Feature #12515
Wording: Sponsor, Donor, Partner, Funder, Patron?
0%
Description
I was wondering if we should call the page “Sponsors” or “Donors”. Note that FSF calls donors “patrons”, Debian and Qubes call them “Partners”, FreeBSD calls them “Donors” and Torproject only lists “sponsors”.
So I tried to find out what the difference is:
Sponsorship is a cash or in-kind fee paid to an organization or group in return for access to the (commercial) potential associated with that organization and/or event. Sponsorship is undertaken for the purpose of achieving (commercial) objectives.
Philanthropy or monetary donations on the other hand, are in support of a cause without any commercial incentives. Money is donated simply for the good of the cause with no ‘strings’ attached.
(Source: https://www.cbcf.org/ontario/GetInvolved/Events/Documents/Sponsorship%20vs%20Donations%2008.pdf - i found many other similar texts, but this one seemed very complete to me.)
So, basically, individuals and companies who want to receive a tax receipt for their donation should be called “Donors”.
Our grants from foundations should be called “Sponsors” or “Funding” from what I understand.
FSF’s patrons are, legally speaking, donors: “Organizations show their support for the community and the mission of the FSF by giving financial help. Many of our Patrons come to the FSF because their user community or employees ask them to recognize our work.”
Qubes’ partners are basically funders.
I’d like to discuss this a bit, in order to make it clear what kind of donations on the page are grants.
Subtasks
History
#1 Updated by Anonymous 2017-05-05 11:50:02
So I think that the page should simply be called “Partners”, which would include funders and donors. IMO, this also creates a link of equality between us and all individuals, companies and organizations who want to help us.
In the page itself we can explicit that there are “funders” and “donors”.
I’d probably like to avoid the word “sponsor” and replace it by “partner”.
Partners can get benefits Feature #12514 - which are yet to be defined and put in place.
#2 Updated by Anonymous 2017-05-05 14:22:28
- Status changed from New to Resolved
I sort of decided for Partners. I will close this ticket, but if you feel like you want to rediscuss this, please reopen it and add your comments.
I basically created this ticket as part of a transparent thought process. But I understand that this will eventually need a collective decision.
#3 Updated by sajolida 2017-05-12 07:01:16
I meant to create a similar ticket :)
Here are some complementary thoughts to what you said already. Thinking about either users or companies browsing our website, I’d like to make it clear to them that:
- Individuals small donors are different from regular big business donors because they have different interests in mind. In that sense, I wouldn’t use “donors”.
- Regular big business donors only give us money (or resources) but are not contributing work or taking part in our decisions or processes. In that sense I would prefer “sponsors” to “partners” since I find “partners” more ambiguous while our only relationship with the organizations in this program is money (or resources). Now, these organizations might find the ambiguity of the word “partner” more appealing than the tackiness of the work “sponsor”.
Partner
n.
1. One that is united or associated with another or others in an activity or a sphere of common interest, especially:
a. A member of a business partnership.
b. A spouse.
c. A domestic partner.
d. A lover.
e. Either of two persons dancing together.
f. One of a pair or team in a sport or game, such as tennis or bridge.So I would prefer “sponsors” but I’m fine with “partner” if that’s your decision.
#4 Updated by intrigeri 2017-06-02 16:19:20
- Tracker changed from Bug to Feature
- Category set to Fundraising