Charitable Objects

[Benjie Gillam]

Let's ONLY discuss the Objects in this thread. Please fork other topics to a different thread by editing the subject line before posting.

To form a CIO (which many of us believe is the preferred vehicle for So Make It) we need to come up with some "Objects" that are 100% charitable. The guidance notes say:

the CIO must have exclusively charitable objects which you must set out in the constitution. guidance on appropriate wording for objects is available on our website. the key elements to include are:

• the purpose or purposes for which the CiO is being established;

• the people who can benefit; and if appropriate

• any geographic limits defining the area of benefit. If you include an area of benefit, it is common to define it by reference to a local government area: this has the advantage of clarity and simplicity, but can create problems if the area is subsequently altered or abolished. if this happens in future, contact the Commission for advice on amending the objects.

 

--  http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Library/guidance/CIO-AssociationModelConstitution.pdf

 

(NOTE: this document also lays out our constitution, may be worth a read. I've not read it.)

The Charity Commission [CC] recommend that we use one of their examples:

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Start_up_a_charity/Guidance_on_registering/Example_objects/default.aspx

but I'm not sure any of those fit us perfectly. If we're not going to use one of those then we will have a harder time proving to the CC that our Objects are charitable.

The Charities Act sets out the following descriptions of charitable purposes, one or more of which we must fit under. I've bolded the ones I think are relevant. http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Charity_requirements_guidance/Charity_essentials/Public_benefit/public_benefit.aspx#c2:

a) the prevention or relief of poverty; 
b) the advancement of education; 
c) the advancement of religion; 
d) the advancement of health or the saving of lives; 
e) the advancement of citizenship or community development; 
f) the advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science; 
g) the advancement of amateur sport; 
h) the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity; 
i) the advancement of environmental protection or improvement; 
j) the relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage; 
k) the advancement of animal welfare; 
l) the promotion of the efficiency of the armed forces of the Crown, or of the efficiency of the police, fire and rescue services or ambulance services; 
m) other purposes currently recognised as charitable and any new charitable purposes which are similar to another charitable purpose.

Here's a list of approved objects that might be able to be tweaked or combined to match our purpose.

• To promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of [ insert place ] and the surrounding area the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life of the said inhabitants.
• The provision and maintenance of a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of [area of benefit] without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for:
  (a) meetings, lectures and classes, and
  (b) other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants.
• to advance education by the establishment and maintenance of a museum
• to advance education in the arts by the establishment and maintenance of an art museum or art gallery
• To advance the education of the public in the subject of [insert subject to be studied] 
• To advance the education of the public in general (and particularly amongst scientists) on the subject of particle physics and to promote research for the public benefit in all aspects of that subject and to publish the useful results.
• To further or benefit the residents of [area of benefit] and the neighbourhood, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.
  
• 
  In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power:
  
  To establish or secure the establishment of a community centre and to maintain or manage or co-operate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects.

Please contribute your ideas for our objects, or if you feel we don't qualify as a charity please state your case, preferable with links to the legislation/guidance/etc. 

If we can be a charity the only thing stopping us currently is coming up with the wording for these Objects. If we can't be a charity then we're wasting time looking into being one. Let's get this ball rolling again!

Benjie.

[Benjie Gillam]

To start us off, here's a few I've come up with by combining the examples (and adding stuff of my own). Feel free to make suggestions or, even better, come up with some of your own.

Sections in [square brackets] are "optional" so as to save writing out the same sentence twice - once with and once without. These can be combined and nested.

To benefit the residents of Southampton and the neighbourhood, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions, by associating together the said residents in an effort to advance education [and research] on the subjects of art, science and technology and to provide facilities in the interests of these subjects for recreation leisure time occupation with the objective of benefitting education [and research].

To advance education and innovation in the arts, science and technology by the establishment and maintenance of facilities enabling the residents of Southampton and the neighbourhood (without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions) to share experience, tools and knowledge [relating to these subjects].

To advance the education of the residents of Southampton and the neighbourhood in the subject of the arts, science and technology [by the establishment and maintenance of facilities enabling the residents of Southampton and the neighbourhood (without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions) to [associate together and] share tools and knowledge and enable hands-on learning and experience [relating to these subjects].]

