On Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 11:15 PM, John Vandenberg jayvdb@gmail.com wrote:
You're strawman is alive.
If the chapters are funded by the WMF, non-US chapters need to abide by US law.
If all of the fundraising money goes to the WMF, who then distributes it to chapters via grants, all chapters must comply with the US regulations regarding use of money by a 501(c)(3) charity, and any additional constraints that the WMF puts on these grants in order to minimise its own risks and simplify its own compliance checking.
By doing this, the WMF is taking on more risk, rather than less. And it is taking on more work, as it will need to ensure that all chapters expenditure from these grants is compliant with US regulations.
There are several chapters whose existing program includes activities that are acceptable under their own laws, but will not be able to be funded by WMF because of the US regulations.
-- John Vandenberg
Which activities are these?