Discussion Considering joining Open Collective for financial transparency and possible non-profit status

Matt Derrick

Retired Wanderer
Staff member
I came across Open Collective recently, and have been intrigued by their mission statement, which is basically a way to enable financing for collective projects. This includes a shared bank account, and possible use of their non-profit status using their org as an umbrella:

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I thought this video explaining their business model was interesting as well:

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One of the things I think is interesting is the spending transparency. Basically, this would give me a reliable way to show the StP community what our funds (received donations, forum memberships, Etsy store sales, etc) are being spent on. One of my current small gripes (about life in general) is that I don't have/it's hard to set up an additional bank account to keep donations and whatnot separate from my own personal finances, so the separate account through OC sounds great.

Second, the possibility of sharing their non-profit status sounds intriguing as well, although there's a whole mess of legal stuff I'd probably need to research on that end first. Having non-profit status would be useful for various projects we've discussed in the past, such as giving free camping gear to the homeless, and possibly starting a co-op house.

Anyway, I'm wondering if there's anyone out there in the StP world that would be interested in taking a look and sharing their thoughts? (@jimi I think you might specifically have an interest in this).
 
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I came across Open Collective recently, and have been intrigued by their mission statement, which is basically a way to enable financing for collective projects. This includes a shared bank account, and possible use of their non-profit status using their org as an umbrella:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.


I thought this video explaining their business model was interesting as well:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.


One of the things I think is interesting is the spending transparency. Basically, this would give me a reliable way to show the StP community what our funds (received donations, forum memberships, Etsy store sales, etc) are being spent on. One of my current small gripes (about life in general) is that I don't have/it's hard to set up an additional bank account to keep donations and whatnot separate from my own personal finances, so the separate account through OC sounds great.

Second, the possibility of sharing their non-profit status sounds intriguing as well, although there's a whole mess of legal stuff I'd probably need to research on that end first. Having non-profit status would be useful for various projects we've discussed in the past, such as giving free camping gear to the homeless, and possibly starting a co-op house.

Anyway, I'm wondering if there's anyone out there in the StP world that would be interested in taking a look and sharing their thoughts? (@jimi I think you might specifically have an interest in this).


I absolutely love the ideas you have and I hope you can bring some to reality. I'm down for helping with anything, from a monthly subscription to physical labor, keep me in mind. I'd love to make a irl community like you envision and I have nothing but time and a lot of cooking, construction experience, etc. Good luck
 
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