Financial Accountability

This page is the homepage for the Financial Accuntability Working Group (FAWG). Please fill this in with pertinent information and resources for newcomers. Use the Discussion tab above to start discussions.

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Current Financial Accuntability Working Group Members

Shane Aspinall (Facilitation)

B (Food)

Theresa Earle (Media)

Bruce Ehrlich

Lisa Goldstein (Media)

Linda Jenkins, occupylinda @ gmail.com

Matthew Krawitz (IT), OB-FAWG AT theherbalcurrent.com                      (Credit Union Account Signer)

K. Eric Martin (Logistics), 857-236-2734, occupyeric@gmail.com

Jacob McDermott (Media), occupymmedia@gmail.com

Gregory Murphy (Facilitation) 617-413-6472, gsjmurphy @ gmail.com    (Credit Union Account Signer - temporary)

Ariel Oshinsky (Logistics)

Rene Perez (Logistics), occupyrene@gmail.com

Rita Sebastian (Info)

Stephanie Skier (Logistics)

Current Financial Accountability Working Group Consultants

Daniel Paradis, tax lawyer - occupygc@gmail.com, 617.470.5049

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OccupyBoston Internal Revenue Service and Banking Structure

• To open a credit union account, OB needed an Employer Identification Number, provided by the IRS. Gregory Murphy obtained an EIN in the name of OccupyBoston. Currently his mailing address is the IRS address. As soon as an OccupyBoston P.O. Box is secured, FAWG will notify the IRS of this change of address.

   Note:  Paul Carnes also obtained an EIN in the name of OccupyBoston and has not shared that paperwork or information with FAWG.

• Gregory Murphy obtained a Certificate of Business from the City of Boston. That certificate lists Gregory Murphy dba (doing business as) Occupy Boston Financial Accountability Working Group

   Note:  Paul Carnes also obtained a Certificate of Business from the City of Boston. That certificate lists Paul Carnes (we think) dba Occupy Boston. Mr. Carnes has not shared that paperwork with FAWG.

• On 10/25/11, members of FAWG opened an account at Liberty Bay Credit Union, in the name of Occupy Boston Financial Accountability Working Group, with a total deposit of $15,819.44, which included $5 LBCU gave us for opening the account. FAWG will make a decision, soon, on whether to move the money in the WePay accounts into this credit union account, or possibly into a trust, for an interim period of time.

   Note: It is FAWG's understanding that Mr. Carnes opened an account at the same credit union, on 10/20/11. He has not shared any paperwork with FAWG and maintains that this account is for his fundraising purposes, on behalf of OccupyBoston.

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Below is FAWG Proposal #1, consented to by the General Assembly, on 10/15/11.

The Finance Working Group will oversee the accounting of all monetary donations and monetary disbursements. Specific targeted funds, such as the Legal/Bail fund, are already allocated and do not require any further approval by the General Assembly.

For the general Occupy Boston funds, Working Groups and individual requests for cash disbursements in amounts more than $100 per week must be proposed directly to and approved by the General Assembly.  The Finance  Working Group has the authority to approve and disburse up to $100 per week to each Working Group. Each Working Group will determine at least two (2) pointpersons for monetary disbursements and register those names and contact information with the Finance Acountability Working Group, in order to ensure accountability and transparency in monetary disbursements. Working groups will fill out cash disbursement request forms and submit them to the Finance Working Group. Part of that process will be to detail the items requested and to check first with Logistics Working Group to make sure that the requested items are not readily available as in-kind donations.
Working Groups must submit receipts for purchased items and any change back to the Finance Working Group. If a Working Group pointperson does not provide receipts or absconds with the funds, that pointperson will not be allowed to receive further cash disbursements. 

Monetary donations made to the Food Working Group stay autonomous with transparency through biweekly reports of money taken in and going out and copies of receipts to the Finance Working Group.

Members of the Finance Working Group will be on site at a specified time each day to accept disbursement forms and to make disbursements.

Minutes of the Finance Working Group will be posted publicly. The Finance Working Group will make financial records publicly available.

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Procedures for Workgroups ad Individuals to Obtain Funds

Each Working Group (WG) may request up to $100 a week ('week' defined as Monday through Sunday) from the Finance Accountability Work Group (FAWG) for purchases of items not available through in-kind donations without going through the General Assembly.  For amounts over $100, an Individual or a Working Group must make a proposal directly to GA.

Working Groups need to first register with FAWG in order to receive funds.  The WG fills out a form identifying two or three point people who are selected by that workgroup to make requests for funds on the workgroups' behalf.

To request funds from FAWG, the requesting WG obtains the request for funds form at the Logistics tent.  This form requires details on the items requested, planned place of purchase, and cost of each item.  (This advance research of the items to be purchased helps ensure that the $100 limit is not exceeded.)

The WG first submits a request form is to Logistics WG, which will try to provide the items requested from its existing stock. If not immediately available, Logistics WG will endeavor to get the same items or reasonable substitutes donated in the next day or two.  

If Logistics WG has signed off on items they cannot get donated and must be purchased, the WG brings the form to a FAWG representative during disbursement hours.  Initially disbursement will take place each day from noon to 3:00, currently at the Logistics tent

Receipts and change *must* be returned to the disbursement representative the next day or that workgroup representative loses their ability to receive disbursements.