DRAFT External Funding Process

External Funding Process

One way for Kantara Initiative Work Groups and Discussion Groups (collectively "Groups") to fund their activities is through contributions to Kantara by external parties (External Funds).

Groups interested in receiving External Funds will notify the Leadership Council and Kantara Staff with information about the possible External Funding opportunity including:

1. the name(s) of the External Funder(s), if known,
2. expected process for receiving the funds,
3. anticipated amount to be received,
4. how the funds are expected to be paid out,
5. details about the activity for which the External Funds will be used.

The Kantara Staff will work with the Board of Trustees Treasurer and Chair of the Group (or designated representative) to plan how to receive and distribute the External Funds (e.g. via bank transfer, paying invoices or executed contract, etc.).

NOTES:

• 5% of the External Funds will be collected by the Kantara Initiative as an administrative handling fee.
• If the External Funds collected are not exhausted by the activity specified by the Group, the remaining amount will be reallocated to the Kantara Initiative general account for redistribution.
• External Funders can ear-mark their contribution to specific activities, and should include a letter accompanying the contribution stating the activity they are supporting. There is, however, no requirement for the Kantara Initiative to accept offered contributions.
• If a Participant of the Group sponsoring the activity is interested in receiving some of the External Funds, he/she must recuse him/herself from votes relating to the activity.

External Funding FAQ:

The process for handling External Funding is purposefully light-weight, and relatively devoid of approval gates.  The goal is to support a variety of situations in a flexible manner while protecting the overall health of the organization, it's Groups, and Programs.  Below are a set of illustrative examples that can help guide Groups through the process of receivng and distributing External Funds.

• Can a Group sell tickets to an event and the fees be received by the Kantara Initiative to pay the invoices associated with the event?
  • Yes. Contact Kantara Staff to see how that can be arranged.
• Will the External Funder be able to "earmark" their contributions for use only by a specific activity?
  • Yes. External Funders are encouraged to express interest in specific activities so Kantara knows what they would like to see funded. External Funders should work with the Group leadership and Kantara Staff to ensure the appropriate documentation exists that clarifies the specific activities the External Funder would like to support with it's contribution.
• Who will be paying for the activity on behalf of the Group who brought in the External Funds?
  • Invoices related to the Group activity can be paid by appropriate Kantara Staff following the fiduciary guidelines outlined by the organization.
• Who can sign contracts on behalf of the Group when contracting to support the activity?
  • Activities requiring contracts may require execution by the Kantara Board of Trustees. Kantara Staff will help guide you through the process.
• How quickly will a Group have access to the External Funds to pay for its activity?
  • The answer will depend on the conversation between the Group and Kantara Staff. Typically, the External Funds will not be available to pay for the Group activity until it has been received by the Kantara Initiative Treasurer.
• Can External Funds be used to pay Group Participants for their work?
  • While Kantara doesn't encourage the use of organization funds (internal or external) to pay Participants, there are some situations in which it may occur. In this case, the Group should notify the Leadership Council of the situation and the Participant interested in receiving the funds associated with an activity will need to recuse him/herself from participating in votes related to the planned activity.