Beta FAQ
Posted by Charles Armstrong
This page answers key questions for groups thinking of joining the One Click Orgs Beta programme. If your question isn’t answered here please write to us.
Is One Click Orgs right for my group?
The Beta platform is suitable for groups with assets and annual turnover below £100,000 ($160,000, €110,000) and no significant liabilities. This covers a lot of small non-profits and community groups.
Does it matter what country I’m in?
The type of legal structures the Beta system creates are called unincorporated associations. These are widely used in the UK. Initial research indicates they’re accepted in many EU jurisdictions and North American states. We’d be interested to hear from lawyers who can provide more specific guidance on this.
What will it do for us?
- Set up a legal structure and constitution for your group
- Provide a simple system where members can submit proposals & cast votes
- Keep a register of proposals that have been adopted
- Provide an automated way for members to propose amendments to key elements of the constitution
- Maintain a list of members
What kind of decisions would we vote on?
That’s entirely up to you. In practice the majority of decisions are made by consensus in a small group without any need for a formal vote. But for choices that are either contentious or unusually important it can be helpful to go through a formal process where someone makes a proposal and everyone has a chance to vote on it. This also has the advantage of creating an official record of the decision. For example when we thought One Click Orgs was ready for Beta release we made a proposal and voted on it to be sure the group was happy to go ahead with that.
Will it help us open a bank account?
The Beta release will set your group up as an unincorporated association with its own constitution. Groups running on One Click Orgs in the UK have been able to open bank accounts based on this constitution. At this point we’re not certain of the situation in other jurisdictions. We’d like to learn more about this during the Beta.
Is the platform ready for prime time?
In a word, no. We decided it was important to get people using One Click Orgs at an early stage in development to ensure we were building the features people need. The Beta platform has a bare-bones user interface and minimal functionality. We’ve been using it ourselves so we’ve already ironed out a lot of bugs but there may be one or two more lurking in there. For the Beta programme we’re looking for groups that are excited to be part of something at an early stage and are patient with a system where the paint’s still wet.
Do we need to install any software?
No, we will take care of all the software installation and hosting. You and your members will be able to access everything via an ordinary website.
What if my group is expecting to have bigger assets or turnover in the future?
The next step for One Click Orgs is to provide companies limited by guarantee in the UK and non-profit corporations in the USA. These will address the needs of larger groups for whom unincorporated associations are inappropriate. Beta users will be able to upgrade to these legal forms once they’re ready.