[Ben Walsh]

Google groups is probably not an effective way of collaborating on a single document such as this. It just didn't work for similar documents for another club I'm now Treasurer of.

The more effective methods were google docs or a wiki page - both gave the full revision history including linked justifications for the changes. Much much easier.

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[Ben Walsh]

I'll have an opportunity tonight to review properly.

[Benjie Gillam]

You're right when we get to honing them, but I think for submitting ideas the mailing list works well. It's not a document we're after - it's a sentence or two. 

[Anton Piatek]

Thanks for getting the ball rolling here Benjie.

As an aside I have read most of the CIO doc and agree it is the right
direction.

Specifically to the subject, I like your examples, and think all of
them look really good. Is there something you feel is missing from
them?

Anton

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[Benjie Gillam]

My issue is: I'm not 100% any of them match the requirements of the CC, and thus we may have to wait ages and still get a rejection.

A lawyer friend of mine (he does criminal law, not charities!) suggests that perhaps to show we benefit the public we should say in the objects that we will release instructions on how to make things that are made in the makerspace (or something like that). There's one example of this amongst the example objects - it's the one about researching (physics?) and releasing the research to the public. I don't think we want to make this a hard limit (i.e. it doesn't make sense that we release EVERYTHING to the public that is made in the makerspace); however I'd suggest that we add something along those lines somehow - e.g. we commit to releasing at least some stuff to the public?

I've not had time to read all of the docs myself - have just scanned it so far (thanks for doing so yourself!).

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[Chris Smith]

Putting up instructions of some of the cooler stuff we make in the makerspace (obviously not every single project) is something we probably should be doing anyways.

Can we cite examples of what other makerspaces are doing as part of an objective?  The workshops many of them run I’d consider to be pretty good examples of educating the community.

[Benjie Gillam]

My impression is that the objects should be standalone - have a look through the example approved objects:

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Start_up_a_charity/Guidance_on_registering/Example_objects/exobjhome.aspx

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[Ben Walsh]

Unless contracts restrict me, my intention was to release everything to the public (or more specifically all hackspace members globally). It is good advertising for us and good for the wider global maker community. James approach on model making and robotics is exactly right I think.

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[Chris Smith]

I’m no wordsmith so won’t attempt writing anything clever but the “recycling” example may be worth adapting to fit us.  As hackers we actively encourage upcycling and recycling e-waste etc and this can in at least a small way promote recycling.

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Start_up_a_charity/Guidance_on_registering/Example_objects/exobj29.aspx

On Friday, January 25, 2013 12:56:54 PM UTC, Benjie Gillam wrote:

[Benjie Gillam]

I think the makerspace would be better if people can come there, and make/prototype stuff that later they intend to sell without having to release the "source code"/"blueprints". I don't have any intention to do this myself, but I don't think we should preclude others from doing so. Or should we?

I'm also not sure how this would fit in with e.g. sculpting/costume making/etc. I suppose for "fundraising purposes" we could allow others to use our tools, and that usage wouldn't have to fall under the objects? I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know.

[Benjie Gillam]

Nice idea, though I fear that having recycling as our object may be a bit too limiting, e.g. my home automation stuff isn't recycling related at all. What do others think?

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[Anton Piatek]

Perhaps if we start with some important words we want to fit in, then
the answer will fall out of the exercis?

I think the keywords we want are:
provide space / help / encouragement / education / facilities / tools.

Anything else?

[Benjie Gillam]

A few more:
foster creation / innovation / research / community / collaboration

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[Ben Walsh]

Inspire, improve, nurture, include,

[Ben Walsh]

Develop, inform, enthuse, grow, help, utilise (as in under/unused council property), repurpose, regain (as in control over the things we acquire/buy), customise, personalise, also something that emphasises continued learning beyond the traditional "ages"

[Anton Piatek]

Ok, now we should have a go at putting them all together coherently

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[Ruka]

sounds good!

[Benjie Gillam]

Which bit?

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[Luke J (Ruka)]

Your comments on 'objects' and the activity on this forum :)

[Bracken Dawson]

For the advancement of the arts, science and tchnology

by the establishment and maintenance of facilities

for the residents of [Soton]

without [WP]

On Friday, January 25, 2013 12:56:54 PM UTC, Benjie Gillam wrote: