The Collaborative Project
Collaborative Operating Agreement
M1/en
US ENGLISH VERSION 0.1
May 24, 2021
The Collaborative Project is an open-source project that aims to improve quality of life and enable people to personally impact the world.
Co-created by:
QOL.WORLD
RadicalPurpose.org
SER Consultoria
Join Us
The Collaborative Project
M2/en
It is about creating Collaboratives that play together and help you replace the traditional top-down, outside-in companies.
It’s also an exploration of new types of instruments that you will require to make your Collaborative viable.
The sample agreement below is not a cut and paste agreement.
This agreement is intended to help those who wish to work to a more human rhythm.
This is a starting point for your journey towards your own Collaborative — a how to start your own band.
This project is the result of the passion of many people who have contributed to the ideas here encapsulated.
International Effort
M3/en
This agreement was created to suit multiple jurisdictions and is initially made available in English, French, Dutch, and Brazilian Portuguese... Soon to be available in mariachi and jazz.
It is therefore a process, not simply a document. This sample agreement can not do it justice.
The objective is to explore some of the approaches in this agreement and to use them as launch point for your own.
The following is a graphical agreement in the spirit of Conscious and Visual Contracts.
Let’s look at how the
‘Initial Revolution’ created their Collaborative Agreement…
1234♫
M4/en
The members of the Collaborative individually and collectively hold all the power.
A Collaborative is about enabling the expression of personal essence and talents towards making a collective impact.
Each Collaborative is unique because it emerges from the individual styles of their members.
Now let’s look at the first question you need to ask. Who are we and why are we coming together?
The Collaborative does not hire or fire people. The Collaborative itself holds no power.
A Collaborative is a structure that holds space for individuals that wish to come together.
The Collaborative Project
M5/en
Located in California, USA
The
Initial Revolution
The following ‘white slides’ are the English-US
Collaborative Operating Agreement
for the fictional band
We Work to Make a
Difference in the World
We want to create a collaborative environment that allows us to embrace our true selves and passions to replace the current dysfunctional systems.
This organization is our way of breaking free of the box that we find ourselves in. The intent is not to build a traditional institution that can wield power over us as individuals. Instead, we wish to come together to create an emergent Collaborative, a joint effort that binds us to one another and brings about the potential with each of us.
This sample Operating Agreement is inspired by the Coopsicles Agreement created by the Sustainable Economies Law Center for the worker-owned cooperative popsicle company in California.
A1/en-US
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This sample Collaborative Agreement is available to be shared and modified. Just be sure to share any published document of your own with others
the way we have shared with you. We share it under a Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License:
We are creating something new
A new approach for collaborating and organizing
The goals of our joint effort based on human nature:
A2/en-US
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Embrace our personal essence and purpose.
Be true to ourselves and work from a place of passion
Collaborate with respect to make an Impact.
Don’t work for work’s sake, work to make a difference
Collaborate with freedom and dignity.
Treat one another as people, not bosses or employees
The Collaborative’s name is:
A3/en-US
The Initial Revolution
For purposes of this Agreement, it is also called the
“Organization”, “Collaborative” or “Impact”
The Colleagues make the Collaborative.
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A4/en-US
This is a legally enforceable contract written with words and drawings. The key is to ensure that the Members of this Collaborative – now and in the future – understand and remember the agreements they have made with one another.
To show their approval, the Colleagues will sign this Agreement at the end and will initial on every page as follows:
Collaborative Agreement
(Also known as the Operating Agreement)
Really, drawings can form a legal contract!
We don’t use the “terms and conditions” format because everyone should be able to understand the contract that they sign.
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In this Agreement, an Organization
member may be called:
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Colleague
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Whatever language we choose to use, it’s about us as individuals
and succeeding as a team.
Member
Partner
Our success is the Collaborative’s success
A6/en-US
There is no independent will or objective brought about by our Collaborative.
Why we each choose to participate is a personal choice. Our own sense of meaning and the impact we seek to make is what drives our intent.
Our focus is on ourselves and our shared impact. If we focus on maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships then we will be able to accomplish the good we set out to make.
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It emerges from the interactions of us Colleagues.
Our Collaborative is not its own entity.
The Initial Revolution is a Collaborative.
