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FAQ - Donations Guideline
CAcert Inc. is a non-profit association which is legally able to accept donations. CAcert adheres to strict guidelines about how this money can to be used.
Donations
Donations can be either paid to our bank account or with credit cards: http://www.cacert.org/index.php?id=13 (Donations) https://blog.cacert.org/2023/12/donations-%E2%86%90%E2%86%93%E2%86%92-spenden/ (Donations)
Donations Incoming
There are a couple of Donation incomes based on procedures
- sending a printout of the Assurerer Challenge Certificate
- Password recovery fees (Alternatively you are welcome to donate your work worth about $US 15 to CAcert)
- General donations for Support activities (requesting donations)
General rule:
- You do not need to be an association member to donate funds.
- Donations help CAcert to continue to operate (server hosting and operation, domains hosting and operation)
linked from http://www.cacert.org/index.php?id=13 (Donations) https://blog.cacert.org/2023/12/donations-%E2%86%90%E2%86%93%E2%86%92-spenden/ (Donations)
Use of Funds
Donations goes to either westpac or paypal account and are shared with the other incomes, to pay
- routine invoices
- power bill for hosting critical systems at BIT, Ede.
- special campaigns
- 2010 AU tour to find more AU board directors
- domain fees
- purchases of new hardware.
- top meetings
- software camps
Audit Funding
Audit costs are too expensive to be paid from the regular donations for operations so this will become a seperate project under the Audit masterplan.
- New roots ceremony
- Audit over Assurance
- Audit over Systems
Governance
Control
All accounts are controlled under the authority of the Treasurer of CAcert Inc., as appointed by the Board. Therefore, CAcert Inc. rules on Financial Accounts are applied. Every year, a financial report [1] covering the accounts is prepared for the AGM and submitted in summary form for the regulator (OFT in NSW).
Visibility
There have been discussions over time about whether donations should be published, for open governance purposes. Some people have been violently against publication of donations, insisting that they are privacy things. Others have wondered what the fuss was all about 
Right now, the Board can see all donations, but nobody else.
Conflicts
In the early days, there was some degree of concern because it was felt that a competitor could donate a lot of money and effectively buy the board. (It's not that hard, give me a lot of money and I'll show you how to do it ... :P )
I think these days we are a lot more relaxed. Also, we are now a lot stronger.
It is required in the new Assoc Act 2009 for all board directors' conflicts of interest to be declared to the Secretary. (I don't know how many have been declared, but I know it's not zero.)
Also, we now have our Principles,
and our CARS.
All of these form a strong cultural and business platform which lifts us higher. Our membership is stronger, larger and more discerning.