[OSGeo-Edu] Help with IRS 501(c)(3) question
Daniel Morissette
dmorissette at mapgears.com
Wed Dec 5 06:42:16 PST 2012
Edu Committee,
FYI, I used the information provided by Charlie and adapted it to fit
the questions from the IRS (#5 to 9). the final version is at:
http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/501c3_Application:_Questions_from_IRS,_September_2012
You'll notice that I removed a few details and some references to things
like grant proposals to avoid raising more questions from them since
OSGeo doesn't touch any of that money anyway.
I also tried to promote the MoUs with Universities and the launch of
Open Source Geospatial Labs as one of OSGeo's strong points in #5.
Please feel free to comment. I will send this to our attorney shortly.
Thanks a lot for your help
Daniel
On 12-12-04 1:22 PM, Daniel Morissette wrote:
> Thank you very much Charlie for all those details. I'll try to adapt
> this informtaion to fit it into our response tonight.
>
> Daniel
>
>
> On 12-12-04 10:20 AM, Charles Schweik wrote:
>> Hi Dan,
>>
>> Too many emails coming in from all my students with the end of our
>> semester at hand. This one got by me.
>>
>> On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 11:16 PM, Daniel Morissette
>> <dmorissette at mapgears.com <mailto:dmorissette at mapgears.com>> wrote:
>>
>> Any taker to help answer the questions and demonstrate our education
>> focus to the IRS? A coordinated response from the members of this
>> group would be ideal.
>>
>> Thanks in advance
>>
>>
>> 5. Your website states that you provide support for the use of
>> OSGeo
>> software in education via curriculum development, outreach and
>> support.
>> Please explain what this entails.
>>
>>
>> For several years (beginning around 2007) we did develop a first cut at
>> an educational inventory system. Tyler Mitchell developed a web form and
>> database that allowed members to post metadata on educational material
>> that they had developed. We had (and have) a searchable database online
>> of that work.
>>
>> Since then, we have been trying to go the next step and build a
>> repository of actual content, creative commons licensed, and stored so
>> that others can download the content and create new derivatives. Imagine
>> someone translating material or updating something for a new version. We
>> set up a Subversion system a few years back but that didn't really catch
>> on. This is harder to build than just asking people to post metadata.
>> It requires more time by each author and a commitment to share materials
>> and make them available. We've gone back and forth about developing
>> standard structures and file formats for this content in the way Cameron
>> does with the Live DVD.
>>
>> Suchith Anad at the University of Nottingham has built a next-generation
>> system that we were trying to migrate to. He might be able to tell us
>> more about the status of that.
>>
>> I haven't been successful in trying to get a better or more streamlined
>> conversation with OSGeo local groups on their educational activities
>> locally. There is an opportunity there, I think.
>>
>> Cameron Shorter has long been advocating for a "tighter" educational
>> curriculum system that mimics the production of the Live DVD. I totally
>> see and appreciate his vision and his proof in the Live DVD production
>> process. This is a collective action issue, and also requires more
>> leadership time than I've been able to devote. This is also an
>> opportunity.
>>
>> Most recently, a few of us (Helena, Phil Davis at the GeoTech Center in
>> Texas, myself) have been working on grant proposals to establish a
>> standard set of FOSS4G eduational material. One US NSF grant proposal is
>> submitted (Davis, PI). One went to Hewlett Packard and was declined. I'm
>> starting another now that will help support the vision above and
>> hopefully support better international coordination, such as
>> face-to-face meetings, perhaps. Suchith and the University of Nottingham
>> have really led in the coordination of educational nodes. I have some
>> new content for the OSGeo edu webpage that Suchith just sent me which I
>> will put up in the next day or two.
>>
>> In short, the OSGEo edu group is a collection of educators from a
>> variety of different international educational institutions and we do
>> have strong social capital. Many of us have communicated via this list
>> for many years.
>>
>> 6. Your website refers to both the OSGeo Educational Content
>> Inventory
>> and the OSGeo Education and Curriculum Project. Are these
>> separate
>> programs? Please explain.
>>
>>
>> They overlap and reflect activities that are a little old. The above
>> explains where we are now. I need to update the educational pages to
>> reflect where we are now.
>>
>>
>>
>> 7. With respect to the inventory and project referred above, is
>> all of
>> the information contributed by volunteers? Do you monitor the
>> content
>> contributed or take other actions to monitor and maintain the
>> inventory
>> and/or project? Please explain.
>>
>>
>> Yes, volunteer contributions. I used to post periodic reminders to add
>> metadata but haven't done so this past year. Part of that is because of
>> our shift toward the U of Nottingham repository.
>>
>>
>>
>> 8. The OSGeo Educational Content Inventory contains educational
>> material. Is the content of the inventory limited to materials
>> related
>> to the software you sponsor or is it pertinent to other
>> geospatial
>> software? Please explain.
>>
>>
>> It probably depends on the particular links provided by whoever posted
>> it.
>>
>>
>>
>> 9. You state that you have an online training material
>> database that
>> students can use to find material for self-study. Is this the
>> material
>> that has been contributed to the OSGeo Educational Content
>> inventory? If
>> not, please explain.
>>
>>
>> I believe that is referring to the Content Inventory page. My hope is
>> that 2013 will bring a new era to this system as the U of Nottingham
>> network continues to be refined and also if some of these grant
>> proposals come in.
>>
>> Let me know if you need further clarification.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Charlie Schweik
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Daniel Morissette
>> http://www.mapgears.com/
>> Provider of Professional MapServer Support since 2000
>>
>> _________________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Charlie Schweik
>>
>> Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
>> Department of Environmental Conservation - http://eco.umass.edu
>> Center for Public Policy and Administration - http://masspolicy.org
>> Associate Director, National Center for Digital Government -
>> http://ncdg.org
>> Author, Internet Success: A Study of Open Source Software (MIT Press,
>> 2012) - see http://tinyurl.com/d3e4545
>> Outsmart Invasive Species project: http://masswoods.net/outsmart
>
>
--
Daniel Morissette
http://www.mapgears.com/
Provider of Professional MapServer Support since 2000
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