The underlying legal structure is an LLC.
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Importantly, the Colleagues are structuring the Organization as a Collaborative which means that this Agreement contains provisions that establish a purposeful impact approach, co-managed governance, and an equitable way to distribute earnings.
Collaborative Agreement
LLC is the abbreviation for Limited Liability Company.
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What does “limited liability” mean?
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Hi Company! You owe me money. I demand payment.
LLC
Hi Member! Due to actions taken by the business, you owe me money. I demand that you, personally, pay me.
A principle of limited liability is that Members, generally, will not be responsible for paying off Company debts and expenses, EXCEPT in cases of bad conduct or in cases in which Colleagues distribute too much money to themselves, and as a result make the Collaborative incapable of paying its debts and obligations.
It means that, while this may happen:
Normally, this should NOT happen:
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Radical Purpose over Institutional Force
M6/en
We commit to tapping our natural internal talent and identifying & limiting forces from institutions and the broader social systems.
The success of a Collaborative relies on its members working together to increase their awareness and abilities to express their radical purpose and break free of what is limiting them.
We deem the use of instruments such as rules, policies, the legal system, and financial systems as impeding our ability to make our personal impact.
Our intent is to limit external force.
A Collaborative is an informal or legally organized means for Colleagues to come together as themselves.
With Freedom Comes Responsibility
M7/en
Colleagues will create and maintain tools to make their Collaborative a success. These tools aim to improve all aspects of the collaborative process, from interpersonal interaction to organizational processes and technology.
Avoid making rules that limit members and instead create tools that help everyone guide themselves.
Without the typical power hierarchies, a collaborative requires guidance and organization in a different sense.
It’s our responsibility to create and maintain tools that serve individual members and facilitate our collaboration.
Collaborative Tools, Not Rules
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Colleagues do and feel better when they are in direct control of situations. That is why we operate with a Collaborative Tools, not Rules mindset. We agree to create tools in the form of agreements to help guide ourselves in situations. This means we do NOT RULE one another by force. These Tools are to be used by the Colleagues at their discretion.
Tools emerge from Teams (see page A25) and involve the input and advise of all of those who use or are impacted by the Tools.
Examples of tools include:
Statement of Freedom and Dignity
Personal Essence and Commitment
Vacation Planning Tool
The Adoption of other Tools
A9/en-US
Being a Colleague means wanting to see things improve by creating the Tools that will help us collaborate. Colleagues can adopt new Tools outside of this Agreement, as long as those Tools do not contradict the terms of this Tool (The Collaborative Agreement). New Tools will be recorded in a set of documents that can be called “Our Collaborative Tools” or something similar.
The Articles of Organization
A basic document filed with the Secretary of State of California to form our LLC.
(We will rarely or never modify this.)
The principle documents that govern the Collaborative:
Collaborative Tools
Our agreements about every other aspect of our collective approaches and behaviors.
(We will probably modify this often.)
Collaborative Agreement Tool
This document.
(We will probably modify this every so often.)
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Collaborative Agreement Tool
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The Colleagues can modify parts of this Agreement at any time with the consent of at least 75% of the Collaborative Points (points represent your contribution and are defined in the Fairness and Equity tool) held by the respective Colleagues, unless a Tool defines a different way to approve modifications to that section of this agreement.
Every Colleague must sign the new Agreement, and a copy of the new Agreement must be presented to every new Colleague. A copy of every previous Agreement is also available.
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Your Purpose, Your Place
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Collaboratives are fueled and guided by each colleague’s individual essence and enabled by their individual commitments.
For a Collaborative to work, colleagues need to be able to bring their whole selves – being true to themselves and to their colleagues. Knowing who one is and what they want to impact is the starting point to being a colleague.
That’s why the Agreement stays focused on who we are and what commitments we make and live by.
It’s important to clearly identify what drives each Colleague and hold them accountable for the commitments they make.
I show my true self, I’m authentic.�I keep a personal profile up-to-date as described in the next 3 pages.
Personal Essence and Commitment Tool
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Our focus is on
[Our Impact]
Personal Power & Responsibility
Tapping our personal power unleashes great potential and great responsibility:
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I HAVE THE POWER TO...
I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR...
