Memorandum of
Bay Area Collective Giving (“BACG”)
Last Edited on November 10, 2023 |
BACG membership duties:
Members commit to depositing $5,000 of their annual household zakat plus any associated administrative fees into a pooled BACG zakat fund housed at LaunchGood by the deadline determined by the Steering Committee for intended disbursal at the end of Ramadan each year.
Members must renew their membership annually by the deadline determined by the Steering Committee by submitting their membership form.
New members:
New members should be invited by a BACG household that has participated in the previous year’s giving cycle and must submit a membership form by the deadline set by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will contact all new members in writing confirming their participation in the current cycle of BACG giving.
Membership tiers, and associated responsibilities:
Steering Committee:
Usage of group zakat funds:
The BACG subscribes to a philosophy of targeted giving. All zakat funds are used to support specific zakat-eligible projects within an organization and are not donated into an organization’s general zakat fund. Although the BACG expects that the donee organization will deploy the gifted funds toward the stipulated purpose(s) as described to the BACG, the BACG recognizes that there may be instances in which the donee organization must redirect funds in order to respond to urgent needs, and changing environments and circumstances. The donee organization bears the responsibility of keeping the Steering Committee informed, as much as is practicable, of any redirection of funds while also ensuring that the funds' purpose(s) remains zakat-eligible and as closely aligned with the original intention of the BACG gift as possible. The Steering Committee will inform the BACG membership of any material redirection of the BACG funds, with the Steering Committee determining on a case-by-case basis what constitutes a "material redirection" of the zakat funds.
Determining zakat-eligibility of a project:
As of the 2023 giving year, BACG relies on the opinion of Imam Tahir Anwar of the San Francisco Bay Area when determining zakat eligibility of each project that will be funded. Group members and organizations can approach BACG to ascertain the zakat-eligibility of a particular project.
Voting:
Group voting is conducted anonymously and electronically, with only members of the Steering Committee able to access completed voting forms.
Each household participating in a giving cycle as Voting Members or Steering Committee members is allotted one vote. Deadlines for votes are determined by the Steering Committee.
A simple majority is required to ascertain voting results for all votes related to project funding and substantive amendments to the MOU. In the case of a tie, the Steering Committee will determine how best to proceed in effectuating a fair result.
All voting members must submit their vote by the deadline and no late votes will be accepted. If extenuating circumstances prevented voting members from casting a vote on time or at all, the Steering Committee may, in their discretion, decide to accept votes after the deadline on a case-by-case basis.
Confidentiality:
The existence of BACG is not confidential, but group correspondence is intended to be confidential to ensure the unencumbered flow of honest discussion. No internal BACG communications are intended for public consumption without the written approval of the Steering Committee.
Steering Committee:
[Roles and Responsibilities]
It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee to steward the BACG through each annual giving cycle. To this end, the Steering Committee is expected to:
[Management of Steering Committee]
All members of the Steering Committee must have participated in at least one previous year’s giving cycle.
Whenever it is practicable, the Steering Committee shall be comprised of three households so as to guarantee a majority vote, but can be comprised of up to four households. No Steering Committee member is permitted to abstain from any internal committee vote.
Each year, the Steering Committee should be headed by a household that has served on the Steering Committee for at least one prior year.
Households will ideally serve two- or three-year terms on the Steering Committee, with there being at least one, but no more than two, new family/ies serving on the committee each year. If required, Steering Committee members can serve for longer than three years at a time, however this is strongly discouraged to ensure fair representation and contributions of all members.
There are no formal term limits for Steering Committee members, but it is highly recommended that outgoing Steering Committee members wait at least two years before accepting a seat on the Steering Committee again.
Before the end of a giving cycle, currently-serving Steering Committee members should determine the make-up of the next year’s committee by inviting qualified households to join the committee and transitioning out Steering Committee members who have served for two or three years on the committee.
[Overruling Decisions and Replacement of Steering Committee Members]
Any Voting Member can call a vote of the Voting Members to secure a three-fourths vote (or the closest fraction to three-fourths possible given the number of Voting Members participating in a giving cycle) in favor of overruling any decisions made by the Steering Committee. The three-fourths vote results will hold as policy for that giving cycle. Steering Committee members will not be permitted to vote on this matter but will continue to manage the group.
