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'''NoiseBridge Finance Policy (and related considerations)
{{Template:OutOfDate}}
Draft for Discussion'''


==NoiseBridge Finance Policy - Currently in Draft for Discussion form==


'''Minimum Reserve'''
===Minimum Reserve===


''A NoiseBridge bank account should have at least six months'  
It seems reasonable to create a NoiseBridge bank account. It should have at least six months' expenses to pay rent, insurance, ISP, power, and for various consumable supplies. Currently we're in the burn rate evaluation phase. Once we've determined our average monthly burn rate, we'll know how much we should keep in the bank.
expenses to pay rent, insurance, ISP, power, and various  
supplies.''  


''NoiseBridge should run a funding drive if balance falls  
NoiseBridge should fund raise if our bank account balance falls below five months of our average burn rate. It seems reasonable to continue until balance exceeds seven months or more of a nice money cushion.
below five months, to continue until balance exceeds  
seven months. ''


''Consider having parties as part of funding drives. What
We may have rent parties in the same spirit as NYC Resistor. We may also simply make phone calls and ping our network. We may want to teach classes but it's counter to our spirit to charge for them (except possibly for parts cost, this TBD). If we're really feeling adventurous, we can apply for grants.
other events and efforts?''  


[Per Jake, 20080930: ] This is very much in line with
===Bank Account Access===
what we've been trying to do. So far we've raised pledges
of around $10,500USD. [EndJake]


Noisebridge corporate account will probably have debit cards or checks. The board should allocate some petty cash for having in the space and will otherwise sign checks as stipulated by the membership. Anyone that's signing checks will also report financial status updates in an open manner.


'''Bank Account Access'''
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.


''Noisebridge corporate account checks should require two
We'd like someone to help research 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. It seems reasonable to have funds released to the checking account only.
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.''


[Per Jake, 20080930: ] It's possible that we'll implement
===Member Dues===
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.


[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] i believe a two-signature
We have two official Membership rates, both with the same privilages and responsibilities.  The rate you choose is up to you, and you can change it at any time.
checking account is within common practice of most banks.  


the alternatives are having one person able to sign checks
The Regular Membership Dues are $80 per month. The Starving Hacker Membership Dues are $40 per month.
or having a number of persons able to sign check. both
seem more problematic than having a small number of persons
able to sign checks and requiring two signatures on each
check. the thinking behind this is that of the old pogo
cartoon: "i have met the enemy and it is us". there's
another appropriate maxim, "trust is efficient." [EndJim]


Remember that we've structured the (soon to be) 501c3 in
'''[[Donate or Pay Dues| Click here for info on how to pay your Membership Dues]].'''
such a way that we're all capital 'M' "Members." This is
<br>
an important legal distinction and one that I'm really
<br>
happy about (we may live to regret it but we don't yet).


[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] 501(c)3 status might be
If you're planning to be a member for a year, consider a simple check or cash payment in one lump sum.
far enough in the future not to merit too much discussion
at this point. it seems to me that membership ought to
be defined and probably more formalized than it is
currently. [EndJim]


The finances will be published, hopefully in real time.
===Physical Supplies===
Transparency is key. We want to avoid major issues with
money by letting it all hang out. [EndJake]
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] Amen. [EndJim]


''Consider a second short-term CD or other interest-bearing
Donations of equipment and other physical goods do not count as member dues. It certainly will help your reputation as being a generous member of the community but it won't pay the rent. It's possible that we'll consider exceptions as a membership. Consider donating things for NoiseBridge use, however - we do not accept things with strings attached.
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.''  


[Per Jake, 20080930: ] This is a great idea. If you have
We have drinks and food in the kitchen. Costs are being evaluated. It's an honors system bar. If it doesn't work, we'll change things.
some suggestions for a bank that canhandle 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? [EndJake]
 
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] this idea belongs in the  
list of questions to ask banks. [EndJim]
 
 
'''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.''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] 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. [EndJake]
 
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] i think i'm free of
elitist tendencies, to a large degree at least. my
private motivation was to allow a poor man's participation
so that i can be a paying member (i'm hurting for both
time and money just now). just to be clear on the point,
i do not equate anyone's worth with money but rather on
their good will, mainly.
 
it seems to me the issue of cash and other such (bag
of quarters, gold ingots...) is problematic in terms of
the membership getting it to the NoiseBridge bank
account, so i raise the issue even in light of Jake's
note. as a point of policy, what actions create too
much trouble? [EndJim]
 
