Something I haven’t seen anyone consider: can ZCG legally direct its funds to the NSM? Per ZIP 1015 (which governs the ZCG funds):
FPF MUST disburse them for grants and expenses reasonably related to the administration of the ZCG program, but subject to the following additional constraints:
- These funds MUST be used exclusively for issuing Zcash Community Grants to external parties that are independent of the FPF or to Autonomous Entities operating under the FPF umbrella. Additionally, they MAY be used to cover expenses reasonably related to the administration of Zcash Community Grants.
...FPF SHALL be contractually required to recognize the ZCG slice of the Dev Fund as a Restricted Fund donation under the above constraints (suitably formalized)
I presume that FPF fulfilled its obligation in 2024, which means there should be legalese that requires them to only use the ZCG funds in the prescribed way. A Legal Defense Fund is arguably within the terms of ZIP 1015 (it would be an external party); a donation to the NSM is not (it is not an external party, nor an Autonomous Entity operating under the FPF umbrella).
This ZIP draft clearly agrees with me, as it includes a modification to ZIP 1015 to permit an NSM donation. But that wouldn’t alter how the FPF has recognised existing received ZEC from the ZCG slice as a Restricted Fund donation under the constraints prior to this draft ZIP; it could only alter subsequent received ZEC.
Also, as an aside, has FPF been doing this other thing they were required to periodically do?
FPF SHALL conduct periodic reviews of the organizational structure, performance, and effectiveness of the ZCG program and committee, taking into consideration the input and recommendations of the ZCG Committee. As part of these periodic reviews, FPF MUST commit to exploring the possibility of transitioning ZCG into an independent organization if it is economically viable and it aligns with the interests of the Zcash ecosystem and prevailing community sentiment.
It is certainly economically viable for ZCG to be an independent organization now…