Diff for "Foundation"

The SAGE Mathematics Foundation

SAGE clearly needs a SAGE Foundation.

There is already something called [http://thesagefoundation.org/ The SAGE foundation] in New Jersey. (The financial section of their website is interesting, since they post several relevant IRS documents.)

• QUESTION 1: Can I create another "SAGE Foundation", or do foundation names have to be unique? This is a question about IRS tax codes, I think.

Mission Statement

• Here are some questions and answers which hopefully this statement will help answer:
  • What is the purpose of SAGE?
    • Be a comprehensive mainstream high quality open source free mathematics software system.
    • Unify free open source mathematics software.
  • Why does the SAGE Mathematics Foundation exist?
    • Be a nonprofit tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS tax code. Can receive donations, license fees, payment for technical support, etc. Resulting money can then be used to support students, visitors, purchase of equipment, workshops, and give grants to applicants for SAGE development.
    • Provide an advisory board to help people applying for grants (e.g., from NSF), for conferences, and deciding how to use funds they have.
  • What is the Foundation going to do to achieve this purpose?
    • Run workshops
    • Hire an accountant
    • Create an advisory board
  • What are our guiding principles?

    • All software included in the SAGE core distribution must be free and open source, and arbitrary modifications and redistribution of every single line must be allowed.

    • We should provide a model for the mathematical community of software development with a strong emphasis on openness, community, cooperation, and collaboration.

    • We should always strive to create professional quality software that is available to everyone.

• Other Examples: [http://www.python.org/psf/mission/ Python Foundation] and the [http://www.maa.org/Aboutmaa/mission.html MAA].

Organizational Structure

Treasurer

Do any other mathematics software systems, e.g., Axiom, Magma, GAP, PARI, etc., have a foundation?

• GAP has [http://www.gap-system.org/Contacts/centres.html GAP Centers] and a [http://www.gap-system.org/Contacts/People/Council/council.html GAP Council]. The Council provides broad policy advice for the future development of GAP, among other things. (The Council chairman serves as the "editor" of the GAP webpages, though he is not the webmaster, and also as an "editor in chief" of the "GAP packages".) See the web pages for more details. The Centers are physical locations where GAP expertise is found (for example, St. Andrews). The developers located there are Council members and have several "possible tasks": (1) run GAP-related conferences, (2) use their local computer facilities to test and develop GAP, (3) try to raise money, ... . See the web pages for more details.