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Questions to be considered?

What is OpenStreetMap? And what is the OpenStreetMap Foundation?

OpenStreetMap is an open initiative to create and provide free geographic data such as street maps to anyone who wants them.

The OpenStreetMap Foundation is an international non-profit organisation supporting but not controlling the project. It is dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free geospatial data and to providing geospatial data for anybody to use and share.

OpenStreetMap Foundation was incorporated by the registrar of companies for England and Wales on August 22nd, 2006 as a company limited by guarantee. The company registration number is 5912761.

What is the purpose of the OpenStreetMap Foundation?

The OpenStreetMap Foundation was formed as a legal body and group to enable things not easily accomplished by individual mappers. For instance, the OpenStreetMap Foundation owns the OpenStreetMap servers, and holds sponsorship funds from donors.

How many members does the foundation have?
What rights and duties does a member have?
Who can become a member of the foundation?

Any individual may become a member of the OpenStreetMap Foundation by paying the annual membership fee.

Is my membership automatically renewed?

No. You must authorise payment each time.

How do the decision processes work in the foundation?
What is the annual budget of the foundation?
If I donate to the OpenStreetMap Foundation, where does my money go?

OSMF budget guidelines expect funds to be spent as follows 60% on hardware, 20% on promotion, 20% on legal expenses.

Which intellectual property does the Foundation own?
How many employees does the foundation have?

The OSMF has no employees. All OSMF activities are performed by volunteers.

How does the cooperation between the OpenStreetMap Project and Foundation work?
How does the foundation support the OpenStreetMap Project?

The OpenStreetMap Foundation supports OpenStreetMap by collecting sponsorship funds for the OSM conference, State of the Map, by purchasing event insurance, signing contracts, holding the openstreetmap.org domain name, arranging hosting and bandwidth, purchasing, configuring and maintaining servers, etc.

Does the foundation support any other projects besides the OpenStreetMap project?

Not at this time.

How is the foundation financed?

The OpenStreetMap Foundation is funded entirely by donations from contributors like you.

Does the foundation do regular publications or OpenStreetMap events?

The annual State of the Map conference is operated by the OpenStreetMap Foundation.

What are the competitors of the foundation?
What were the largest donations the foundation has received?
Can anybody "hijack" the foundation to take advantage of the rights of the foundation?

No. Members may join the OpenStreetMap Foundation. It is the mandate of the foundation to serve those members, and more generally to serve the interests of free and open geodata.

What kinds of maps can I get from OpenStreetMap? The OpenStreetMap Project does not provide maps. It provides map data that can be used to make all kinds of maps. The foundation does not provide map data, but, rather, supports the OpenStreetMap Project.

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 * What is the purpose of the OpenStreetMap Foundation?
+: The OpenStreetMap Foundation was formed as a legal body and group to enable things not easily accomplished by individual mappers.  For instance, the OpenStreetMap Foundation owns the OpenStreetMap servers, and holds sponsorship funds from donors.
 * How many members does the foundation have?
 * What rights and duties does a member have?
 * Who can become a member of the foundation?
+: Any individual may [http://www.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Join become a member of the OpenStreetMap Foundation] by paying the annual membership fee.
 * Is my membership automatically renewed?
+: No.  You must authorise payment each time.
 * How do the decision processes work in the foundation?
 * What is the annual budget of the foundation?
 * If I donate to the OpenStreetMap Foundation, where does my money go?
+: OSMF budget guidelines expect funds to be spent as follows 60% on hardware, 20% on promotion, 20% on legal expenses.
 * Which intellectual property does the Foundation own?
 * How many employees does the foundation have?
+: The OSMF has no employees.  All OSMF activities are performed by volunteers.
 * How does the cooperation between the OpenStreetMap Project and Foundation work?
 * How does the foundation support the OpenStreetMap Project?
+: The OpenStreetMap Foundation supports OpenStreetMap by collecting sponsorship funds for the OSM conference, State of the Map, by purchasing event insurance, signing contracts, holding the openstreetmap.org domain name, arranging hosting and bandwidth, purchasing, configuring and maintaining servers, etc.
 * Does the foundation support any other projects besides the OpenStreetMap project?
+: Not at this time.
 * How is the foundation financed?
+: The [http://donate.osm.org/ OpenStreetMap Foundation is funded entirely by donations from contributors] like you.
 * Does the foundation do regular publications or OpenStreetMap events?
+: The annual State of the Map conference is operated by the OpenStreetMap Foundation.
 * What are the competitors of the foundation?
 * What were the largest donations the foundation has received?
 * Can anybody "hijack" the foundation to take advantage of the rights of the foundation?
+: No.  Members may join the OpenStreetMap Foundation.  It is the mandate of the foundation to serve those members, and more generally to serve the interests of free and open geodata.
 * What kinds of maps can I get from OpenStreetMap? The OpenStreetMap Project does not provide maps. It provides map data that can be used to make all kinds of maps. The foundation does not provide map data, but, rather, supports the OpenStreetMap Project.