Talk:North American Wikimedians/Hub 2025-2026 projects/Memorandum of Understanding between Hub and fiscal sponsor
Add topicI wrote a first draft by grabbing concepts and pieces from a few fiscal-sponsor MOUs on the Web ([1], [2], [3]). We anticipate seeing other versions of such MOUs from ESEAP or other hubs, perhaps in time for this one which should be fairly settled by May 26 2025 when the NA hub draft application is now due. I wouldn't say this document is marvelous or anything, but it has the right core stuff I think. It's not intended to create specific legal grounds for legal action, but rather to frame what is expected. We haven't filled in an authorizing official nor a fiscal sponsor; we can identify candidates for these roles but it's reasonable to figure out the roles first then customize once we see any practical issues with particular players. -- econterms (talk) 17:28, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
To do's
[edit]I think the MOU should be clearer about what the Steering Committee is, and when/how it can override or displace the designated Authorizing individual. It's hard to write because we haven't agreed on our structure for the Steering Committee. I would have wanted to say something about how the steering committee itself is chosen but that is not necessary I guess.
The "authorizing individual" (making fiscal authorizations on behalf of the hub) will be a sort of executive director, or a CFO reporting the steering committee. This big puffy language may sound scary but it's just doing business. It's not scary to me because everybody involved is aligned on project and ethics basically. over who is on the steering committee, and whether they are chosen now, or by some process, selected by which groups or elected, and if elected by whom, etc.
Ideally the MOU would describe the intended projects of the hub in this first year, most importantly the micro grants which involve numerous transactions and some of them could be tricky, e.g. international (!!), or disputed, e.g. if the project didn't get fully done or reported on.
We might want to say that this particular MOU is intended to be entirely public. We should add that it doesn't create legally binding obligations or a legal cause of action or any such thing. Need to compare to other MOUs if we can. Also link to Memorandum of understanding, here on meta, as part of the framing. -- econterms (talk) 17:53, 19 May 2025 (UTC)