home tests used to assess the
safety of travel or whether the traveler should isolate or increase their mask
usage. Conservancy will also reimburse the purchase of one N95 or KN95 mask
for each day of travel. Conservancy strongly recommends wearing high quality
masks at all times during funded travel that the traveler is indoors in the
same room as other people, and outdoors when in close proximity to other
people.</p>
<p>Canceling travel due to a good faith decision in light of a positive COVID
test or due to a case surge either locally or at the travel destination will
be considered a valid reason for cancellation under the policy (see
Cancellation Fess below).</p>
<p>For reference, the COVID-19 policy that was in effect from 2020-03-27 to
2022-07-25 is included at the end of this travel policy.</p>
<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
<p>This Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy (&ldquo;Policy&rdquo;) applies to all
Conservancy Member Projects (&ldquo;Projects&rdquo;) of Software Freedom Conservancy
(&ldquo;Conservancy&rdquo;) and has been created to memorialize Conservancy&rsquo;s
reimbursement policies relating to travel and other business expenses
incurred by Conservancy staff, Project Leadership Committee (&ldquo;PLC&rdquo;)
members, and project volunteers while engaged in business on behalf of, or
at the behest of Conservancy and/or a Project (&ldquo;Travelers&rdquo;).</p>
<p>This Policy includes an Easy Reference Guide that can be used as a
template for most of the travel covered under this Policy.  When in doubt,
refer to the more detailed sections below.</p>
<h2 id="purpose">Purpose</h2>
<p>Conservancy must maintain effective control of business-related expenses
in order to maintain its financial viability and tax exempt status.
Conservancy and each Project is also accountable to our donors to ensure
that we manage their contributions wisely and maximize our ability to
pursue our charitable mission.  As such, Conservancy expects Travelers 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&rsquo;s charitable mission are not eligible for
reimbursement.</p>
<p>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&rsquo;s Executive Director or
by a Project&rsquo;s Leadership Committee (&ldquo;PLC&rdquo;) 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.</p>
<p>PLC&rsquo;s may, in fact, have their own travel policy that is more restrictive
than this one.  Please consult the PLC for your Conservancy project before
incurring an expenses to ensure you understand what expenses can be
reimbursed.</p>
<h2 id="easy-reference-guide">Easy Reference Guide</h2>
<p>Travelers should adhere to the following guidelines to stay In-Policy.</p>
<h3 id="flights">Nearby events</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>If you are attending an event that is nearby to where you live
   (accessible by local transportation), you may claim M&IE for any day of
   attendance at the travel day rate (75% rate).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Please also consider if your destination may be reasonably reached by
   train, rather than by plane for environmental reasons.</p>
</li>
<h3 id="flights">Flights</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Before you buy tickets, save a screenshot of a flight search that
  shows the least expensive fare available from multiple airlines for
  the dates you need to travel.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Book at least 14 days in advance.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Fares within $100 of that lowest fare you found are In-Policy, even if
  you book on a different site or for different dates.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Fares over $750 domestically or $1,650 internationally require
  Conservancy&rsquo;s pre-approval.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="hotels">Hotels</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>You may stay at the official conference hotel or any hotel that is the same
   price or less. Where there is no conference hotel, you may book a hotel at
   the GSA or Department of state rate +15%. See the &ldquo;Rates&rdquo;
   section below for details.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Be sure the receipt from your hotel includes the dates of your
  stay, not just a total.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="receipts">Receipts</h3>
<p>Keep and submit PDFs of the following, as applicable:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Your fare search (i.e., a screen shot)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Your plane and rail tickets (e-confirmation of purchase is sufficient)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Your hotel/lodging invoice</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="per-diem">Per Diem</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Use your per diem to cover meals and incidental expenses.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Your total per diem allowance follows the rates published for your
  destination.  See the &ldquo;Rates&rdquo; section below for details.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Try to be frugal: per diem rates are rather generous.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>When attending a conference where food is included, Do The Right
  Thing and claim a lower per diem.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="reimbursement">Reimbursement</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>To receive reimbursement, send transportation and hotel receipts,