My Personal Essence
A13/en-US
Everyone has unique motivations, passions, and feelings that drive our interest in what we do and how we do it. Our growth and development are tied to a clear understanding of our essence.
To help us recognize our own essence as well as others, we will share reflect on and share questions like:
It is up to us to evolve this aspect of the Tool on the
ongoing basis.
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I Commit To The Following
A14/en-US
Our efforts may be under pressure from external forces or internal obstacles (e.g. feelings), so we must develop solid commitments which we can refer to in times of difficulty. Each Colleague commits to how they want to contribute, continues to reflect on the support their commitment offers everyone, and pledges to renew and strengthen it over time.
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Getting involved is a behavior I adopt, therefore I can express and model engagement for others.
I choose to express a strong commitment when I engage in this collaboration.
My commitment is my personal link with the sustainability of this collaboration.
�
I describe as concretely as possible:
My Coping & Remediating Strategies
A15/en-US
Conflict is part of life and Collaboratives. They challenge us to come up with new solutions and strategies. To stay true to our commitment to work towards a successful collaboration, we must actively work through conflicts and difficulties.
At the start of our Collaborative, we should be mindful of supportive strategies and possible resources.
These are some of the questions we want to ask ourselves:
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What possible problems do I foresee in collaboration?
How I will consciously deal with my personal vulnerabilities and / or obstacles in order to promote collaboration?
How will constructive collaboration benefit me personally?
Our Collaborative Purpose
M9/en
Colleagues need to focus on a reason they came together. What guides their collaboration should not simply be making money.
Without a board of directors or a CEO Colleagues need a new form of leadership. This comes in the shape of three compasses.
Arriving at these three living guides will require an effort and clarity from the Colleagues.
… and Approach.
Impact...
Purpose...
These examples will help you frame your own Why?, What? and How?
Colleagues Interdependently Guide the Collaborative
Our Shared Compass Tool
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Using Our Purpose, Impact, and Approach as our guides, each Colleague is able to participate in the guidance of the Collaborative. Each Colleague can and is responsible for identifying issues and opportunities and propose actions and Tools to improve the Collaborative’s functioning.
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Issues…
Observations…
Decisions…
Influence...
Suggestions…
Opportunities...
No Bosses or Employees
Colleagues are not employees. Nor will we hire part-time or full-time employees. We will not use force on each other or others.
Our Purpose guides our coming together.
To play the music we want to play and others enjoy.
Our Purpose
A17/en-US
Our Compasses:
Purpose
Impact
Approach
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Our focus is on
[Our Impact]
Our Impact guides our vision for change.
Our Impact
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To bring joy to our community through creating and performing music.
Our Compasses:
Purpose
Impact
Approach
Playing what gives us joy and connects us to those around us. Only through our connecting to the music can our community do the same.
Our Approach
Our Approach guides how we will
achieve our impact.
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Our Compasses:
Purpose
Impact
Approach
Our Purpose in Action
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The most effective Collaborative is made of members who embrace both autonomy and transparency.
Sometimes, tools are required to help you take the initiative.
These compasses aid you in making decisions, building teams, and sharing information with each other.
Autonomy & Transparency Tool
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Colleagues have the autonomy to make decisions and act on issues or opportunities that fall within their current area of responsibility. This includes coordinating efforts through teams and maintaining transparency through tools and practices.
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Distributed Decision Making
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Each Colleague has the autonomy to make decisions and act on issues or opportunities that fall within their current area of responsibility.
Decisions likely to impact one or more Colleagues should be brought to their attention. Taking others’ advice into account, the Colleague decides on an action and informs those who gave advice. Decisions that create tensions can be addressed by any Colleague at appropriate team meetings.
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Tool F: Distributed Decision Making
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The goal of DDM is to work collaboratively – to be forced to do it. And not avoiding the hard work of communicating. ….
You are a ferrari but so are your colleagues...
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Unanimous Consent
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Additional Colleagues: Inviting a new person to become a Colleague in the Collaborative.
Certain decisions about the Collaborative can only be made by 100% of the Colleagues. These include:
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Initial Revolution
FOR SALE
Approving the Company’s merger, sale, or dissolution.
Expenses or loans of more than $5,000.
