Federation Finances¶
Collective resources for shared infrastructure, research, and continuity.
1. Purpose¶
The federation manages expenses that serve all circles and ensure long-term stability.
Its financial role is custodial, not directive — pooling resources for what no single circle can sustain alone.
Funds are used for:
- Shared communication and outreach
- Research, documentation, and framework development
- Technical infrastructure (platforms, storage, website, bookkeeping)
- Inclusion support between circles
- Modest salaries for administrative continuity
- General overhead
The goal is transparency and sufficiency — not accumulation or profit.
2. Budget Structure¶
A typical federation budget allocates:
| Category | Purpose | Recommended Share |
|---|---|---|
| 25% Marketing & Communication | Website, public outreach, visual materials, printing, social media | 25% |
| 25% Research & Development | Method refinement, publications, documentation, peer review | 25% |
| 20% Salaries & Administration | Modest compensation for part-time coordinators, accountants, or technical custodians | 20% |
| 15% Technology & Infrastructure | Hosting, tools, maintenance, storage, domain, software licenses | 15% |
| 10% Inclusion & Support | Support between circles, access funds, travel stipends, mediation | 10% |
| 5% Reserve | Contingency and future investment | 5% |
Percentages are indicative — reviewed yearly through federation discernment.
3. Salary Guidelines¶
The federation may compensate individuals for essential coordination or specialized work that ensures continuity (e.g., bookkeeping, web maintenance, federation facilitation).
Principles:
1. Transparency: All payments and contracts are public to all circles.
2. Proportionality: Compensation reflects hours and responsibility, not status.
3. Sufficiency, not profit: Enough to sustain the contributor, not to create dependence.
4. Rotation: No role is permanent; every paid position is reviewed yearly.
5. Voluntary baseline: Circles and contributors may donate time beyond compensation.
Suggested ranges (guideline):
- Administrative or bookkeeping: modest hourly rate based on local living wage.
- Technical / coordination roles: slightly higher, capped at 1.2× the local median hourly rate.
- No full-time salaries; roles remain part-time to preserve voluntary spirit.
Payment can be made through the federation account, with records visible to all circles.
4. Oversight and Reporting¶
- Federation treasurer (rotating) maintains the shared ledger.
- Quarterly summaries include:
- Income by source (circle contributions, donations, grants)
- Expenses by category
- Current balance and commitments
- Annual review meeting confirms or revises budget structure.
- All records remain public to every member circle.
5. Funding Sources¶
- Circle contributions (recommended 25% of each circle’s income)
- Voluntary donations
- Research or cultural grants (non-conditional)
- Event fees for open workshops or publications
No funding may come with conditions that limit freedom or integrity.
The federation manages continuity, not power.
Money here enables collaboration, not hierarchy.
Salaries sustain roles — not positions.