Provisional Status

If measures taken by the organization to meet the following benchmarks are not adequate or timely to the judgment of the review group, preliminary or ongoing status (and with it the Free Geek name) will be revoked.

As with the preview guidelines, progress must be approved by the review committee before the organization moves on to the next item.

digraph{

501 [label="1. Apply for 501(c)3 status.", shape="box"] record [label="2. Develop and initiate record-\nkeeping and report system", shape="box"] ongoing [label="3. Ongoing status", shape="hexagon"] report [label="4. Submit regular reports", shape="box"] stay_tuned [label="5. Stay tuned", shape="box"]

501 -> record record -> ongoing ongoing -> report report -> stay_tuned

}

1. Filing for 501(c)3 status is an ordeal. There is help out there (and here). Some things that need doing: Draft a mission statement. Recruit a board of directors. We recommend recruiting at least one person with accounting experience and a background in nonprofits. Develop a non-heirarchical, democratic governance structure. Write up bylaws. Write up a budget. Develop up an accounting system.

2. Develop a record-keeping system for gizmos, documentation, volunteers, meeting minutes, vendors, etc. that will be necessary in keeping with a sound environmental health and safety plan, for audits, for environmental certifications through other organizations, and for sending Free Geek reports to Free Geek Intergalactic.

3. If it pleases the review committee, ongoing status will be granted to the startup. If the new Free Geek fails to send regular Free Geek reports or does not maintain reasonable dialog when necessary and work toward consensus, that status will be revoked.

4. The new Free Geek sends regular Free Geek reports to Free Geek Intergalactic.

5. And the new Free Geek stays tuned in. Maybe there's another Free Geek opening up nearby it that will require its help, some flexibility or outright revision as far as its name. Maybe we all should be working toward a higher environmental standard. All Free Geeks must be tuned in and work toward consensus in the group.