[ros-dev] ReactOS Foundation 501c3 Status - Approved

[James Tabor]

Hi!
Steven Edwards wrote:
> Hi,
> Just to let everyone know we are now approved to be a 501c3 org in the United States meaning that
> we can give a tax deduction for any contributions received for donations to the Foundation. I am
> in process of trying to get my paperwork together now to come up with a plan to move forward as I
> have never done this before and its been a learning process. Sorry its taken so damn long......
> 
> I would like to propose that we get something up rather quickly on foundation.reactos.org and
> review/amend the draft bylaws as needed as well as have our first real meeting after Jason and I
> have discussed off list drafting a new budget plan for the following expenses.
> 
> Bounty System
> Retainer for Legal and Accounting
> Supplementation of Hosting Costs
> Administrative Assistant
> Reserve Fund
> 
> Just to give you a idea I am wanting to budget whatever income we might have in the following way
> 
> 80% developers/bounties
> 5% reserve fund (Mutual Funds, Savings, Etc)
> 5% legal reserve and retainer costs
> 5% supplement hosting and misc expenses (expos etc)
> 5% part-to-full time administrative assistant to help me manage paper work as I suck at it.
> 

Paying developers? Hum?

I don't want to be the bad guy here, but this could push people away from the project. It would be
like going back to five years ago when ROS had no GUI just a command console. Everyone will wait
for five or so developers to fix things, and trust me it does happen that way in the real world.
The back log will kick their asses.

> Prior board meetings mainly consisted of me telephoning each board member upon the initial
> incorporation and we have not really moved forward since that time. Now that we are all nice and
> legal its time to hit the ground running. Currently our board of directors consists of long time
> developers to ReactOS and Wine
> 
> Steven Edwards, Jason Filby, Alexandre Julliard, Brian Palmer and Rex Jolliff.
> 
> I would like to get community feedback as part of our bylaw amending process on the current status
> of the board and when/if we should hold elections and restructure. Also from people that agreed to
> be on the board. Do you still want to do it? Does anyone else? Etc....
> 
> Thanks
> Steven

Now I have to ask, where does the money come from? If the ORG has no money, I guess it should 
produce a competing distribution CD. This could make M$ happy, so M$ would have a target to
sue at. Also everyone on the board would become a target as well.




Paranoid,
James