[Mesh] BSC $10,000 Development Grant

[Matthew Senate]

Jeremy and I are applying to this grant for our food worker coop ;)

I think the more relevant applications, the better. The BSC has funded lots
of cooperatives in the past, and also helped with loans and financing,
fiscal sponsorship, shared services, etc. Funding opens up from different
places historically, so we should always keep the BSC in mind. For example,
the Berkeley Student Food Cooperative received funding that was intended
for a different source, and diverted locally. The organization is ~80 or so
years old at this point and just received its biggest ever single donation
of 400,000 for a seismic retrofit. It needs similar donations and
fund-raising for maintaining existing services, as well as expanding. The
capital flows in multiple directions at once, and it must for any such
large org. It's beautiful since the people who use it (the members living
in houses and apartments) actually run it and "own" it as the board of
directors, as well as in many jobs are staffed by students.

However, I agree with Mitar. Unless Sudo Mesh wanted to be a cooperative,
which would require bizarre finagling, then I don't think we're a relevant
choice and would hold back the application.

On the other hand, I think it could work if a group of Berkeleyans wanted
to coordinate a group to start their own "mesh cooperative" since this
seems to be a vibe of many of the folks we've talked to in Berkeley,
students and other residents alike. Any such "mesh cooperative" could
participate in The People's Open Network and work in close coordination or
simple solidarity with Sudo Mesh.

I'd be happy to contribute in a nominal fashion to such an application, and
to provide an official recommendation to the BSC as an alumnus of the org.
However, I will be spending my main effort in our food worker cooperative
application.

Cheers,
Matt


On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 12:44 PM, Mitar <mitar at tnode.com> wrote:

> Hi!
>
> I must say that filing for a coop status only to get this grant is a
> bit... The idea of this grant is to help people who really believe in
> cooperatives as means to a social change and need help with this. If you
> really want and believe in cooperatives and you want to be a
> cooperative, then this is a great opportunity.
>
>
> Mitar
>
> > Could we still file for coop status under the umbrella of SudoRoom?
> > On Feb 11, 2014 11:35 PM, "Mitar" <mitar at tnode.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi!
> >>
> >> Just a comment. This money is awarded if you want to create a coop as an
> >> entity/business. Not only if project is cooperative in spirit.
> >>
> >> But I do encourage you to apply if you have any coop idea. Friends of
> >> mine (they were at Mass effect) (Derek and Mikey) are for example
> >> creating an IT coop (where mesh is a part of their ideas). (If anybody
> >> has any contacts with other IT coops in the area, if they are any,
> >> please tell me to forward them.)
> >>
> >> So yes, this is a great opportunity. It is yearly. Spread the word
> around.
> >>
> >>
> >> Mitar
> >>
> >>> If anyone is interested in writing an application, the Berkeley Student
> >>> Cooperative has announced a $10,000 cooperative development grant for
> >>> cooperative projects that serve students or underserved members of
> >>> low-income communities within the SF Bay Area
> >>>
> >>> https://sites.google.com/a/bsc.coop/eacom/co-op-development-fund
> >>>
> >>> Applications are due 11:59 pm, Sunday March 9th.
> >>>
> >>> I am still interested in starting an extension to the mesh in Berkeley
> >>> starting within the co-ops. This might be a nice way to get the central
> >>> management on board, too and bring a bit more funding for hefty
> backbone
> >>> equipment / more nodes.
> >>>
> >>> Lemme know if you all have questions. Still have a PicoStation sitting
> >>> around waiting for mesh firmware to be loaded on!
> >>>
> >>> Nader
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> mesh mailing list
> >>> mesh at lists.sudoroom.org
> >>> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/mesh
> >>>
> >>
> >> --
> >> http://mitar.tnode.com/
> >> https://twitter.com/mitar_m
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> mesh mailing list
> >> mesh at lists.sudoroom.org
> >> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/mesh
> >>
> >
>
> --
> http://mitar.tnode.com/
> https://twitter.com/mitar_m
> _______________________________________________
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> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/mesh
>
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