Collaborative Teams
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Small, close teams offer us more intimate knowledge of what is happening and help us make decisions more efficiently. In Teams, each Colleague maintains autonomy in their area of work.
Teams are an organizational tool, not a rule:
Colleagues are free to participate in
any Team’s efforts.
Teams can be created by any two or more Colleagues to address short-term or long-term issues.
A current list of Teams and their focus will be kept in a different document such as “Our Collaborative Tools.”
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Coordinating Activities
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Each Team will decide on a schedule for their Team and create a calendar for Team Meetings.
This tool also includes how Team Meetings are called, scheduled, facilitated (rotated roles) and documented (meeting minutes). Any Colleague can convene a Team Meeting if one other Colleague agrees.
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Team Meetings should be held in person or via video conference as often as possible.
Email or chat message may be used to arrange and document meetings, but should not be used for decision making.
Information Management
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Operations Agreements
The Colleagues shall maintain records in a digital platform, or in a physical folder to which every Colleague has access.
Teams
Tax Returns
Miscellaneous
Work Records
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Contracts, Signatures, and Expenses
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Contracts:
Each Colleague should refrain from establishing contracts or taking actions that legally bind the company without notifying and seeking advice from affected Colleagues in a Team Meeting.
We agreed on the quantity of supplies to purchase, but not more than $300 per week.
Signatures:
To avoid problems and unforeseen expenses, it is better that, whenever possible, at least two Colleagues sign contracts, checks, and other documents.
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Expenses and reimbursements:
Colleagues will be reimbursed for expenses made in the Company’s name when the expense is consistent with the Tools & Approaches set out by the Colleagues in the appropriate Team Meeting.
Our Best Tool is Communication
M11/en
A new culture of collaborative governance is what makes a group succeed in making their impact.
Understanding the importance of communication means we have to create tools that help us clearly communicate what we individually seek and how we can make it happen.
We know groups are difficult to keep together.
We’ve been taught to be independent.
Interpersonal skills are a key part of our communication. Learning to be transparent about what we see is very important.
Without a boss it’s everyone’s responsibility to clearly voice concerns and opportunities.
Commitment Sessions Tool
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Communication and transparency are essential to our ability to collaborate. This tool helps us maintain clear and consistent channels of communication so that we can address tension and conflicts as they emerge. We do this with our daily interactions and at our regular Commitment Session.
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How am I feeling about my impact?
My Commitment: I choose to work with my colleagues to maintain the spirit of belonging.
These and other questions need to be clearly explored to help bring out tensions before they become problems.
Is everyone, including me, holding up to our commitments?
How am I feeling about others’ impact?
Objectives and Commitments
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The monthly Commitment session is our way of making sure we remain in sync and transparent. This is not about operations, but about us. Communication is essential for interpersonal processes to be effective.
Session Objectives:
I Commit To:
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Commit to Constructively Use Emotions
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If handled properly, feelings and emotions are an important tool in making change. When we properly acknowledge our feelings, they can be used constructively as sources of passion and energy, as well as helping us identify issues.
I choose to express my emotions in caring and constructive ways:
�
Tensions are sensations that can show up in my thoughts, feelings, or behavior.
When I face tension, I consciously commit to reflect on:
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My Commitment: I choose to deal with my feelings and emotions in a caring and constructive way.
Interpersonal Skills Promote Cooperation
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Examples of difficulties that can prevent us from being effective:
These skills can help us to act effectively in three areas:
Learning how my interpersonal skills are most effective and how certain factors reduce my interpersonal effectiveness can facilitate my collaboration with my colleagues. Conflicts arise when the underlying tensions are not addressed.
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My Commitment: I choose to look for and to practice helpful interpersonal skills to facilitate effective collaboration.
I Reach My Goals
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To better achieve my goal and increase the chances that people will take me seriously:
ignore attacks
Learning how my interpersonal skills are most effective and how certain factors reduce my interpersonal effectiveness can facilitate my collaboration with my colleagues. Conflicts arise when the underlying tensions are not addressed.
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My Commitment: I choose to practice the above skills to effectively achieve my goals.
I Maintain Healthy Relationships
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In order for the collaborative relationship to remain healthy, with my colleagues:
Interpersonal skills help me maintain or improve the collaborative relationship as we work together to achieve our common goals.
