[Chapter-delegates] [2021-2022-fincomm] Something to contemlate

[Dave Burstein]

Ted

Any policy advocacy organization that hides its sources of funding without
a darn good reason resembles astroturf. There is no shame or likely
persecution for contributing to the Internet Society that should require
hiding our donors. We should always have been open about who pays our
bills.

If anyone, board or member, objects to disclosing our contributors, please
speak publicly or write on this list within ten days. In particular, if
anyone on the chapters or organizations committees has an important
disagreement, please speak up within ten days.

If there is no substantive objection, please circulate to the board a
simple resolution, perhaps
"The CEO shall periodically make publicly available a list of donors to the
Internet Society of over $5,000 with the amount they have donated."

As everyone who has been active in the Internet Society knows, donor
influence has long been a concern. For example, David Vyorst, then Chair of
the DC Chapter, told me he agreed with me on a Net Neutrality proposal and
his chapter would like to support it. But, "We're looking to get Verizon to
fund our next event and we need them."  There are many other examples;
fundraising in DC policy circles is about influence.

It's time for a strong leader. Some obvious, easy steps that could show
what side you are on:

End your predecessor's gag order and allow (a moderate number) of member
comments at the next board meeting

Do something about the increased imbalance of the board, totally dominated
by the US and allies. Two-thirds of the Internet is in the global South.
Until we adopt to that WWE will be increasingly ineffective. I'm sure two
or three board members would step aside to make room. If not, the procedure
for amending the bylaws for a larger board is straightforward and can be
done quickly.

We can and should turn on comments on our website, which can be moderated.
We also can accept blogs from our members. ISOC suffers from only allowing
the "like-minded" to have a public say.

Forward, please.

Dave Burstein



On Mon, Nov 22, 2021 at 8:00 PM Andrew Sullivan via Chapter-delegates <
chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> On Mon, Nov 22, 2021 at 07:53:48PM -0500, Dave Burstein wrote:
> >
> >Please make sure the report contains the details on all contributors of
> >$5,000 and more, including amounts, and all those paid $200,000 or more.
>
> Are you asking for the names/identities of such contributors?  That would
> be a change in practice (these are not historically included in the 990
> that is released for inspection), so I think it probably requires a
> resolution by the board after a consultation with the relevant advisory
> committees.
>
> If that's not what you meant, please elucidate.
>
> Best regards,
>
> A
>
> --
> Andrew Sullivan
> President & CEO, Internet Society
> sullivan at isoc.org
> +1 416 731 1261
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>
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