[sudo-discuss] [omni-consensus] [BAPS-Organizing] Full Building Purchase Proposal & FAQ

Wed Oct 19 10:00:49 PDT 2016

Yes, Patrik explained it very well I think - essentially, because the
current Omni organization is unable to receive the $1 million donation
without becoming a private foundation (since the donor has previously
donated to Omni in excess of $5,000), we are going to use the Sudo Room
organization to receive *both* the donation and the loan.

Before that happens, we will hold annual board meeting for both Omni and
Sudo back-to-back:

   - At *Omni*'s board meeting, we will dwindle the board down to 3
   directors who are not interested in being on the New Omni board, and
   consent to transferring our option to purchase to Sudo Room as well as all
   current debt to community lenders (~$103,000).
   - At *Sudo*'s board meeting, we will consent to changing our name to
   'Omni Commons' (Old Omni's official name is 'Omni Oakland Commons'), amend
   our bylaws to match Old Omni's, nominate a new board of directors that
   consists of one representative from each member collective, adopt Old
   Omni's current fiscally-sponsored projects, and recreate Sudo Room (or Sudo
   Space?) as a fiscally-sponsored project of New Omni / Omni Commons.

Then New Omni / Omni Commons pulls the option, opens escrow, and deposits
the $1.95 million + closing costs / transfer tax fees. New Omni owns the
building, under the same governing bylaws and Board of Directors as Old
Omni.

It's still a bunch of work (come join the fundraising or finance working
groups and help out!), but waaaay less work than dividing ownership, income
and expenses between two organizations.

See this spreadsheet for the projected budget once we own the building!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rvkMc5lmd8PovoViNLdvlrv0tSyvrH7iB0SmGqaFec8/edit#gid=1281242457

\o/

Jenny

Help open a people-powered common space in Oakland, California!
https://omnicommons.org/donate

`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
"Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories."
-Laurie Anderson

"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."
 -Hannah Arendt

"To define is to kill. To suggest is to create."
-Stéphane Mallarmé
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On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 5:06 PM, almaz Y <ahana75 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Patrik that sounds much better and clear. I will read Jenny letter as
> well.
>
> Thank you
>
> On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 4:18 PM, Patrik D'haeseleer <patrikd at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Almaz,
>>
>> The current idea is to essentially use the "shell" of the 501(c)3
>> organization that the Sudo folks set up, but change its bylaws and board
>> such that the new organization is governed by the delegates meeting,
>> exactly matching the current Omni organization. And likely change its name
>> to something like "Omni 2"
>>
>> Also make sure to check Jenny's latest thread: the very latest
>> development is that this new "Omni 2" 501(c)3 could receive *both* the $1M
>> donation and the $1M loan from our generous benefactor, which would hugely
>> simplify things.
>>
>> The people currently in the Sudo collective would have no more control
>> over the new "Omni 2" than any of the other collectives. They could set up
>> a new nonprofit organization - essentially having "donated" their old
>> 501(c)3 to Omni - or they could become a sponsored project of Omni 2.
>>
>> Patrik
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 3:47 PM, almaz Y <ahana75 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I don't think Sudo buying half of the building is good idea. Some Sudo
>>> members already feel they have higher power now in this building and their
>>> are not welcoming to other people. If they own half of the Omni they will
>>> have more power to reject or kick out another collective.
>>>
>>> The mission statement of the Omni Commons will change. Please look for a
>>> different options.
>>>
>>> Thank you,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Oct 15, 2016 at 4:58 PM, Lesley Bell <zvezdalune at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Alice, in theory it's a good solution, but for the amount of money
>>>> being contributed, it has to be a well-established, existing nonprofit.
>>>>
>>>> Not sure about the land trust, though.
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Oct 15, 2016, 9:32 AM beehappysolutions <
>>>> beehappysolutions at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I’ve seen a sign on telegraph ave southbound of the 24 frwy over pass
>>>>> that says something like “east bay community sharing”  and I had the idea -
>>>>>
>>>>> If they are a registered 501c3 why not buy a nonprofit for the
>>>>> purchase of the Omni building - I think all you would have to do is change
>>>>> the names of the officers.
>>>>>
>>>>> I apologize if this is a stupid idea
>>>>>
>>>>> and I apologized for not getting to Wednesdays sudo meeting - but
>>>>> family happens
>>>>>
>>>>> with love
>>>>>
>>>>> Alice
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> > On Oct 13, 2016, at 12:18 PM, Yardena Cohen <yardenack at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > What if Omni shares ownership with Bay Area Community Land Trust?
>>>>> Last
>>>>> > year the fundraising wg was leaning towards schemes like where BACLT
>>>>> > owns the land and Omni owns the building. BACLT is a 501c3 and the
>>>>> > kind of property stewardship we're assigning to "Omni2" is already
>>>>> > their core mission.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I'm sorry to say, I don't think power balance issues can ever be
>>>>> > eradicated while Sudo owns half the building. One of the most
>>>>> > important powers at Omni is the power to reject or kick out another
>>>>> > collective. Not that I foresee anybody actually kicking out Sudo, but
>>>>> > over the past few years, Sudoroom has exercised its blocking power to
>>>>> > prevent several new groups from joining or remaining in Omni
>>>>> (Creative
>>>>> > Empowerment Project, Oakland Nights Live), and to prevent other Omni
>>>>> > groups from making important operating decisions which affected their
>>>>> > status - such as Buried Seeds decreasing their rent, Homes Not Jails
>>>>> > being a member collective without paying rent, Black Hole using the
>>>>> > basement, Backspace's various plans, etc. Who would be able to hold
>>>>> > Sudoroom to similar standards it's held for other groups? It's not
>>>>> > about whether we trust each other. If you have to say "trust me" then
>>>>> > you don't just have a "perceived power imbalance", you have a real
>>>>> > one.
>>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>>> > sudo-discuss mailing list
>>>>> > sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
>>>>> > https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> sudo-discuss mailing list
>>>>> sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
>>>>> https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> consensus mailing list
>>>> consensus at lists.omnicommons.org
>>>> https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/consensus
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Almaz Yihdego, MPA
>>> www.globalcommunicationservices.org
>>>
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>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Almaz Yihdego, MPA
> www.globalcommunicationservices.org
>
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