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My Commitment: I choose to practice skills to become more effective in maintaining a
healthy relationship.
I Act With Respect for My Self-esteem
A33/en-US
To make sure I continue to feel good about myself while trying to achieve my cooperative goals:
I act with dignity. My self-esteem helps me feel good about myself and allows me to have more harmonious interactions with others and thus promotes collaboration.
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My Commitment: I choose to practicing the above skills so that I maintain my self-respect.
Remaining in the Collaborative
A34/en-US
Each Colleague is and remains a member of the Collaborative of their own volition.
A Colleague can never be dismissed by their Colleagues.
challenge me in our Commitment Session to help me figure out what’s holding
me back and to look for skills and strategies that will help me live up to my
commitment.
I am resigning from the Collaborative.
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Collective Power
M12/en
The value we create is meant to be used to uplift the Collaborative members by creating a better life for ourselves and for others.
Corporations benefit from complex legal and financial structures. To have more direct control over the money without needing an advanced understanding of business economics, the structures are separate from the Collaborative. By having access to these complex structures, each Collaborative and Colleague benefits in ways previously only available to multinational corporations and their shareholders.
We also want to have beneficial financial outcomes. This requires growth minded legal and financial structures.
We call this the Collaborative Cloud.
Fairness & Equity Tool
A35/en-US
We should be respected and recognized. Recognition is an essential part of human life.
To do this, we have Collaborative Points. They accumulate with the time and effort that Colleagues contribute to the Collaborative.
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Contribution Sessions
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In our Collaborative, we maintain financial fairness and efficacy through monthly Contribution Sessions. These sessions are discussions centered around these topics:
• Membership in the Collaborative
• Colleagues recognizing one
another’s effort
• Colleagues’ minimal
Personal Draw
• Collaborative’s Financial
Decisions
Becoming A Colleague
A37/en-US
Membership in the Collaborative is as straightforward as making a commitment to your Colleagues and investing the Member capital of $1,000.
Each Colleague has a voice. You share control with your Colleagues based on your contribution.
You commit by signing this agreement and depositing the funds in the Collaborative account. The capital investment will be returned if and when you depart the Collaborative.
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Becoming A Colleague
A39/fr
When joining a collaborative and signing the present agreement you become a legal shareholder of the underlying company. In order to do so you buy a share, the price of a share is the same for every colleague.
For this collaborative the price of the share is set to $10
Every colleague can own only 1 share, no more, no less.
When you leave the collaborative, the collaborative commits to buying back your share at the same price you purchased it when joining.
You are not allowed to sell you share to anyone else but the collaborative, in any case the collaborative has pre-emption rights (this part needs to be legally fleshed out for every jurisdiction)
Colleagues buy into the Collaborative by purchasing one share at the price of $100.00. The initial capital will be reimbursed to the Colleague within 30 days of resignation.
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New Colleagues
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No Hiring - No Employees
We don’t treat people as employees. Each individual has the right to participate in the same way as the other Colleagues.
When we need more help, we seek to find new Colleagues who can become members of the Collaborative when at least two existing Colleagues invite them to join.
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Recognizing Relative Effort
A39/en-US
To keep things fun and simple, we introduce Collaborative Points, or simply Points. Points help track how much time and effort each Colleague puts in.
Effort can be anything that helps the collaborative to create value. Points are a fair representation of each colleagues effort towards creating that value.
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Minimal Personal Draw
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Every Colleague is unique. We each have a different reality: age, kids, hobbies, living expenses, etc. These individual realities define the amount of regular income a Colleague needs.
Instead of salaries, we transparently and regularly discuss the Collaborative’s financial situation and our respective needs to determine our minimal Personal Draw, or simply Draw.
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No salaries. No Wages.
Your Draw and Your Points
A41/en-US
The Personal Draw is a cashout against the Points and profits each Colleague has earned.
It’s possible for the Draw to create debt for a Colleague if their Draw is greater than the value of their earned Points.
The Draw is a tool to be used by each Colleague to balance their short-term (income) and long-term (invested savings) goals.
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Separating Collaboration from Finances
M13/en
Making an impact often gets confused with finances. Money is a critical part of operating a Collaborative, but it is not primary.
