Re: [gentoo-nfp] Gentoo NPO Business Model thoughts

[William L. Thomson Jr.]

On Wed, 2007-12-12 at 01:08 +0100, Marius Mauch wrote:
>
> Please lets not mix the Gentoo project and the Gentoo Foundation at
> this point,

Ok, but can't really see how you can separate the two with any
re-structuring discussion.

>  they are two almost completely independent entities.

I guess, but essentially the Gentoo Foundation is owner and maintainer
of the Gentoo project. So at min maybe like a subsidiary relationship,
but I see the two as being closely connected. If not part of the same
entity.

>  In the
> following I'll only talk about the Foundation part.
> I understand that you have a goal in mind, however currently it's more
> important how to get away from the current state, so lets focus on
> that, not on how things eventually will be in a year.

Ok

> To get away from the current state we need two things (Btw, the
> attracting thing about the SFC is that they basically take care of
> both):
> A plan for a new structure (that's what your idea is about), and
> some people to get us there and manage the existing setup for the
> remaining time (that's what my questions are about).

Ok, I didn't realize you had wanted me to name names, and suggest titles
and positions for them?

> Those people have to fit two requirements:
> 1) have to be trusted (or supervised, but then we need trusted
> supervisors as well) as they are going to be responsible for all
> assests of Gentoo
> 2) have to be capable of dealing with the paperwork involved, that
> means time, commitment and preferably experience with such things
>
> Note that it's not required for them to be involved with the new
> structure in the end.
>
> 1) is generally assumed for existing foundation members, but those
> lack 2), going by history at least
>
> 2) should be assumed of externally hired professionals, but for those
> 1) becomes an issue
>
> And I think it's pointless to discuss a potential new structure if
> there is nobody who'd get us there

If your talking about the legal and paper work side. I know people there
I can likely get involved if we seek external. For example
http://www.fishertousey.com

I know Mike Fisher personally, and grew up with his children. He is a
very prominent tax and estate attorney. Pretty sure managing
organizational things like this is up their alley. Surely the planning
and legal aspects. If they can't or don't offer services like that. I
know other CPA's and etc. My father was one before he passed away. But
contacts there remain. My sister works for Deloitte, and is a CPA, but
mostly does corporate asset management and etc. Her clients are Deliotte
employees so to speak, branch offices etc.

But didn't really want this personally bound to me. I am sure others
have similar contacts. If not I surely feel confident enough in mine to
recommend others research. To establish and build their own trust or
credibility in them.

>  while the SFC offers us a viable
> short- and long-term alternative (btw, does anyone have a status update
> on that?)

Short of taking care of legal status and filing there. I fail to see
what difference the SFC will really make. Also when it comes to say
funding request or allocations of funds. Who controls that once the SFC
is managing all that? We have to justify to them what we want to spend
Gentoo funds on? How will they know what's best to authorize and not?

How will they help us fill the coffers? How can they manage assets if
they don't exist? Beyond assets like the logo, trademark, etc. How will
they help us accumulate more?

Which along those lines, I have another legal contact that I believe
deals with either patents or trademarks. Might be both, have a call in
there to find out for sure.

> Understand that this is independent of the new structure of the
> Foundation

Ok, so the above isn't part of any new structure, but aspects that would
remain issues either way?

>  which is why your answers didn't really address my
> questions (maybe I should have been more explicit) as they assume the
> new structure is already up and running.

Well not really. My structure isn't even a partial foundation of a
model. So really couldn't see where one would get the impression it was
from a up and running perspective.

>  IOW I'm currently not
> interested in the "how it will be" but in the "who gets us there", or
> in business terms you plan to restructure the company but haven't
> thought yet about who will perform that restructuring.

Well we here and now are doing the restructuring. It starts with the
ideas that together start to form a complete business model. Which would
include things like positions, salaries, prices for services to generate
revenue and so on.

Till you have an idea of a position, you can't really have any clue as
to who would be best to fill that role. Which I bet once we have defined
roles. We could surely find most of what we need from within. With the
exception of the legal aspects.


-- 
William L. Thomson Jr.
Gentoo/Java