A Steering Committee member can be removed from their position with a three-fourths vote of the Voting Members (or the closest fraction to three-fourths possible given the number of Voting Members participating in a giving cycle). Steering Committee members will not be permitted to vote on the removal of a Steering Committee member. If a Steering Committee member is voted out of their position, at least 50% of the Voting Members should elect a replacement Steering Committee member, with the requirement that this replacement member participated in at least one previous year’s giving cycle. In this second vote to appoint a replacement for the Steering Committee, no current or removed Steering Committee member may participate. The removed Steering Committee member may elect to participate in the giving cycle as a Voting or Non-Voting Member, or may elect to receive a refund of their zakat funds and leave the group as long as the final vote for fund allocation has not occurred.
Amendments to the MOU:
Minor amendments to this MOU form may be made by the Steering Committee at any time. The Steering Committee, in their discretion, must determine if a proposed amendment will fundamentally alter the organizational model and make-up of the group. If it is so determined, it is incumbent upon the Steering Committee to submit the proposed amendment(s) for a vote to both the Steering Committee and Voting Members, with a simple majority required to formally adopt the substantive amendment.
Members commit to depositing $5,000 of their annual household zakat plus any associated administrative fees into a pooled BACG zakat fund housed at LaunchGood by the deadline determined by the Steering Committee for intended disbursal at the end of Ramadan each year.
Members must renew their membership annually by the deadline determined by the Steering Committee by submitting their membership form.
New members:
New members should be invited by a BACG household that has participated in the previous year’s giving cycle and must submit a membership form by the deadline set by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will contact all new members in writing confirming their participation in the current cycle of BACG giving.
Membership tiers, and associated responsibilities:
Steering Committee:
- Comprised of households ideally serving a two- to three-year term;
- Manages the group;
- Coordinates with 3rd party for payment processing and tax receipt distributions;
- Able to nominate and pitch zakat-eligible projects for the group’s consideration;
- Attends all meetings;
- Casts a vote to select the final recipients;
- Able to nominate and pitch zakat-eligible projects for the group’s consideration;
- Attends the pitch and finalist meetings;
- Casts a vote to select the final recipients.
- Do not vote or attend any meetings for the duration of the giving cycle.
Usage of group zakat funds:
The BACG subscribes to a philosophy of targeted giving. All zakat funds are used to support specific zakat-eligible projects within an organization and are not donated into an organization’s general zakat fund. Although the BACG expects that the donee organization will deploy the gifted funds toward the stipulated purpose(s) as described to the BACG, the BACG recognizes that there may be instances in which the donee organization must redirect funds in order to respond to urgent needs, and changing environments and circumstances. The donee organization bears the responsibility of keeping the Steering Committee informed, as much as is practicable, of any redirection of funds while also ensuring that the funds' purpose(s) remains zakat-eligible and as closely aligned with the original intention of the BACG gift as possible. The Steering Committee will inform the BACG membership of any material redirection of the BACG funds, with the Steering Committee determining on a case-by-case basis what constitutes a "material redirection" of the zakat funds.
Determining zakat-eligibility of a project:
As of the 2023 giving year, BACG relies on the opinion of Imam Tahir Anwar of the San Francisco Bay Area when determining zakat eligibility of each project that will be funded. Group members and organizations can approach BACG to ascertain the zakat-eligibility of a particular project.
Voting:
Group voting is conducted anonymously and electronically, with only members of the Steering Committee able to access completed voting forms.
Each household participating in a giving cycle as Voting Members or Steering Committee members is allotted one vote. Deadlines for votes are determined by the Steering Committee.
A simple majority is required to ascertain voting results for all votes related to project funding and substantive amendments to the MOU. In the case of a tie, the Steering Committee will determine how best to proceed in effectuating a fair result.
All voting members must submit their vote by the deadline and no late votes will be accepted. If extenuating circumstances prevented voting members from casting a vote on time or at all, the Steering Committee may, in their discretion, decide to accept votes after the deadline on a case-by-case basis.
Confidentiality:
The existence of BACG is not confidential, but group correspondence is intended to be confidential to ensure the unencumbered flow of honest discussion. No internal BACG communications are intended for public consumption without the written approval of the Steering Committee.
