Launch OpenCollective funding platform

[julianpistorius]

Investigate and start the process, before the festival.

Understand

• What problem are we trying to solve?
• What other options do we have?
• What's in it for us?
• What are the downsides?
• What will it look like?

Plan

• What do we have to do to get this process started?
• What is the time line?
• How do we consult with the community?

Do it

• Who's doing it?
• Execute

Review

• Report
• Publicize

[julianpistorius]

@bjoyce3 & @alex-r-bigelow do you have time to do a quick investigation in the next few days?

[julianpistorius]

@alex-r-bigelow set up a test collective. Thank you!

Do you mind inviting @bjoyce3 as well?

[alex-r-bigelow]

Re: What do we have to do to get this process started?

• Decide whether we want to create one for Tucson or all Arizona (I lean just Tucson? Probably better to leave the nomenclature open for Tempe / Flagstaff to do their own thing)
• Pick a collective name (Tucson Research Bazaar?)
• Invite initial admins
• Pick someone's bank account (or, better: pick and apply to a Fiscal Host)
  • Open Collective Foundation looks like the main one...
    • We're a good fit for their eligibility requirements as far as I can tell
    • Their application form is pretty simple
  • Time to hear back whether we're accepted may vary by host
• Fill out the OC profile as best we can
• Doesn't look required, but we should probably add a basic governance doc?

Re: What is the time line?

Before (?) the festival

• Create a collective
• Apply to Open Collective Foundation (?)

Once we're accepted

• Link to our collective on our webpage
• Donate the initial Beer Fund jar

If we're accepted before the festival starts

• Document any festival expenditures
• Can start asking Library, DSI, etc. to send funds or document expenses that way

If we aren't accepted to a Fiscal Host before the festival

• Can still "submit expenses to be paid later"... so we might still be able to document expenditures, receipts, etc made on our behalf

After (?) the festival

• Add / finish governance docs, elect real admins

[alex-r-bigelow]

@bjoyce3 just sent an invite to your @arizona.edu account... which I'm guessing is ancient. LMK if you have a better address to send to

[julianpistorius]

More reading: https://docs.opencollective.foundation/faq/is-ocf-right-for-you

[val-pf]

Progress: Spoke to Mike Strode from the Open Collective Foundation, but they indefinitely paused new project applications.
Still looking for alternatives.

[julianpistorius]

https://www.oscollective.org/ for "Open Source Adjacent Communities" could be an option:

Open Source Adjacent Communities

We also consider applications from communities with a strong link to free and open source software. We use the following criteria:

• Your project must be strongly affiliated with or related to open source, not proprietary technology or any other topics.

Meetups, conferences and other groups

• should have at least 50 members,
• should have organized at least 2 events previously,
• should be able to show a history of activity by members.

As further evidence, you agree to send photo/video documentation of your first event after joining Open Source Collective.

[julianpistorius]

https://blog.opencollective.com/open-collective-official-statement-ocf-dissolution/

Dear Open Collective Community,

It is with sad hearts that we have heard the news about Open Collective Foundation decision to dissolve, effective December 31. The full content of their announcement, which came as a surprise to us, can be found here, and they have also created an FAQ. We are still grappling with the realities of this decision, which has sent subsequent shock waves through the Open Collective ecosystem and community.

... read the rest at the link above.

I found out about it via an email from OSC (Open Source Collective).

[julianpistorius]

Other options:

• https://fiscalsponsordirectory.org/?page_id=1330
• https://www.fiscalsponsors.org/member-directory

[julianpistorius]

This looks interesting: https://hackclub.com/hcb/