  along with a list of per diem days and totals, to
  <a href="&#109;&#97;&#105;&#108;&#116;&#111;&#58;&#97;&#99;&#99;&#111;&#117;&#110;&#116;&#115;&#45;&#112;&#97;&#121;&#97;&#98;&#108;&#101;&#64;&#116;&#105;&#120;&#46;&#115;&#102;&#99;&#111;&#110;&#115;&#101;&#114;&#118;&#97;&#110;&#99;&#121;&#46;&#111;&#114;&#103;">&#97;&#99;&#99;&#111;&#117;&#110;&#116;&#115;&#45;&#112;&#97;&#121;&#97;&#98;&#108;&#101;&#64;&#116;&#105;&#120;&#46;&#115;&#102;&#99;&#111;&#110;&#115;&#101;&#114;&#118;&#97;&#110;&#99;&#121;&#46;&#111;&#114;&#103;</a>.  Refer to the Expense Report
  section below for details.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Your complete reimbursement request must be submitted to
  <a href="&#109;&#97;&#105;&#108;&#116;&#111;&#58;&#97;&#99;&#99;&#111;&#117;&#110;&#116;&#115;&#45;&#112;&#97;&#121;&#97;&#98;&#108;&#101;&#64;&#116;&#105;&#120;&#46;&#115;&#102;&#99;&#111;&#110;&#115;&#101;&#114;&#118;&#97;&#110;&#99;&#121;&#46;&#111;&#114;&#103;">&#97;&#99;&#99;&#111;&#117;&#110;&#116;&#115;&#45;&#112;&#97;&#121;&#97;&#98;&#108;&#101;&#64;&#116;&#105;&#120;&#46;&#115;&#102;&#99;&#111;&#110;&#115;&#101;&#114;&#118;&#97;&#110;&#99;&#121;&#46;&#111;&#114;&#103;</a> within 90 days of the last date of
  travel.  Untimely requests <strong>will not be reimbursed</strong>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>SFC reserves the right to reject any reimbursement that is submitted after
   90 days (this could become particularly urgent depending on times related
   to closing our financial books). Where we are able to pay after the 90
   days, unless there is some exceptional circumstance, we will reimburse
   you for less money the longer after the 90 days the request is submitted.
</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="rates">Rates</h2>
<p>Throughout this document, we refer to rates reported by other parties.</p>
<p>For travel in the United States, we follow the maximum rates for lodging and
M&amp;IE per diem set by the
<a href="https://www.gsa.gov/perdiem">US General Services Administration</a>.</p>
<p>For travel outside the United States, we follow the maximum rates for lodging and
M&amp;IE per diem set by the
<a href="https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp">US Department of State</a>.</p>
<p>We calculate the total per diem allowance for a trip using the same method
as the GSA.  Travelers may request up to 100% of the listed rate for each
full day of travel, plus 75% of the listed rate for each partial day of
travel.  For example, if you fly to a conference on Monday, spend Tuesday
through Thursday at the conference, and return home on Friday, and the per
diem rate for the conference city is $80, you may request up to $360: $80
for each day Tuesday through Thursday, plus $60 for each day you flew.</p>
<p>When we convert currencies (e.g., to determine whether a hotel paid in Euros
was within the maximum lodging rate), we use the final rate published by
<a href="https://openexchangerates.org/">Open Exchange Rates</a> on the date we received
the reimbursement request.  Please do not do your own currency conversions
in your reimbursement requests.  Simply report expenses in their original
currency/ies, and we will convert appropriately.  If you have questions or
concerns about our rates, just ask, and we&rsquo;ll be happy to provide details
before we send you final payment.</p>
<h2 id="reimbursement-procedure">Reimbursement Procedure</h2>
<p>Conservancy handles reimbursements on a NET-30 basis, starting from the date
that complete materials are received.  If this is an issue, Conservancy is
available to prepurchase expensive items like airline tickets on your
behalf, so that you don&rsquo;t need to be reimbursed.</p>
<p>If you seek to be reimbursed for Conservancy Project expenses, please send
the following, in a self contained email (with attachments as necessary),
cc&rsquo;ing your Project Leadership Committee address (PROJECT@sfconservancy.org)
for Project approval:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>A brief paragraph explaining what was accomplished for the project
  during your travel and/or with the funds being reimbursed.  This can
  be informal; it&rsquo;s just for our records to confirm the travel advanced
  the not-for-profit mission of both Conservancy and the project.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>A brief report listing the items to be reimbursed.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Full receipt(s) for everything, unless the travel policy does not
  require receipts (e.g., for per diem expenses).</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Please verify that the receipts that you submit are within the attached
  travel policy requirements.  Note, however, that your Project Leadership
  Committee may have set a stricter budget than what the general
  Conservancy policy allows.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>How you&rsquo;d liked to be reimbursed. The four payment options, in order of
  Conservancy&rsquo;s preference, are:</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>PayPal.  For this, we need (a) the email address that is registered to
    the PayPal account that will receive reimbursement and (b) the preferred
    currency.  (Please verify that PayPal
    <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/selfhelp/article/how-do-i-send-a-payment-in-another-currency-faq1555/3">lists your preferred currency as available before choosing one</a>.)