A Collaborative is a tool for bringing individuals together to make an impact. The role of finances is to simply support the tracking and exchange of value in making that happen.
Tools can help create and maintain this new perspective about finances within a Collaborative.
People do better when they can stay focused on what is important, something that positively impacts others. Separating money from purpose removes a lot of friction.
The Collaborative Cloud Tool
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To formally separate money and power from productivity and alleviate the weight it poses on frictionless collaboration, Colleagues can register their Collaborative to become a member of the Collaborative Cloud or simply the Cloud.
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The Collaborative Cloud is a community of Colleagues that provides them with the legal, financial, and moral power to act in concert to maximize their impact.
Our Collaborative is a member in full standing in the Collaborative Cloud and benefits from all the services it offers as per agreement in Appendix ABC.
Collaborative Cloud
Cloud Benefits
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The Collaborative Cloud provides a number of direct benefits:
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Collaborative Expenditures
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The operating account is used for the day-to-day operations. This means paying suppliers, paying out the Personal Draws, purchasing raw materials, or anything that supports the collaborative in its daily business.
All profits are allocated to the Cloud account of the Colleagues that contributed that value based on their Collaborative Points.
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Collaborative Cloud Accounts
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Your Cloud account is your personal investment vehicle. The Cloud account gives you the ability to direct your investments through three types of investment categories:
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Free Capital Represents cash money that you can freely spend or withdraw.
Investment Capital - Represents money that is available for investment to be directed by you including back into the Collaborative.
Asset Capital - Represents money that you have already invested.
Requests for Investments
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When there is a deficit in the operating account or for production assets (i.e. real-estate, equipment) requirements a Request For Investment (RFI) is made through the Cloud.
Colleagues and third-parties can then invest from their Free Capital or Investment Capital in the RFI.
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Collaborative Production Assets
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Because the assets used by a Collaborative are held in the Cloud Asset and Investment accounts, the only things that can be sold are the Right of Usage Agreements.
The Collaborative’s right to the agreements can be sold with the approval of 75% of the Collaborative Points. Colleagues are not obligated to move to the purchasing company or individual(s) unless they chose to do so.
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Sale of the Collaborative
After the Sale is completed then Collaborative can be dissolved as per A/51.
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The Collaborative can be dissolved with the approval of 75% of the Collaborative Points. If the Collaborative is dissolved, payments will be made in the following priority order:
First, the Collaborative must pay its debts to non-Colleagues.
Second, the Collaborative must pay outstanding Colleague Draws.
Third, the Collaborative must pay back each member’s original Member Capital.
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Dissolution of the Collaborative
The payment that would go to a Colleague who has passed away will go to the Colleague’s Designated Beneficiary, whose name appears in the Statement of Information of that Colleague (see Exhibit A). If a Colleague has passed away before the distribution, and has not named a Designated Beneficiary, or if the Collaborative cannot find the Colleague or Designated Beneficiary after reasonable effort, the Collaborative will not be obliged to distribute to that Colleague, their Designated Beneficiary, or any other heir or beneficiary of that Colleague.
The Tool Box
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The Colleagues have tools to help them collaborate. It is critical that tools remain tools. They must never become rules, and they must never be used to take power over others.
Creating and maintaining tools can be difficult, but tools must stay agile and adapt to the ever changing conditions that Colleagues find themselves in.
The Toolbox is the library of tools that Colleagues maintain, update, and share. It is where all tools are transparently available to any Colleague.
See below for further details...
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Our Toolbox - Our Tools
By initialling and signing this agreement we have agreed to using these tools.�Because they are our tools, they need to be flexible and regularly evolve.