''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.''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] 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.
[EndJake]
 
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] i, and possibly others,
are not clear as to any process for becoming a member.
i've assumed that my having joined the mailing list,
taking on this (and in the future possibly other) little
job, and having come to one meeting are enough that i am
a member. i don't believe any vetting has been involved,
and it seems to me that as the group grows, some vetting
process will be prudent defence against trouble. [EndJim]
 
''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).''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] 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. [EndJake]
 
''Consider requiring higher tier members to maintain at
least two or three months' paid-ahead status.''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] 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. [EndJake]
 
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] the only issue i had in
mind was various means for keeping the NoiseBridge bank
account up. groups have their seasons, and a healthy
bank account can see us through an unhealthy season.
[EndJim]
 
''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.''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] 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. [EndJake]
 
''Some small group should share managing and tracking
this stuff.''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] The entire thing is currently
and will continue to be managed with our wiki, mailing
list and possibly using crabgrass in the future.
[EndJake]
 
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] details of room access
are not part of financial policy, sorry i opened that
door. how to manage access seems to be unaddressed,
though (and should be addressed in some other part of
the wiki, yes?). [EndJim]
 
 
'''Physical Supplies'''
 
''Donations of equipment and other physical goods do
not count as member dues. Consider loaning or giving
things for NoiseBridge use.''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] 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. [EndJake]
 
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] My point as a matter of
financial policy was to disinclude donations and loans
of stuff from membership dues, mainly as an effort to
keep the bank account up. of course exceptions may apply.
 
as an example of loans: it may be that we would like to
paint the room. i have a lot of tarps and painting
equipment that i'd be willing to loan. i'd want the stuff
back. i'd make a big noise about proper care and feeding
of paint brushes and other equipment and hope to be
present enough during the work to enforce my wishes. if
things got away from me, i'd have to eat it as is: it
makes no sense that i'd try to seek redress from the
group (in the form of dues credit or recompense or
anything else). [EndJim]
 
''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.''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] This is pretty reasonable. It
should go on the wiki somewhere, perhaps under a
supplies page for the space? [EndJake]
 
''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.''
 
[Per Jake, 20080930: ] 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.
 
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] myself, i think we
shouldn't bother with drinks: let people bring and
share as they please. as to hacking our own community
stuff, that seems possibly self-defeating, though
also possibly amusing. [EndJim]
 
We're not solving that problem until we actually have
it! [EndJake]
 
[Per Jim rejoinder, 20080930: ] This is a great
policy! [EndJim]
 
 
'''Other'''
 
''What's missing?''

Latest revision as of 15:42, 7 February 2011

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NoiseBridge Finance Policy - Currently in Draft for Discussion form[edit]

Minimum Reserve[edit]

It seems reasonable to create a NoiseBridge bank account. It should have at least six months' expenses to pay rent, insurance, ISP, power, and for various consumable supplies. Currently we're in the burn rate evaluation phase. Once we've determined our average monthly burn rate, we'll know how much we should keep in the bank.

NoiseBridge should fund raise if our bank account balance falls below five months of our average burn rate. It seems reasonable to continue until balance exceeds seven months or more of a nice money cushion.

We may have rent parties in the same spirit as NYC Resistor. We may also simply make phone calls and ping our network. We may want to teach classes but it's counter to our spirit to charge for them (except possibly for parts cost, this TBD). If we're really feeling adventurous, we can apply for grants.

Bank Account Access[edit]

Noisebridge corporate account will probably have debit cards or checks. The board should allocate some petty cash for having in the space and will otherwise sign checks as stipulated by the membership. Anyone that's signing checks will also report financial status updates in an open manner.

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.

We'd like someone to help research 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. It seems reasonable to have funds released to the checking account only.

Member Dues[edit]

We have two official Membership rates, both with the same privilages and responsibilities. The rate you choose is up to you, and you can change it at any time.

The Regular Membership Dues are $80 per month. The Starving Hacker Membership Dues are $40 per month.

Click here for info on how to pay your Membership Dues.

If you're planning to be a member for a year, consider a simple check or cash payment in one lump sum.

Physical Supplies[edit]

Donations of equipment and other physical goods do not count as member dues. It certainly will help your reputation as being a generous member of the community but it won't pay the rent. It's possible that we'll consider exceptions as a membership. Consider donating things for NoiseBridge use, however - we do not accept things with strings attached.

We have drinks and food in the kitchen. Costs are being evaluated. It's an honors system bar. If it doesn't work, we'll change things.