    Note that sometimes PayPal charges fees.  Usually we&rsquo;re taking funds
    from our PayPal balance, which means no fees appear on our side, but
    they may appear on yours.  In our experience, USA PayPal account holders
    physically in the USA are not typically charged fees; but we do advise
    you to check PayPal&rsquo;s fee schedule before choosing this method.</p>
<p>NOTE: Typically, when choosing PayPal as a payment option, amounts owed
        in USD will be paid in USD, regardless of your preferred currency
        selection.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Issue you a check in USD from a USA bank, sent to you via post.
    For this option, I just need your postal address.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Wire the amount in your local currency to your bank account in your
    country.  For this option, I need as much of the following information
    as it&rsquo;s possible for you to collect.</p>
<p><strong>Required information</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Full Name of the Account Holder</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Full Address of the Account Holder</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Account Number</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Preferred Currency</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Bank Name</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Bank Address</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Bank ACH or ABA routing number (for banks in the US);
    or SWIFT and/or BIC code (for banks outside the US)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Additional required information by country</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>All countries inside the EU, and all wires in EUR &amp; XAF: IBAN</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Australia: BSB or &ldquo;Bank Code&rdquo;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Brazil: IBAN; Tax ID of the Account Holder (your 14-digit CNPJ
      or 11-digit CPF); Phone Number of the Account Holder;
      and Bank Agency Code</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>LKR Currency: Bank Branch details</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>KES Currency: Bank Branch details</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Cameroon: IBAN</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Colombia: Tax ID of the Account Holder; and Phone Number
      of the Account Holder</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>India: IFSC Code</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Kenya: The name, address, and branch code of the local branch of your
      bank where you hold your account</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Qatar: IBAN</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Russian Federation: Beneficiary INN; Patronymic Name of Beneficiary;
      and VAT/VO Code of Beneficiary Bank</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Ukraine: BSB or &ldquo;Bank Code&rdquo;; Tax ID of the Account Holder;
      and Phone Number of the Account Holder</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>United States: Phone Number of the Account Holder</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Additional information we can use</strong></p>
<p>Banks outside the US will often designate a Correspondent Bank when
  receiving funds from the US.  If you can give us the Correspondent
  Bank Name and ACH, we can specify that in the wire.  Your bank will
  usually take the fewest fees when receiving wires from its
  Correspondent Bank, so this will mean the most money for you.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>A check in your local currency, sent to you via post. For this option, we
    just need your postal address and what currency you want. Note that this
    is a more involved option to process and will usually take at least 30
    days to issue payment.  We do not recommend this method.  Please choose
    it only if you absolutely cannot receive a wire transfer for some reason.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Project Leadership Committees: when you see emails of this nature, please
be sure to have your designated Representative review the materials and
send an approval message to Conservancy.</p>
<h2 id="project-leadership-committee-review">Project Leadership Committee Review</h2>
<p>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 seeking an exception to the
Policy must obtain written approval from Conservancy authorizing the
exception.</p>
<p>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</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>a specific number of days to respond to regular reimbursement requests,
and</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>a specific number of days to respond to pre-authorization requests.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>PLCs are also responsible for monitoring the available balance in their
Project Fund, and for granting or refusing approval for travel expense
requests based on an assessment of the funds available and of any
outstanding contracts payable.  PLCs are not to approve travel expense
requests when their Project does not have sufficient funds to cover the
expense.  If a PLC has any questions regarding whether their Project has
sufficient funds to cover a Traveler&rsquo;s expense request, the PLC should
contact Conservancy.</p>
<h2 id="transportation">Transportation</h2>
<h3 id="overall-transportation-cost">Overall transportation Cost</h3>
<p>Domestic transportation costs greater than US$750 requires Conservancy
approval prior to booking, even if all other Policy conditions have been
met.  International transportation costs greater than US$1,800 requires
Conservancy approval prior to booking, even if all other Policy conditions
have been met.</p>
<h3 id="advance-purchase">Advance Purchase</h3>
<p>Tickets for travel by air or rail (excluding commuter train and subway)
should be booked at least 14 days in advance; any travel booked less than
14 days in advance requires written pre-authorization by Conservancy.
