Ok,
So I think the best way to approach this is to break the bylaws in to
the relevent bits and encourage discussion on a single small topic at a
time.
So, the first part that needs to be discussed are the objectives.
These are, in their way, rather important. The objectives are what
define the purpose of TGF as a charitable organization. These is the
section that the IRS looks at to determine if we even can be classified
as a charitable organization. There are two ways to approach this. One
is to determine our objectives and then, when writing to the IRS,
explain how the objectives fit into the charitable and educational purposes.
This is pretty easy as long as we declare charitable purposes. Phrases
like, "Support the Free Software product, The GIMP and a charitable
service available to the public. Educate the public about the existance
and usage of The GIMP. Promote and support projects that support The
GIMP. "
We should use the words, "public," "charitable," "educate," "support"
The IRS likes those words. They should be vague enough to not hinder
our ability to do work.
In short, what would people like TGF to do for them or for people in
general?
Remember, in order to be a non-profit, we need to do actions that
support the public, not just ourselves, which I can't imagine anyone
here having a problem with.
--
Dan