Steering Committee:
[Roles and Responsibilities]
It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee to steward the BACG through each annual giving cycle. To this end, the Steering Committee is expected to:
- Hold incremental strategy and planning meetings to ensure that the group is making regular progress toward the year’s growth and giving goals. As much as possible, records of the meetings should remain accessible to all Steering Committee members and can be reviewed by all Voting Members upon request;
- Determine and send out the annual calendar and associated deadlines, meeting and voting dates;
- Manage and update the group’s virtual presence including a website and any social media platforms that the group establishes;
- Manage all group correspondence and communications and provide full transparency, when approached by Voting Members, regarding Steering Committee decisions;
- Maintain a record of all BACG past and current gifts, and regularly correspond with past recipients of BACG funds in order to ascertain progress made toward the gifts’ intended purpose;
- Ensure that all households are fulfilling their respective membership duties. Only in the case of gross misconduct, as so determined by the Steering Committee, the Steering Committee may also remove a household from the group but must provide as much context as is ethically required to those Voting Members who approach the Steering Committee for more information regarding the Steering Committee’s reasoning;
- Ensure that all potential conflicts and issues brought to the attention of the Steering Committee are resolved, with an emphasis on equity and expedience;
- Interface with any 3rd party payment processor on behalf of the group to ensure that all administrative tasks related to collecting and disbursing group funds are completed;
- Administer all group votes and host all group meetings;
- Tie breaking vote: If the case of a tie in any vote not inclusive of the votes detailed in the below section entitled “Overruling Decisions and Replacement of Steering Committee Members," the Steering Committee can determine if they will vote internally to decide the vote or if they will offer an alternative path toward a fair resolution.
[Management of Steering Committee]
All members of the Steering Committee must have participated in at least one previous year’s giving cycle.
Whenever it is practicable, the Steering Committee shall be comprised of three households so as to guarantee a majority vote, but can be comprised of up to four households. No Steering Committee member is permitted to abstain from any internal committee vote.
Each year, the Steering Committee should be headed by a household that has served on the Steering Committee for at least one prior year.
Households will ideally serve two- or three-year terms on the Steering Committee, with there being at least one, but no more than two, new family/ies serving on the committee each year. If required, Steering Committee members can serve for longer than three years at a time, however this is strongly discouraged to ensure fair representation and contributions of all members.
There are no formal term limits for Steering Committee members, but it is highly recommended that outgoing Steering Committee members wait at least two years before accepting a seat on the Steering Committee again.
Before the end of a giving cycle, currently-serving Steering Committee members should determine the make-up of the next year’s committee by inviting qualified households to join the committee and transitioning out Steering Committee members who have served for two or three years on the committee.
[Overruling Decisions and Replacement of Steering Committee Members]
Any Voting Member can call a vote of the Voting Members to secure a three-fourths vote (or the closest fraction to three-fourths possible given the number of Voting Members participating in a giving cycle) in favor of overruling any decisions made by the Steering Committee. The three-fourths vote results will hold as policy for that giving cycle. Steering Committee members will not be permitted to vote on this matter but will continue to manage the group.
A Steering Committee member can be removed from their position with a three-fourths vote of the Voting Members (or the closest fraction to three-fourths possible given the number of Voting Members participating in a giving cycle). Steering Committee members will not be permitted to vote on the removal of a Steering Committee member. If a Steering Committee member is voted out of their position, at least 50% of the Voting Members should elect a replacement Steering Committee member, with the requirement that this replacement member participated in at least one previous year’s giving cycle. In this second vote to appoint a replacement for the Steering Committee, no current or removed Steering Committee member may participate. The removed Steering Committee member may elect to participate in the giving cycle as a Voting or Non-Voting Member, or may elect to receive a refund of their zakat funds and leave the group as long as the final vote for fund allocation has not occurred.
Amendments to the MOU:
Minor amendments to this MOU form may be made by the Steering Committee at any time. The Steering Committee, in their discretion, must determine if a proposed amendment will fundamentally alter the organizational model and make-up of the group. If it is so determined, it is incumbent upon the Steering Committee to submit the proposed amendment(s) for a vote to both the Steering Committee and Voting Members, with a simple majority required to formally adopt the substantive amendment.