Tickets for travel by air or rail beyond 365 days in advance also require
written pre-authorization by Conservancy.</p>
<h3 id="air-travel">Air Travel</h3>
<h4 id="class-of-service">Class of Service</h4>
<p>Coach and/or Economy Airfare is the only acceptable class for all flights
(domestic and international) unless a PLC provides a special exception and
a valid reason (such as a need for business class due to a documented
medical 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 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.</p>
<h4 id="advance-purchase_1">Advance Purchase</h4>
<p>Air 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.</p>
<h4 id="low-fare">Low Fare</h4>
<p>Conservancy aims to balance cost savings with time savings and convenience.
Budgets for flights are set based on their travel time compared to the
flight with the lowest available fare.  Flights with fares that are within
budget are in-Policy.</p>
<p>To find the lowest available fare, run a flight search that meets these
criteria, and save the results:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>The search must include fares from multiple airlines.  Any
  widely-recognized airfare search site that lists results from multiple
  airlines is acceptable, including sites such as
  <a href="http://orbitz.com">Orbitz</a>, <a href="http://kayak.com">Kayak</a> or
  <a href="http://hipmunk.com/">Hipmunk</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The search must cover only the dates of relevant travel.  For example, if
  you&rsquo;re attending a conference that runs Monday through Friday, the search
  must have you arriving no earlier than Sunday, and leaving no later than
  Saturday.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Except as allowed by Policy, the search must not use filters that might
  exclude the least expensive fare.  For example, you may filter out
  flights with two or more connections, since Conservancy does not
  consider those reasonable.  However, you may not filter out specific
  airlines, or flights without WiFi.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you want to upgrade your flight at your own expense, you can do so
   without prior approval. You will not be reimbursed for the additional
   amount.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If the cheapest fare is a basic economy fare, you may add an additional
   $200 to flight budget so that you can choose a regular economy fare
   (please note that basic economy fares have hidden costs like baggage and
   seat assignment fees that ultimately make those fares more expensive).
   This would make the flight budget $300 above the cheapest available
   flight. Alternatively, you may include a luggage fee for your first bag
   (either carry on or checked) and a fee for advanced seat selection up to
   the price of that increased flight budget.</p>
</ul>
<p>Save the results of this search.  A PDF printout of the first page of
results from your browser is ideal.  A screenshot can work too.  Just make
sure the output shows the search criteria and the lowest available fare.
