[Foundation-l] Chapters

[Ilario Valdelli]

On 28.08.2011 23:47, Mike Godwin wrote:
> Theo writes:
>
>> Second, it might be some form of elitist outlook if you think accountability
>> standards for US Non-profits are more transparent and fiscally responsible
>> than say somewhere in EU like Germany, France or the Switzerland. I assure
>> you, they are existent, not-minimal and more restrictive than the US.
>
> of work to solve (and the solution may not be identical for every
> cooperating chapter). Wikimedia Deutschland has invested a lot of
> effort, for example, in developing a solution that works for the
> German chapter, but the solution for another EU chapter (or for
> chapters in the Global South or elsewhere) may look significantly
> different.
>
>

This is interesting because what has been pointed out it's that the 
chapters are insecure and they are risky.

This is incomprehensible for chapters that receive an audit every year 
(audit done by an external company).

I would say that in this case what is insecure is not the chapter, which 
is absolutely complaint with the local law, but it's insecure and 
unreliable the system of control applied by WMF.

The chapters must take care of the local law, and this is sufficient and 
valid to drive a local fundraising.

If the chapters are really independent and they are linked to WMF only 
with some agreements, I don't understand why we must speak about the US 
law for an European chapter.

The WMF applies the US law to all of their affairs and can monitor and 
audit the relation with the chapters, but further these relations, the 
US law stops its validity.

I agree that the German model is not valid for all chapters, and this 
happens for a lot of questions, one important question is that the WM DE 
manage different quantity of donations and that WM DE has chosen a 
different organization of the voluntary service.

As to evaluate the maturity of a chapter we cannot compare it with WM 
DE, at the same time we cannot compare the reliability of one chapter 
applying a law in force in another country.

Ilario