[chapter-delegates] New Membership Level

[Jacek Gajewski]

Dear Patrick,

Patrick Vande Walle wrote:

>
> We had this debate at the Board. The idea was that some people might 
> be willing to give a small (by US/European standards) amount to ISOC, 
> as they would to say, the Red Cross or another NGO, without expecting 
> a direct return on their investment. Until now, they did not have that 
> opportunity.
>
If 'some people' are willing to give money for ISOC, then of course ISOC 
should create such possibility for 'those people'.   Isn't the 
possibility of voluntary donation already foreseen by the statute?

I think it is an interesting idea to regard this fee as being a kind of 
'voluntary donation', similar to what *some* of us offer to Red Cross or 
other organizations of 'public good'. In Poland, on top of the potential 
possibility to receive donations, ISOC-PL is aiming to get a special 
status, which allows people to donate 1% of their income tax (i.e. their 
tax is the same but the State gets only 99% of what a citizen has to pay 
anyway). But then the ammount donated should be free (I can well imagine 
that the CEO of  xxxxxsoft can give more than the all members from the 
developing world together), depending *only* on donators will, and there 
should not any link to voting rights for the Board seat. ISOC can then 
give back nice diplomas or any other *symbolic* award.

I think the basic question is:  *why* ISOC  wants to introduce this  
fees?  To increase its budget?  To satisfy  the philantropic needs of 
'some people'?

Best regards,
Jacek Gajewski


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