When you send your reimbursement request, attach these results.</p>
<p>The budget for a flight is set depending on how its cost and travel time
compares to the flight with the lowest available fare.  Travel time is
measured from the scheduled departure time of the first flight in the
itinerary to the scheduled landing time of the final flight.  We use the
following table to determine the budget:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>If the travel time for a flight is…</th>
<th>the budget for that flight is…</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>the same or longer than the flight with the lowest available fare</td>
<td>the lowest available fare + US$100</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>less than three hours shorter</td>
<td>the lowest available fare + US$100</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>between three and six hours shorter</td>
<td>the lowest available fare + US$200</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>between six and ten hours shorter</td>
<td>the lowest available fare + US$350</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>at least ten hours shorter</td>
<td>the lowest available fare + US$600</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Any flight with a total cost that is within its corresponding budget is
within Policy.  Any flight with a cost over its budget requires written
pre-authorization by Conservancy.</p>
<p>Travelers may book their tickets on different dates or a different site as
long as they used a qualifying fare search site to determine that the
booked flights are within Policy.</p>
<h4 id="reasonable-flights">Reasonable Flights</h4>
<p>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.</p>

<p>It is permissible to adjust the times in your fare search to only reasonable
travel times (i.e. avoiding redeyes where possible,  avoiding very early
morning or late at night flights or if you need certain times due to
obligations, personal or professional, you cannot move).  If the cheapest
flight includes a layover of more than 3 hours more than the other relevant
flights, or an overnight layover where one is not necessary, you can simply
ignore the cheaper inconvenient flight (and say so in your reimbursement
request).</p>

<h4 id="excess-baggage">Excess Baggage</h4>
<p>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 with a
receipt.  Team members are responsible for charges on any baggage beyond a
single piece, unless that additional baggage is materials specifically
related to the Project&rsquo;s and Conservancy&rsquo;s mission (i.e., bringing t-shirts
and other promotional materials to an event).</p>
<h4 id="out-of-policy-bookings">Out-of-Policy Bookings</h4>
<p>All air travel not adhering to the above Policies are considered Out-of-Policy
and require written pre-authorization by an officer of Conservancy.</p>
<h4 id="cancellation-fees">Cancellation Fees</h4>
<p>Cancellation fees and other penalties incurred result of a change
of plans are reimbursable at Conservancy&rsquo;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.</p>
<h3 id="other-transportation">Other Transportation</h3>
<h4 id="ground-transportation">Ground Transportation</h4>
<p>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 an officer of Conservancy.  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).</p>
<h4 id="rail-transportation">Rail Transportation</h4>
<p>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 and/or coach class.</p>
<h4 id="use-of-personal-vehicles">Use of Personal Vehicles</h4>
<p>When circumstances require Travelers to utilize their personal vehicles for
Project purposes, they can be reimbursed at the current
<a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates/">USA IRS Standard Mileage Rate</a>,
plus any related parking expenses and toll fees.  Drivers are encouraged to
find the lowest cost parking area reasonably near their destination.</p>
<h2 id="additional-days-of-travel">Additional Days of Travel</h2>
<p>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&rsquo;s objectives and Conservancy&rsquo;s charitable
mission, or to get a particular airfare that <strong>reduces</strong> the overall cost of
the trip.  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 transportation costs are not reimbursable.</p>
<h2 id="lodging">Lodging</h2>
<p>Travelers are expected to be cost-conscious and prudent when booking lodging
for approved trips, and to verify that rates are within the maximum lodging
rates for the hotel&rsquo;s location.  See the &ldquo;Rates&rdquo; section above for details.</p>
<p>If the lodging chosen by the Traveler and/or the PLC exceeds the maximum
lodging rate for the given location (per Traveler), the Traveler and/or the
PLC <strong>must</strong> obtain written pre-approval from Conservancy and the PLC before
booking the hotel.  If written pre-approval is not sought or is not granted,
Conservancy will only reimburse up to the maximum lodging rate.</p>
<p>Lodging documentation submitted as part of a reimbursement request must
include a copy of the hotel invoice detailing all charges (credit card
receipts <strong>alone</strong> are unacceptable).  In particular, since Conservancy only
reimburses for room charges (plus relevant taxes and fees) for the necessary
travel dates, the receipt from the hotel must clearly show the dates of stay,
and separately list room charges and any food or service charges.
