[Noisebridge-discuss] Re: Draft Finance Policy

[Jacob Appelbaum]

jim wrote:
>    seems doing something quickly is better than taking 
> longer to do a better job. 

Hi Jim!

This kind of document should probably go onto the wiki. It would help us
to better collaborate.

It's worth noting that we've actually been over nearly all of these
issues at our physical meetings! Have you come to the meetings? Or been
to the irc channel?

I'll put my comments in line here and if you'd like to create a wiki
page, that would be great!

(As a disclaimer:
The thoughts that follow are my personal thoughts as reflected by our
meetings. I am a board of director person but I really loathe anyone
using that as some kind of sacred cow status. No one on the board is
special, we've just been tackling these issues for a while. We are at
best, people who have the legal liability. Our positions of power are
not to be trusted. We are not the final say, we're an instrument of the
membership. Please feel free to disagree if you become a member or even
if you're not. :-) )

> 
> ----------------------------------
> 
> NoiseBridge Finance Policy (and related considerations) 
> Draft for Discussion 
> 
> 
> Minimum Reserve 
> 
> A NoiseBridge bank account should have at least six months' 
> expenses to pay rent, insurance, ISP, power, and various 
> supplies. 
> 
> NoiseBridge should run a funding drive if balance falls 
> below five months, to continue until balance exceeds 
> seven months. 
> 
> Consider having parties as part of funding drives. What 
> other events and efforts? 

This is very much in line with what we've been trying to do. So far
we've raised pledges of around $10,500USD:
https://www.noisebridge.net/index.php/Finances

> 
> 
> Bank Account Access 
> 
> Noisebridge corporate account checks should require two 
> signatures, any two of four Noisebridge members may sign 
> checks (or all board members or all officers may sign 
> checks: the important point is to require two signatures 
> for a check). Those who can sign checks should also have 
> the responsibility for reporting current financial status 
> at regular times. 
> 

It's possible that we'll implement something like this. I suspect the
limiting factor is two-fold:

    1) Banks are probably not going to like this very much.
    2) Members may not be happy with any two people being able to drain
the bank account.

Remember that we've structured the (soon to be) 501c3 in such a way that
we're all capital 'M' "Members." This is an important legal distinction
and one that I'm really happy about (we may live to regret it but we
don't yet).

The finances will be published, hopefully in real time. Transparency is
key. We want to avoid major issues with money by letting it all hang out.

> Consider a second short-term CD or other interest-bearing 
> account as a complement to the checking account. Such an 
> account should have a restriction to control release of 
> funds, perhaps funds can only be released to the checking 
> account. 
> 

This is a great idea. If you have some suggestions for a bank that can
handle all of the above, that would be wonderful! We've put up a lot of
banking stuff on the finances page. Do you have any preference?

> Member Dues 
> 
> Two-tier membership plan: higher tier pays a higher 
> monthly dues for unrestricted use; lower tier pays a 
> lower monthly dues but must also pay a per-use fee. All 
> payments must be by check. 

Here's where we're going to diverge. We're a flat organization. There
are no "high priests" here. We're not running a service center, people
won't just stop by and pay a daily use fee to use the electronics lab.
If people stop by to fix something, we're hopefully not going to be so
hard up that we can't share with them. This is critical in fostering a
good relationship with our neighborhood and in bringing in new people as
something more than their so called "worth" measured in dollars.

We will accept money in any form people want to send it. Check, paypal,
cash, anonymously blinded (David Chaum! Why didn't you sell to visa or
mastercard?!) e-cash, e-gold, sacks of quarters, etc -

When we're officially a 501c3, we'll even issue specific receipts to
ensure people get the tax benefits they expect.

> 
> Consider a vetting process for new members. SF Gem and 
> Mineral Society's vetting consists of prospective 
> members getting two current members to vouch for them 
> (first step is a short chat with each of the existing 
> members, second step has two members okaying the 
> prospect at a meeting, third step consists of new member 
> payment and receipt of a card. 
> 

We have a vetting process. In short, people coming to the space need to
be a part of the community by being a part of the community.

> Consider issuing a NoiseBridge member card with a 
> member number and a date. Possible to barcode or 
> otherwise enable electronic verification (alternate 
> possibilities could be fun). 

If we have any card, it will probably be a blank entry card. People can
decorate it however they like and we (as an org) will hopefully do
nothing of the sort. We're not creating a flashy emblem or status
symbol. People can do that themselves.

We're very likely to use the anonaccess system by Das Labor (as has been
discussed many times, David and I are looking at the hardware for this
as I write this):
http://events.ccc.de/congress/2007/Fahrplan/events/2351.en.html

We want anonymous credentials for our door and the card shouldn't
identify someone as a member. We don't need or want status symbols.

> Consider requiring higher tier members to maintain at 
> least two or three months' paid-ahead status. 
> 

We almost certainly won't require anything. People can do as they
please. Their contributions will be noted in public, on the wiki and in
the bank balance statements.

> Consider releasing keys only to higher tier members. 
> This idea suggests regular hours and some set of 
> persons willing to open the place for those without 
> keys. 

We're going to ensure that the space is open to all members. We're not
going to treat some of the group like less because of their financial
status. A member who donates $1000 but never hacks, never shows up and
doesn't participate (other than bike shedding) isn't actually part of
the community. Money isn't the most important facet of community
participation.

> Some small group should share managing and tracking 
> this stuff. 
>

The entire thing is currently and will continue to be managed with our
wiki, mailing list and possibly using crabgrass in the future.

> 
> Physical Supplies 
> 
> Donations of equipment and other physical goods do 
> not count as member dues. Consider loaning or giving 
> things for NoiseBridge use. 

If someone donates us a $20,000 laser cutter, they're probably going to
get a pass on their $50 membership dues. Not from any one specific
person but from the membership as a whole. I'm also pretty sure this is
going to self regulate. Some people will contribute things that are of
value that cannot be counted in terms of dollars per month or per hour
or whatever time frame, etc.

We do not need _anything_ currently. Loaning things is probably a very
bad idea. If you're burdened with something and Noisebridge could use it
or would want it, please by all means donate it. When we're a 501c3,
this will especially be great. With that said, we're probably going to
destroy or consume a lot of things. It's unrealistic to want it back and
it may even create personal drama when someone brings in "their"
do-hickey that is "misused" or otherwise not available to them on their
personal whims.

> 
> Supplies to be paid for as part of ongoing expenses 
> could include cleaning chemicals (to be determined) 
> along with one good quality broom, one good quality 
> mop, up to four various-sized sponges, supplies of 
> paper towels, toilet paper, toilet seat sanitary 
> covers, plumber's friend, toilet bowl brush and 
> holder, two five-gallon plastic buckets, two 
> two-gallon plastic buckets, up to four other 
> various-sized buckets or containers. 

This is pretty reasonable.  It should go on the wiki somewhere, perhaps
under a supplies page for the space?

> 
> Consider drinks to be personal items. Or consider 
> purchasing a vending machine. Having an honor bar 
> with a cash jar and the responsibility of getting 
> the cash and stocking contents seems too much 
> hassle for the possible rewards. 

Heh. We're a space full of hackers. If we put a vending machine up, I'm
personally going to hack it and give away whatever is inside. If we
can't trust each other to put in for soda or whatever, it's probably a
moot point to even attempt sharing _anything_. Personally, I'm of the
mindset (and I'm not alone) that we're going to assume some risk.
Someone will drink a soda without having a dollar. Someone else will put
in a five and not ask for change.

We're not solving that problem until we actually have it!

Best,
Jake