P2P Foundation ANBI Status

The P2P Foundation is a registered non-profit with ANBI status based in the Netherlands:

Name: STICHTING PEER TO PEER ALTERNATIVES
Number: 8175.05.453
Address: Realengracht 196, 1013AV, Amsterdam
Phone number: 020-7728781
Email: [email protected]

Goals

The P2P Foundation was conceived to help people, organizations and governments transition towards commons-based approaches to society through co-creating an open knowledge commons and a resilient, sustainable human network.

Between the paradigms of the network and the organization, the P2P Foundation exists as an ‘organized network’ which can facilitate the creation of networks, yet without directing them. Our primary aim is to be an incubator and catalyst for the emerging ecosystem, focusing on the ‘missing pieces’, and the interconnectedness that can lead to a wider movement.

P2P, in practice, is often invisible to those involved, for a variety of cultural reasons. We want to reveal its presence in discrete movements in order to unite them in their common ethos. To do this, a common initiative is required which:

  • gathers information
  • connects and mutually informs people
  • strives for integrative insights contributed by many sub-fields
  • organizes events for reflection and action
  • educates people about critical and creative tools for “world-making”

The P2P Foundation monitors the emergence of P2P dynamics in every field of human activity. We document these projects on our open access wiki and report and critique current events on our daily blog. Our Commons Transition website combines a platform for policy proposals with a web magazinefeaturing specially curated stories and interviews, with and for commoners worldwide. Our research network, led by the P2P Lab, empirically explores and expands the theoretical work produced on commons-oriented peer production, governance and property to ascertain its viability in real-world applications. Our focus on the productive potential of communities and networks inspires us to nurture partnerships with prefigurative collectives and more established players to extend our policy recommendations to those in the position to effect change.

P2P Foundation members are active all over the world, with representatives in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, South America, and North America.

We are always looking to expand our coverage and welcome new members to our community.

Read more in our about page.

Strategic Plan

Our projects follow three main “streams”:

Stream 1: P2P Cultures and Politics. ​Reclaiming political voice and power via bottom-up citizen
assemblies and participatory politics, in conjunction with “top-down” progressive coalitions through
existing political parties.

Stream 2​: Open Coops & Sustainable Livelihoods​. Co-creating and catalyzing the alternative
eco-system for open and cooperative peer production, to enable reconstruction of economic and
social power around the Commons.

Stream 3​: Building the Open Source Circular Economy. Creating synergies between
cooperative peer production and sustainability, i.e. showing how a transition to the new modes of
production, governance and ownership can solve the ecological and climate crises.

Read our Key Projects document for more information.

Legal Board

As of September 2017, the P2P Foundation’s legal board is composed of.

  • Evi Swinnen: Chairwoman
  • James Burke: Secretary
  • Salvino Salvaggio: Board member
  • Natalie Pang: Board member

Financial reporting:

Overview of Activities and Balance

“We have upgraded and professionalised our communication infrastructure (upgraded our P2PF blog, launched the Commons Transition website and wiki, expanded our production of high-level policy publications (see the library),
while also creating strong vulgarisation materials such as our Commons Transition Primer; we now have a core of 10 full time professionals including an 6-person staff at the P2P Lab, which provides empirical and peer reviewed articles confirming our hypotheses.

Read more in our three year report.

Governance

Our internal governance and structure follow certain P2P values, in an effort to support both the organization and the individuals working to support it in turn. Rather than a top-down hierarchy, we use the principles of heterarchyholoptism and equipotentiality, which serve to distribute power away from any central figures and to allow individuals to develop their roles and contributions.

Our operational hubs are interdependent but autonomous in workflow, tools and goals. Internal work distribution is managed in small groups, and resources are pooled. For debates requiring decisionmaking, we use Loomio. We operate based on trust and autonomy, allowing each other to work independently, while also meeting regularly via video call. Measurable goals are set collectively per stream (Advocacy, Research, etc.), while each stream transparently self-manages its own progress and priorities. The Global Core Team meets twice yearly in person to review and share progress, set future goals and discuss opportunities. Updates from these bi-annual reviews are shared with our advisory board for their feedback, and we publish a year-end progress report.

Read more in our Structure and Governance page.