Conservancy will not reimburse Travelers for any costs associated with an
upgrade of room accommodations.</p>
<p>In some cases, Conservancy, upon consultation with the PLC, may decide to
book lodging on behalf of Travelers.  In this case, Conservancy-booked
lodging is always considered In-Policy.</p>
<h2 id="other-reimbursable-expenses">Other Reimbursable Expenses</h2>
<p>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.</p>
<h3 id="meals-and-incidental-expenses">Meals and Incidental Expenses</h3>
<h4 id="overview_1">Overview</h4>
<p>Travelers can submit for a per diem for meals and incidental expenses for
every day of a trip devoted to Project- and/or Conservancy-related mission
work, including the day(s) of travel itself, up to the maximum rate for the
destination of the trip.  See the &ldquo;Rates&rdquo; section above for details.</p>
<p>These per diem rates are the maximum daily rate Travelers can claim.  If a
conference has provided food, or food is provided in some other form, or
the costs the Traveler incurs are lower than this rate, then the Traveler
should reasonably reduce their per diem claim.</p>
<p>PLCs and/or Conservancy have the authority to set lower per diem rates
than those generated by the calculators above.  In those instances,
Travelers will only be able to submit for the lower per diem rates.</p>
<h4 id="group-meals">Group Meals</h4>
<p>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 diem reimbursements after the trip.</p>
<p>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&rsquo;s technical objectives and/or
Conservancy&rsquo;s mission.  Travelers anticipating a need to cover such
a large group meal should seek pre-approval from his/her PLC and/or Conservancy
for such expenses before the trip.</p>
<p>For any such group meal, Conservancy will require a written paragraph
summary of the meeting, indicating what was accomplished for the Project&rsquo;s
and Conservancy&rsquo;s mission.</p>
<h4 id="meals-for-organizational-development">Meals For Organizational Development</h4>
<p>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&rsquo;s technical direction and/or Conservancy&rsquo;s
mission.  Conservancy recommends that Travelers seek pre-approval from
their PLC and/or Conservancy for such meals.</p>
<p>For any such organizational development meal, Conservancy will require a
written paragraph summary of the meeting, indicating what was accomplished
for the Project&rsquo;s and Conservancy&rsquo;s mission.</p>
<h4 id="phone-call-charges-part-of-per-diem">Phone Call Charges Part of Per Diem</h4>
<p>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.</p>
<h4 id="currency-conversion-charges-part-of-per-diem">Currency Conversion Charges Part of Per Diem</h4>
<p>Any fees associated with currency conversion are not reimbursable as an
expense separate from the allocated per diem.</p>
<h3 id="conference-registration-fees">Conference Registration Fees</h3>
<p>Conservancy will reimburse conference registration fees up to $100 per day
for Travelers on approved Project business and/or approved Conservancy
business.  For example, a $250 registration fee for a 3-day conference is
In-Policy; however, a $225 registration fee for a 2-day conference is not.</p>
<p>Travelers seeking reimbursement for registration fees that exceed $100 per
day must obtain prior approval from an officer of Conservancy.</p>
<h3 id="internet-access">Internet Access</h3>
<p>Internet access/wi-fi fees charged by a hotel are reimbursable, provided
that they are listed on the hotel/lodging invoice submitted for
reimbursement.  Other internet access fees (e.g., airport internet
services, personal wi-fi hotspots, internet cafes) are not reimbursable
except as incidental expenses to be covered by a Traveler&rsquo;s per diem.</p>
<h3 id="visa-fees">Visa Fees</h3>
<p>Conservancy will reimburse fees charged by an embassy (or any government
agency) that are mandatory for receiving a visa (or other permission) to
enter the final destination country of travel, provided proper documentation
of cost (such as a receipt, or a copy of the visa along with government
published rates).</p>
<p>Conservancy may reimburse other ancillary costs, such as use of a travel
expert agency for obtaining a visa, or additional domestic travel costs
necessary to obtain a visa, but all such other costs require prior approval
from Conservancy.</p>
<h2 id="non-reimbursable-expenses">Non-reimbursable Expenses</h2>
<p>Non-reimbursable expenses are identified throughout this policy.  The
following items are typically non-reimbursable expenses:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Partner, spouse, and/or companion travel</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>First class travel (unless medically necessary)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Upgrades to air travel, car rentals, or hotel rooms</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Purchase of clothing, luggage, toiletries and other miscellaneous
personal items</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Supplemental travel or car rental insurance</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Fines, penalties, or legal fees</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Personal entertainment or recreational expenses beyond the allotted per
diem</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Travelers are permitted to pay for their own upgrades, or use bonus
programs to upgrade Conservancy-reimbursed expenses.  However, Travelers
must ensure that Conservancy does not receive nor reimburse any charges
for any such transaction.</p>
<h2 id="satisfaction-of-irs-requirements">Satisfaction of IRS Requirements</h2>
<p>Reimbursed travel expenses are subject to examination by the USA 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.</p>
<h2 id="approvals">Approvals</h2>
<p>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&rsquo;s accounting office for
final approval and reimbursement.</p>
<p>Travelers traveling on behalf of Conservancy must seek approvals from
Conservancy&rsquo;s Executive Director, and submit expense reports to
Conservancy&rsquo;s accounting office for reimbursement.</p>
<h2 id="expense-reporting">Expense Reporting</h2>
<p>Travelers seeking reimbursement must submit an expense report to the
appropriate channel with the following information:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Name of Traveler</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Brief description of trip and trip&rsquo;s purpose (e.g., &ldquo;August 2011
trip to XYZ conference for ABC project, served as planning committee
member&rdquo;; &ldquo;Feb. &lsquo;12 FOO hackfest in Portland, OR; contributed code&rdquo;)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>A brief paragraph explaining what was accomplished for the project
during your travel.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Number of days traveled (with documentary evidence, e.g., conference
itinerary, etc.) and associated per diem</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>List of expenses not covered by per diem (e.g., transportation, lodging)
with substantiating receipts (or scans of receipts).</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>In the event that it is impractical to obtain a required receipt and/or if
  such receipt has been inadvertently destroyed or lost, the Traveler should
  furnish a written statement to that effect, as well as an explanation of
  the expenditure involved.  When possible, secondary documentation (such as
  a redacted credit card bill) should be provided instead of the
  lost/destroyed receipt.</p>
<p>Any expense without a substantiated receipt and/or a supporting written
statement will not be reimbursed.</p>
<p>Conservancy requests that all expense reports be submitted within two weeks
of travel.  Expense reports filed more than 90 days after the last day of
travel (or for other reimbursable expenses, the day expenses are incurred)
<strong>will not be reimbursed</strong>.</p>
<p>Reimbursements are paid by Conservancy on a NET-30 basis, from the
date of receipt by Conservancy of the fully complete report and supporting
documentation for the travel.</p>
<h2 id="consequences-of-policy-violations">Consequences of Policy Violations</h2>
<p>Failure to comply with this policy may result in the denial of, or delay
in payment for, reimbursement requests.</p>
<h2 id="policy-changes">Policy Changes</h2>
<p>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. </p>
<h2 id="covid-19-travel-policy-amendment-in-effect-from-2020-03-27-until-2022-07-25">COVID-19 Travel Policy Amendment, in effect from 2020-03-27 until 2022-07-25</h2>
<p><em>The remaining section below is no longer in effect</em>.  It is kept here for
those who traveled and/or booked travel between 2020-03-27 to 2022-07-25 for
reference, as this amendment was in effect during that time.</p>
<p>In this difficult time, Conservancy is committed to reimbursing both employee and volunteer travelers who canceled program-related travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please keep in mind that Conservancy is a small charity, and we ask travelers to help us save the most money for Conservancy&rsquo;s projects. You can do this by maximizing the value for cancellations and by avoiding or reducing reimbursements when the vendor of the travel service offers credit and refunds.</p>
<p>This Policy will remain in effect indefinitely. We will officially rescind this Policy after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. Check back to our travel policy page for the rescinded date before you submit canceled travel reimbursement or book any new travel.</p>
<h3 id="new-travel-hiatus">New Travel Hiatus</h3>
<p>No new travel may be <strong>booked</strong> for reimbursement for Conservancy without explicit preapproval directly from Conservancy&rsquo;s Executive Director.  Any travel booked without such preapproval during the hiatus period will not be reimbursed.  If you need such preapproval, please write to the approvals queue and describe why the travel warrants an exception to this Policy.  Ask your PLC for the contact information if you don&rsquo;t have it.</p>
<p>Canceled trips due to COVID-19 pandemic will be reimbursed as follows.</p>
<h3 id="trivial-amounts-exception">Trivial Amounts Exception</h3>
<p>If the entire cost of any specific item is less than or equal to US$150, you need not provide additional documentation for cancellation. Simply submit the expense with the documentation as required under the main travel policy, and include a statement that asserts you did not travel (e.g., &ldquo;I am submitting a request for reimbursement for Conservancy-related travel for PROJECT which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.&rdquo;)</p>
<p>Note that the US$150 limit is for five different items: US$150 for airfare, US$150 for hotel/accommodations, US$150 for ground transportation, US$150 for visa fees, and US$150 for conference registration fees.</p>
