<div>As listed by Kate in her second email (and being built out on the wiki: <a href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Foundation/Local_Chapters/United_States" target="_blank">http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Foundation/Local_Chapters/United_States</a>) A local chapter will do more advocacy within their own nation. </div>
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<div>In the US, if incorporated as a non-profit, the chapter would be able to accept donations without having to pay taxes on them (and provide a tax write off to those who donate to us), be eligible for public and private grants, act as a separate legal entity that owns all data/material donated (which often makes government bodies more willing to share). I know that the OSMF can to that in the UK now, but I have the feeling the US companies/governments would be more comfortable in supporting the project if it had US legal status. (esp if its map data collected with US tax payer money). I think if we want to the US mapper community to grow, this is a way to help as well as formalize the presence here. </div>
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<div>The cons- more paperwork, money and time. </div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 1:03 PM, SteveC <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:steve@asklater.com" target="_blank">steve@asklater.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex" class="gmail_quote">Playing devils advocate a bit - what will the chapter do that we can't<br>or aren't already?<br><br>
Does the aura of having an incorporated body somehow change<br>everything? It certainly didn't with the OSMF, it was more that we<br>needed a body to hold independent control of things like the domain<br>names.<br>
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<div><br><br>On 15 Sep 2009, at 19:32, Kate Chapman wrote:<br><br>> Hi all,<br>><br>> I've heard various talk going on about local chapters in various<br>> places. I did a quick archive search but didn't find that much<br>
> information regarding U.S. chapters. There seems to be people<br>> interested, but perhaps working separately.<br>><br>> Let me preface the rest of my email with the statement that I'm not<br>> a lawyer, but a geonerd. I have helped establish a non-profit in<br>
> the U.S. that obtained tax-exempt status and I can speak with<br>> regards to that experience though.<br>><br>> For the group I worked with we already were operating as an L.L.C.<br>> at the time and moved to incorporate in D.C. In order to<br>
> incorporate we had to pay a small fee (roughly 100 dollars), have a<br>> registered agent in the District and have articles of<br>> incorporation. The tax-exempt status was far more work and involved<br>> proof of events we had (in this particular case it was flyers), tax<br>
> records as well as filling out a 27 page IRS form. If I understand<br>> things correctly a U.S. Local Chapter could do the same thing, but<br>> we might need to file paperwork with each state we are active in<br>
> (not totally sure about this, does anyone else have a better idea?).<br>><br>> What are people's thoughts about local chapters or having 1 large<br>> U.S. chapter? I can see benefits to both sides.<br>><br>
> Advantages:<br>><br>> - I think easily enough possible members<br>> - Pooling of resources, one set of paper work<br>><br>> Disadvantages:<br>><br>> -Spread out, most work would be remote (maybe not a disadvantage)<br>
> -Where would we be incorporated?<br>><br>> Thoughts? I've seen in various places such as the wiki a well as<br>> talking to people that there is interest in some sort of U.S. based<br>> chapter, but exactly how has to be worked out.<br>
><br>> Thanks,<br>><br>> Kate Chapman<br>><br>><br>><br>><br>><br></div></div>
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<br></div>Yours &c.<br><br>Steve<br>
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