In this section we review how our toolbox will be maintained and validated:
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Articles of Organization
Organized : AOO-20210201.pdf
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
Changes :
Collaborative Agreement
Organized : CA-20210201.pdf
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
Changes :
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Legal Tools
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Personal Essence and Commitment
Organized : PEC-20210201.doc
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
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Personal and Collaborative Growth
Organized : PCG-20210201.doc
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
Changes :
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Personal Tools
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Our Shared Compass
Organized : OSC-20210201.doc
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
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Autonomy and Transparency
Organized : AT-20210201.doc
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
Changes :
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Directional Tools
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Commitment Sessions
Organized : CS-20210201.doc
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
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Fairness and Equity
Organized : FE-20210201.doc
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
Changes :
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Engagement Tools
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Collaborative Cloud
Organized : CC-20210201.doc
Validated : Manually signed by Colleagues
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Tool:________________________
Organized : _____________________
Validated : ______________________
Changes : _______________________
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Financial & Technological Tools
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[ex] Colleague’s Name: __________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Telephone Number: _____________________ Other Telephone Number: _____________
E-mail (to receive official notice from the Collaborative):
___________________________________________________________________________
Additional email (if you wish to receive notice at two email addresses):
___________________________________________________________________________
�
Exhibit A
Member Information Statement Form
Taxes
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The Colleagues must pay federal and state taxes on income, including quarterly taxes, if necessary.
Unless or until the Colleagues decide otherwise, the Collaborative will pay taxes in the same manner as a partnership, with Form 1065.
At the end of every tax year before March 15, the Collaborative will give each Colleague a “K-1” form, which helps the Colleague pay their individual taxes.
Tax Filings
Quarterly Taxes
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With the goal of helping each Colleague pay their quarterly taxes, the Collaborative can retain sufficient funds to pay the taxes and prepare the quarterly tax payments for each Colleague, using a form like this one:
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But, if the Collaborative does not remit the quarterly taxes for the Colleagues, then each Colleague agrees to pay quarterly taxes to the federal government and to the state government of California.
Paying taxes on behalf of members
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Taxes are paid on allocations:
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Although the Colleagues do not receive Allocations directly in cash, the IRS takes the Allocations into account for tax purposes.
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Interesting. I have to pay taxes on money in the purple box (my Capital Account), even though the Collaborative is using that money.
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(LLC) Taxes on capital retain in collaborative > moving to capital accounts?
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Record of Past Colleagues: The Collaborative must maintain a list of all past Colleagues, including names, last known address, telephone number, e-mail address, Colleague’s designated beneficiary for the payment of the Capital Account after the Colleague’s death and for distributions after dissolution, membership dates, and the total number of hours worked during their membership.
This Agreement is binding on Successors: This Agreement applies to the Colleague’s successors, assignees, executors, administrators, beneficiaries, and representatives. This refers to the persons that, for example, inherit a Colleague’s right or responsibility, even if they did not sign this Agreement!
The Collaborative has a fiscal year of January 1 to December 31.
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Names | Hours Worked |
Frida Kahlo | 5692 |
Celia Cruz | 9265 |
Sonia Sotomayor | 1205 |
Doloras Huerta | 4587 |
Julia Alvarez | 2222 |
Rigoberta Menchu | 8173 |
Some other little things
Signatures of Agreement and Colleagues’ Information
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Name | Designation | Signature | Date | Address | Approval by each Colleague | ||||||
| Colleague a |
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| a | b | c | d | e | f | g |
| Colleague b |
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| Colleague c |
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| Colleague d | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colleague e | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colleague f | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colleague g | | | | | | | | | | |
By signing here, the Colleagues accept all of this Agreement’s terms and conditions and approve of each other as members.
A New Beginning!!!
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We need all types of talents and passions to continue improving this agreement and its tools to evolve the Collaborative towards a new future for humanity.
This is only the beginning of a different way to organize and collaborate.Our goal is to enable people to directly and personally impact the world while improving quality of life.
Take this agreement as the basis for your collaborative and run with it. This is your tool, not a rule, so make any changes that will help you reach your collective goals.
In the spirit of true collaboration, please share your learnings back to the Collaborative community.
The Collaborative Community
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This work has been highly influenced by the work of people like Paul Atkins, Doug Kirkpatrick, Marsha M. Linehan, Janelle Orsi, Elinor Ostrom, Carol Sanford, Glen Weyl, J. Kim Wright, and many others. We consider them the true founders of the Collaborative Community.
We would also like to thank Andy Brogan, Lisa Byron, Jacqueline Horani, Kelly Jackson, Matt Perez, and Helen Tueni for the countless conversations and insights along the way.
The people that made this agreement come to life are, from left to right, Pim Ampe, Laura Click, Natasha Denton, Jose Leal, and Joeri Torfs!!