<p>This limit may be further reduced by any overall budget set by your project. For example, Outreachy interns, whose travel budget is typically $500 total, may not exceed a $500 reimbursement in any event.</p>
<h3 id="airfare">Airfare</h3>
<p>Most airlines are offering flight credit for canceled flights, although some are offering full refunds. Typically, you <strong>cannot</strong> receive this credit or refund unless you phone the airline.</p>
<p>If your airline&rsquo;s online system does not offer a refund or flight credit, please phone your airline and request a refund. If the airline refuses a refund, ask for flight credit. Many airlines have written policies on their website, such as <a href="https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/coronavirus-travel/overview">Delta&rsquo;s</a>.</p>
<p>Please take notes during your call, including the name of the agent, any confirmation number they give you, the date by which your credit must be used, and the amount of the credit. Most airlines are offering credit for use within one year of the purchase and/or travel date.</p>
<p>Submit to Conservancy for reimbursement the following four things:</p>
<ul>
<li>Your original flight search</li>
<li>Your original receipt</li>
<li>A document officially from the airline that shows that flight(s)  is/are canceled</li>
<li>Your notes (or if possible, written documentation from the airline) documenting your attempt to receive refund/credit. The notes should include when you called, who you talked to, what you requested, of what refund and/or credit you received (if any) and when it expires</li>
</ul>
<p>These items must be submitted in full no less than 90 days after your original first date of travel.  We will not reimburse if submissions are not timely.</p>
<p>If all documentation is in order and the submission is timely, Conservancy will reimburse on usual NET-30 terms the amount you paid out-of-pocket to the airline. If you received flight credit, <strong>you may not use the credit for personal travel</strong> unless you return that amount to Conservancy.  We encourage you to use this credit for Conservancy travel. We will track the flight credit on our books, and expire it on the date of expiration. You will be given a new accounts-payable (A/P) ticket to use with an expiration set to the date of your credit expiration. Please be sure to use that ticket for any reimbursement that includes your flight credit. If you ultimately do not travel for Conservancy and/or your member project before the expiration, the ticket will expire and we&rsquo;ll move the funds off our books.</p>
<p>In the unlikely event that your airline has a written policy that they are offering no future flight credit nor refunds for COVID-19 cancellations, you can submit that as documentation for reimbursement in lieu of documentation of your phone call.</p>
<h3 id="hotels_1">Hotels</h3>
<p>Most hotels are offering full refunds, even for advance purchase, non-refundable rates. For example, here is <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/corporate/coronavirus/">Hilton&rsquo;s policy</a>.</p>
<p>In our experience, even smaller non-chain hotels are offering refunds if you phone to request them.</p>
<p>For prepurchase hotels, where your original receipt shows that the fare was a prepurchased and non-refundable rate, please follow the procedures above for flights to seek a refund and/or credit.</p>
<p>For nonprepurchased hotels, for example, those that have a cancellation period before arrival, it is your responsibility to cancel these in a timely manner. Conservancy will not reimburse for hotel costs where you failed to take advantage the free cancellation period.</p>
<p>In the unlikely event that you were scheduled to travel immediately before COVID-19 cancellations began (e.g., if you were scheduled to travel the first week of March), and you had to cancel too quickly and were charged by the hotel, please follow the non-refundable fare procedures.</p>
<h3 id="ground-transportation_1">Ground Transportation</h3>
<p>Cancellation policies vary for ground transportation (such as trains). Please follow the rules for airfare in this case.</p>
<h3 id="visa-fees_1">Visa Fees</h3>
<p>Visa fees are generally non-refundable in any event, and our research has shown that most countries are not refunding visa fees for canceled travel due to COVID-19. Accordingly, you may submit your full visa fee receipt for reimbursement pursuant to the main travel policy.</p>
<h3 id="conference-fees">Conference Fees</h3>
<p>We have yet to hear of a conference that is not refunding conference registration fees for individuals.  However, in the unlikely event that the conference you sought to attend is not refunding, please follow the airfare refund/credit documentation procedures above.</p>
<h3 id="mie-per-diem">M&amp;IE Per Diem</h3>
<p>All other items of reimbursement are typically covered by M&amp;IE Per Diem. No items that are typically covered by M&amp;IE Per Diem are reimbursable if you do not travel, and therefore only the items listed in this document are currently covered for COVID-19 cancellations. If you incurred other expenses not explained here, please write back to your A/P ticket and explain the situation.</p>
<h3 id="other-difficulties">Other Difficulties</h3>
<p>Please contact us via your reimbursement ticket if for some reason it is impossible or very difficult for you to follow this Policy.</p>

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