[1. Introduction]
[1.1. Traditional Charity Giving]
[1.2. Transparent Blockchain-based Giving]
[2. The Problem]
[3. The Solution]
[4. Using Blockchain Technology for Transparency and Trust]
[4.1. Using Blockchain Technology for Transparency and Trust]
[5. Vetting Process for Impact Partners]
[6. Cryptonomics - How does it work?]
[6-1. Initial DEX Offering Token Allocation]
[7. Membership Structure]
[7-1. Core Members]
[7-2. Members]
[7-3. Code of Conduct]
[8. Voting Rights]
1. Introduction
Anu Initiative is a Web3 fundraising platform that aims to support ecologically oriented Impact Partners through an Impact Autonomous Organization (IAO). By leveraging the power of blockchain technologies, Anu Initiative seeks to provide a transparent, efficient, and secure platform for fundraising, while also promoting environmentally sustainable practices.
A IAO is an organization that operates through rules encoded as computer programs called smart contracts, focused on delivering tangible impact. This document details the technical and governance model for Anu Initiative, a IAO focused on providing for those who provide for Mother Earth.
We are a Company Limited by Guarantee based in Dublin, Ireland (
), and our legal entity’s constitution documents that we will use at least 90% of the generated funds to give to other vetted ecology-oriented charities, while up to 10% can be used to cover operational costs. For this, