Director's report

[GNOME Foundation <director gnome org>]

Hello Members,

Here is a report on some of the administrative activities of the
foundation that the board has been tracking and thought would be
useful to share with foundation-list.

tim
  

*Administration: 

Non-profit status - After a long process, GNOME Foundation received its
official charitable status in the U.S. in August.  The foundation was
incorporated on March 16, 2001 in the State of California. Papers were
prepared and filed by a paid attorney. That attorney did not file a set
of by-laws or an application for federal tax- exempt status with the
U.S. Internal Revenue Department which had an estimated cost of around
$15,000.   I found lawyers who were willing to do the work pro bono and
this has been a tremendous resource for GNOME!  The board and several
members worked on the required by-laws. The long application was
prepared and filed with the IRS gaining us the tax-exempt status over
the summer.

State filings - Since the foundation is incorporated in California,
but has an office in Boston, we need to make annual filings in
both California and Massachusetts.  These are up-to-date.

Trademark applications - To protect both the GNOME name and foot
logo, we filed applications in the U.S. for trademarks. The Trademark
Office examiner objected to our use of the word "platform"  on the
ground that it is vague.  Our lawyer does not think modifying it to
"development platform" will fly either. He suggests we use "computer
software development tools" instead. 

It seems we may still have a chance at keeping computer software games 
in our trademark registration. There was a company which held the mark
on computer games which we are verifying is still active and being
enforced. We're pursuing the application.

Logo use - I'm working with the lawyers on some appropriate text to put
on the website about using the logo.   To protect the trademarks, we
need to be formal about objecting to any inappropriate, unauthorized use
of GNOME and the foot. So, a trademark license form has been written and
is available from me for any group or person who want to use the logo
within the board's guidelines.

Financials - The fiscal year-end financial statement is being reviewed
by the accountant.  He will file our annual federal tax return which is
due in early 2003.


*Events: 

GUADEC - Trinity College does have space for us in the month of
June from the 14th to 18th.  The Special Olympics World Summer 
Games will be in Dublin from the 21-29th of June, so we don't want 
to book then.  The GUADEC planning committee has been diligent in
examining our options and the committee to review proposals for
papers and presentations is being formed now.

Leslie Proctor is forming a GlobalPartners for GNOME to coordinate 
volunteers and press relations for conferences and trade shows around
the world.  We want to be more proactive in 2003 in getting GNOME
sessions and booths at as more events. Please let us know about events
in your area.
 

*Fundraising: 

Friends of GNOME - The launch of our "Friends" program is a good
start in putting a program for individual donations in place. There
is now an Acknowledgement list for Friends page This now appears at
http://www.gnome.org/friends/donors.php  We should do an end of the year
pitch for donations when people are thinking about tax deductions and
get links to "Friends" from other websites. Nat has been promoting the
fundraising idea with the board.

Hardware - Talked to Owen & Kjartan about our Web server specs.  Now
that HP has donated a machine for cvs, I'm asking other hardware vendors
for a new web server. 


*Legal: 

Copyright & Trademark - I'm been working on a GNOME copyright policy
with the lawyers and a committee of board members. This is an important
area that has been discussed by the last two sets of board members and
at GUADEC.  There's more work to do on this before we have a suitable
draft to ciruclate.


*Projects: 

Mississippi School Project - their needs assessment is done.  We look
forward to testing GNOME in the schools.
Organizing LTSP collaboration - will hold a conference call with 
Havoc & some LTSP developers to move this along. 
Book -  There is publisher interest in a 2.0 manual in English.  We
could use some authors.  Anyone interested and have the time?