Founding Support Policy

(Adopted by the Board of Directors – Draft)

1. Legal Status

Group One West Institute (“the Institute”) is a non-profit society incorporated under the British Columbia Societies Act on December 10, 2025.

The Institute is not currently a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). As such:

• Contributions to the Institute are not tax-deductible
• The Institute cannot issue charitable donation receipts

The Institute intends to apply for charitable status; however, there is no guarantee as to timing or approval.

2. Purpose of Founding Support

Founding support is sought to responsibly launch and stabilize the Institute during its early-stage development.

Funds received during the founding phase will be used exclusively for Society purposes, including but not limited to:

• Staffing wages and professional services
• Legal, accounting, and compliance costs
• Development and execution of academic capstone projects with post-secondary institutions
• Partnership and collaborative agreement development
• Planning and integration of a hybrid Institute–Eco-Resort model, including:
• A physical demonstration site
• Educational programming
• Research and knowledge-sharing infrastructure
• Institutional governance, policies, and operational setup
• Advancing registration and approval with CRA for Tax deductible charity status. (6 to 12 months)

No founding support funds will be used for personal benefit.

3. Nature of Contributions

All funds received during this phase are classified as:

• Founding contributions
• Non-receipted support
• Voluntary contributions to a non-profit society

Founding contributions:

• Are not donations for income tax purposes
• Do not entitle contributors to tax receipts now or retroactively
• Do not create any ownership, equity, or control interest

4. Membership and Recognition

Individuals providing founding contributions may be recognized as Founding Members of the Institute.

Founding Members:

• Hold no voting rights
• Hold no governance authority
• Do not influence board decisions by virtue of contribution size

Recognition may include:

• Public acknowledgment (unless privacy is requested)
• Inclusion in founding member listings
• Recognition in reports or events

5. Member Benefits (Non-Material)

Founding Members may receive non-material benefits, including:

• Early access to Institute reports and research summaries
• Periodic newsletters and project updates
• Invitations to Institute-hosted events, briefings, or site visits

These benefits are informational and relational only and do not constitute goods or services of market value.

6. Transparency and Accountability

The Institute commits to:

• Maintaining a dedicated Society bank account
• Proper financial recordkeeping
• Quarterly high-level updates to founding supporters
• Compliance with the BC Societies Act and applicable laws

7. Reimbursement of Founder Expenses

Where a founder has personally advanced funds on behalf of the Institute:

• Expenses must be documented
• Reimbursement requires board authorization
• Reimbursements will only occur when financially prudent

8. Amendments

This policy may be amended by the Board of Directors to reflect legal, operational, or regulatory changes.