OSGeo Constitution

This is absolutely a draft in every respect and has no approval from the Board. Please feel very welcome to contribute to it!

Social Contract

OSGeo is committed to benefitting society, by developing and promoting geospatial software and information in forms that guarantee the right to use, modify, and redistribute those creations.

Directors

The Board of Directors has formal responsibilities as expressed in the bylaws. https://www.osgeo.org/content/foundation/incorporation/bylaws.html

Voting Members

The 45 voting members are the ultimate control for the foundation. They serve as a check on the board in that they vote in board members.

Projects

OSGeo represents the interests of a collection of software Projects. An initial set of Projects that are going through an Incubation stage to gain a formal status as an "OSGeo Project".

http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Incubation_Committee is working out a formal process of deciding when a Project has been sufficiently incubated, to offer as a proposal to the Board.

Committees

A Committee represents an activity in support of OSGeo. A Committee is assigned some specific area of responsibility by the board. Committees have Chairs who formally become Vice Presidents within the Foundation structure. cf https://board.osgeo.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=board&msgNo=421 A Committee must be formally instantiated by the Board, and the Chair of that Committee approved in their position by vote from the Board. Committee Chairs do not need to be Voting Members of the Foundation.

Working Groups

Working Groups are the expression of a "community of interest" within the Foundation. They may be offered hosting and resources which are at the disposal of the Web Committee. Working Groups can be initiated through one of the Commmittees of by the Board directly.