[Chapter-delegates] Follow-up on Chapters Advisory Council Meeting of 17 September 2024

borka at e5.ijs.si borka at e5.ijs.si
Tue Oct 8 08:06:49 PDT 2024


In line what was prposed and the support to the proposal given by Olivier, 
I as well agree with the proposed action.

With regards,

Borka Jerman Blažič


On Tue, 8 Oct 2024, Judith Hellerstein via Chapter-delegates wrote:

> Hi Olivier and others,The Washington DC Chapter also support Olivier in this
> important endeavor 
> 
> Judith 
> Sent from my iPad judith at jhellerstein.com 
> Skype ID:JudithHellerstein
>
>       On Oct 8, 2024, at 8:47 AM, Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond via
>       Chapter-delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:
>
>       Dear Ilona,
>
>       Further to our discussion two weeks ago regarding the definition
>       of the relationship between the Internet Society and the
>       Internet Society Foundation, in the absence of your response, I
>       wish to reiterate the need for a clear outsourcing agreement
>       between these entities. It is recognised as good business
>       practice internationally to establish such agreements to
>       delineate respective liabilities in the execution of these
>       contracts.
>
>       Responding to your note: "All necessary legal documents,
>       including agreements, have been put in place to respect the
>       separate nature of the two organizations."
>
>       All I am asking is for them to be shared. If that is not
>       possible, even in a redacted manner, for whatever reason, then
>       please provide a list of the agreements to which you refer,
>       including the date of the agreement, the name of the agreement,
>       the signatory parties, and a brief description of each
>       agreement.
>
>       Looking forward to your prompt response.
>
>       Kindest regards,
>
>       Olivier Crépin-Leblond
> 
> 
>
>       On 24/09/2024 17:22, Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond wrote:
>       Dear Ilona,
>
>       Many thanks for your follow-up.
>
>       The thread may not have come all through. During the
>       Chapter Advisory Council call, Ted mentioned the transfer
>       of some responsibilities in relation to Communications
>       from the Internet Society to the Internet Society
>       Foundation. My initial question to Ted was in regards to
>       the outsourcing agreement as follows:
>
>       "I was previously unaware of this change. Although the
>       Internet Society Foundation may have been designated by
>       the Internet Society as a "supporting organisation" of the
>       Internet Society, it remains a distinct and separate legal
>       entity. Therefore, I assume that any "outsourcing" of
>       responsibilities such as Marketing and/or Communications
>       would be defined in a written "contract for services"
>       between the Parties setting out (inter-alia) the terms,
>       rights, and obligations of each Party. Could you please
>       provide the terms for such an agreement and any
>       limitations therein?
>
>       My principal concern lies in distinguishing between
>       executing the Communications Plan and drafting the
>       Communications Plan. These are fundamentally different
>       tasks and would undoubtedly be included in the "contract
>       for services"".
>
>       The top level responsibility of the strategy of the
>       Internet Society remains within the Internet Society. I
>       find it surprising that an outsourcing entity would be
>       able to dictate that strategy without it being agreed by
>       the Internet Society itself.
>       The Internet Society has the opportunity to outsource the
>       execution of its Communications Plan to a supporting
>       organisation on the basis of terms and conditions agreed
>       between the parties. This requires outsourcing
>       agreement(s) in order to know where the boundaries and
>       responsibilities are between the two organisations,
>       including their respective liabilities in the execution of
>       these agreement(s).
>
>       For example:
>
>   Key Components of an Outsourcing Communications Agreement
>
>        1.
>
>           Introduction and Definitions:
>
>            o  Clearly define the parties involved.
>            o  Provide definitions for key terms used throughout
>               the agreement.
>        2.
>
>           Scope of Services:
>
>            o  Detail the specific services to be outsourced.
>            o  Include service level agreements (SLAs) to set
>               performance standards.
>        3.
>
>           Term and Termination:
>
>            o  Specify the duration of the agreement.
>            o  Outline conditions for termination by either
>               party.
>        4.
>
>           Pricing and Payment Terms:
>
>            o  Define the pricing structure and payment schedule.
>            o  Include any penalties for late payments or
>               performance failures.
>        5.
>
>           Confidentiality and Data Protection:
>
>            o  Ensure compliance with data protection laws.
>            o  Include confidentiality clauses to protect
>               sensitive information.
>        6.
>
>           Intellectual Property Rights:
>
>            o  Clarify the ownership of any intellectual property
>               created during the agreement.
>        7.
>
>           Warranties and Liability:
>
>            o  Outline the warranties provided by the service
>               provider.
>            o  Define the liability limits for both parties.
>        8.
>
>           Monitoring and Reporting:
>
>            o  Establish how performance will be monitored and
>               reported.
>            o  Include provisions for regular review meetings.
>        9.
>
>           Dispute Resolution:
>
>            o  Specify the process for resolving disputes.
>            o  Include mediation or arbitration clauses if
>               applicable.
>        10.
>
>           Exit Management:
>
>            o  Plan for the transition of services back to the
>               company or to another provider.
>            o  Include provisions for the transfer of data and
>               assets.
> 
>
>       I trust that you mentioned: "All necessary legal
>       documents, including agreements, have been put in place to
>       respect the separate nature of the two organizations."
>       Thus I would be interested in its details as explained in
>       my email.
>
>       Kindest regards,
>
>       Olivier
> 
>
>       On 23/09/2024 18:36, Ilona Levine wrote:
>
>       Dear Olivier,
>
>       I understand that the nature of your request is to
>       assist the Chapters Advisory Council and Chris Locke
>       in preparation to his session on the communication
>       plan. The agreement in place since 2018 between the
>       Foundation and Internet Society focuses on the legal
>       obligations in line with the Foundation's role as a
>       509(a)(3) and therefore, won’t be useful for that
>       purpose.
>
>       Best regards,
>
>       Ilona
>
>        
>
>       From: Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond <ocl at gih.com>
>       Date: Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 8:52 AM
>       To: Ilona Levine <levine at isoc.org>, Ted IETF
>       <ted.ietf at gmail.com>
>       Cc: Chapter Delegates
>       <Chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>, Sally Wentworth
>       <wentworth at isoc.org>
>       Subject: Re: Follow-up on Chapters Advisory Council
>       Meeting of 17 September 2024
> 
>  
> 
> Dear Ilona,
> 
> thank you for clarifying that all necessary legal
> documents, including agreements, have been duly executed
> to respect the separate nature of the two organisations.
> 
> I am aware of the publication of the original IETF
> Administration LLC agreements with the Internet Society,
> specifically:
> IETF-ISOC Funding Agreement (2020)
> IETF-ISOC Funding Agreement Amendment (2020)
> IETF-ISOC Funding Agreement Amended and Restated (2024)
> 
> These documents are accessible on the IETF Administration
> LLC’s website at
> https://www.ietf.org/administration/overview/.
> 
> Could you kindly confirm whether the agreements between
> the Foundation and the Internet Society are also publicly
> available? I have been unable to locate them on either
> website.
> 
> I would appreciate it if you could provide a list of the
> agreements to which you refer, including the date of the
> agreement, the name of the agreement, the signatory
> parties, and a brief description of each agreement.
> 
> I look forward to your kind response.
> 
> Kindest regards,
> 
> Olivier
> 
> On 20/09/2024 19:48, Ilona Levine wrote:
>
>       Hi Olivier, thank you for your follow up
>       email.  You noted that you are aware of the
>       tax requirements that apply to supporting
>       organizations.  Mainly, those requirements
>       relate to supporting the mission of its
>       supported entities.  In this case, the
>       Internet Society.  
>
>        
>
>       As part of that support, the Foundation
>       provides grants to other organizations that
>       have missions consistent with the Internet
>       Society’s in order to fund programs that
>       further the Internet Society’s purposes. The
>       Foundation also engages in activities that
>       support Internet Society directly. For
>       example, the Foundation engages in fundraising
>       and communication activities for the benefit
>       of the Internet Society.
>
>        
>
>       As you also pointed out, the Foundation is a
>       separate legal entity.  It is a controlled
>       subsidiary of Internet Society.  All necessary
>       legal documents, including agreements, have
>       been put in place to respect the separate
>       nature of the two organizations.
>
>        
>
>       I trust this answers your question.
>
>        
>
>       Best regards,
>
>       Ilona
>
>        
>
>       Ilona Levine, SVP, General Counsel and
>       Corporate Secretary
>
>       levine at isoc.org|
>       internetsociety.org | @internetsociety
>
>       Donate today.
>
>       Help protect the Internet for everyone.
>
>        
>
>       <image001.png>
> 
> This communication is the property of the Internet
> Society and may contain confidential or privileged
> information.  Unauthorized use of this communication
> is strictly prohibited.  If you have received it in
> error, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and
> destroy all copies of the communication and any
> attachments.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> From: Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond <ocl at gih.com>
> Date: Friday, September 20, 2024 at 11:38 AM
> To: Ted IETF <ted.ietf at gmail.com>, Ilona Levine
> <levine at isoc.org>
> Cc: Chapter Delegates
> <Chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>, Sally Wentworth
> <wentworth at isoc.org>
> Subject: Re: Follow-up on Chapters Advisory Council
> Meeting of 17 September 2024
> 
>  
> 
> Dear Ted,
> 
> thank you for your follow-up on this matter. I am
> aware of the special tax terms in relation to
> "supporting organisations".
> 
> That being said, the Internet Society Foundation is
> a distinct and separate legal entity to the Internet
> Society, irrespective of the relationship between
> them. As a result, any outsourcing task undertaken
> by one, for the other entity, would be defined in a
> contract, whether written, verbal or otherwise. If
> not, there is a lack of clarity and expectations
> about the relationship, which brings potential
> liability and risk that both entities are subjected
> to, in relation to the other's actions. Any lawyer
> would tell you that it is highly advisable to have a
> written contract, if only for legal protection.
> 
> Thanks for letting me know that you are travelling.
> I am copying President and CEO Sally Wentworth in
> case you're unavailable for a length of time.
> 
> Kindest regards,
> 
> Olivier
> 
> On 20/09/2024 13:12, Ted Hardie wrote:
>
>       Hi Olivier,
> 
>  
> 
> A supporting organization is a term of art in
> US tax law, please see:
> 
>  
> 
> https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/supporti
> ng-organizations-requirements-and-types
> 
>  
> 
> and
> 
>  
> 
> https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/section-509a3-supporting-organiza
> tions
> 
>  
> 
> Explaining how the two relate is complicated
> enough that there are legal briefs on it; I
> have cc'ed the Society's chief counsel in case
> you would like that level of detail.  The
> summary, however, is that a supporting
> organization is a charity because it supports
> the charitable purpose of the main
> organization.  As a result, it can provide
> services to the main organization under the
> special tax rules noted above.
> 
>  
> 
> Note that I am traveling and will generally be
> slow to respond for a few days, but hopefully
> the links above will get you started and Ilona
> can provide more detailed legal information as
> needed.
> 
>  
> 
> regards,
> 
>  
> 
> Ted Hardie
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> On Fri, Sep 20, 2024 at 6:24 AM Olivier MJ
> Crépin-Leblond <ocl at gih.com> wrote:
>
>       Dear Ted,
> 
>
>       During this week’s Chapters
>       Advisory Council call, you
>       mentioned that the Internet
>       Society Foundation, as a
>       "supporting organisation" of the
>       Internet Society, is managing the
>       communications department for the
>       Internet Society.
>
>       Upon seeking clarification, you
>       explained that the Internet
>       Society Foundation comprises two
>       elements: one philanthropic
>       (grant-making) and the other as a
>       "supporting organisation" of the
>       Internet Society. "This implies
>       that many of the supporting
>       functions for the Internet Society
>       as a whole are now part of the
>       Foundation, primarily because the
>       Foundation can provide these
>       services to the Internet Society
>       at no cost".
>
>       You further elaborated that this
>       "arrangement" allows the Internet
>       Society to allocate its budget
>       more effectively.
>
>       I was previously unaware of this
>       change. Although the Internet
>       Society Foundation may have been
>       designated by the Internet Society
>       as a "supporting organisation" of
>       the Internet Society, it remains a
>       distinct and separate legal
>       entity. Therefore, I assume that
>       any "outsourcing" of
>       responsibilities such as Marketing
>       and/or Communications would be
>       defined in a written "contract for
>       services" between the Parties
>       setting out (inter-alia) the
>       terms, rights, and obligations of
>       each Party. Could you please
>       provide the terms for such an
>       agreement and any limitations
>       therein?
>
>       My principal concern lies in
>       distinguishing between executing
>       the Communications Plan and
>       drafting the Communications Plan.
>       These are fundamentally different
>       tasks and would undoubtedly be
>       included in the "contract for
>       services".
>
>       The "contract for services"
>       (together with any relevant
>       supporting information) will be
>       helpful input for both the
>       Chapters Advisory Council and also
>       for Chris Locke and his Team
>       (including for the current
>       "branding" presentations) in
>       preparation for the promised
>       session from Chris Locke to the
>       Chapters Advisory Council.
>
>       I look forward to your response
>       and to receiving a copy of the
>       "contract for services" agreement,
>       together with any relevant
>       supporting information as
>       requested above.
>
>       Kindest regards,
>
>       Olivier
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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