tags: Mappy Org

Meeting Notes, 2019-12-05

Post-meeting Summary

The org is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support and promote diverse peoples, communities, initiatives, and other organizations that will advance Open Source Softare and Free geospatial technologies and data in the Philippines. It will serve as an outreach and advocacy organization for the local open source geospatial community.

We can avoid explicitly stating in the statutory objective that we're focused on growing communities outside NCR, but execute the same as a strategy. ErwinFri, Dec 6, 2019 9:42 AM

The ORG organizes the annual Pista ng Mapa conference, as well as other activities. Such activities may include both non-profit as well as for-profit ones.

Discussions

Statutory Objectives/Roles/Purpose of the Org

david - org as the official organizer of PnM, and secondary purpose
eugene - org can raise funds thru from organizing events/conferences/technical workshops.

also, these activities can be offered to members at a preferential rate, while non-members participate for a fee. Like the technical workshops/seminars mentioned by Cham and Ian Erwin

Benhur: apart from seeking local chapter recognition from international orgs (e.g. OSM, FOSS4G/OsGeo, etc.) it could foster association of local user groups (e.g. QGIS users, etc) by providing financial, organizational and legal support

same idea should work to embrace other movements within the community women (e.g. GeoLadies), GLBTQ* (e.g.MapaBeks), youth group, etcetera Erwin

org should push for Free an Open source and open (geo)data but open to collaborating vendors who are in proprietary software (e.g. esri) but ensure they don't dominate the space

org is envisioned to be a legal body for sub-groups focusing on AOIs and will take care of admin/legal

org is a non-profit, but could it be a coop?

org can eventually apply as local chapters of international org , but is not its primary goal. Eugene mentions the common requirement for local orgs:

• membership-driven
• not-for-profit
• geographical

lobbying/marketing/promotion, education and advocacy, research goal for the org?

attracting students, enthusiasts, professionals as members, using "local chapter" status as stepping-stone to becoming full membership to int'l orgs

David mentions possibility of AGM during annual conferences. Eugene cautions the legal requirement for orgs to hold AGMs at or by a certain date, as indicated in articles of incorporation

org as "network hub" for opportunities for students/pros/anyone

i would think this is an implied benefit for associations like this Erwin

explicitly state long term goal is to diversity participation and leadership in the GIS community.

not sure if this is feasibile in articles of incorporation but we can continue this under shared values that we hold/promote/strive for

technical/legal requirements

the org will outsource admin/compliance stuff. according to eugene this will cost the org ~50K per year.
Erwin mentions another option is to hire a part-time employee (like OSMF does with the executive assistant, Dorothea)

I support these options if it can help do away with the tedious administriva stuff – however, aren't there people from us who is interested in eventually doing this full time/professionally, taking care of the business of the org? That's part of the sustainability question. Erwin

donations, as source of funds

Eugene: consider Philippine Council for NGO Certification (pcnc) accreditation for the org, to enable donors' tax-free donations as a future goal.

From their homepage: "The Philippine Council for NGO Certification or PCNC is a private voluntary, non-stock, non-profit corporation that will serve as a service organization whose main function is to certify non-profit organizations that meet established minimum criteria for financial management and accountability in the service to underprivileged Filipinos."" Erwin

working groups

David: expectations for future members: pakita sa comm channel. David. :)

Erwin: to organize the regular PnM under the auspices of the ORG, a organizing commitee / functional working group will be set-up to focus on that.

other matters

org would be nice to have been setup before PnM20, so we could recruit members during the event

• "homework" for meeting participants: check with network for hosting opportunities
  • Erwin to follow-up with Rene, Tagbilaran, BOH
  • Maning with Lubao, PAM
  • Benhur will check with network from Bicol/ALB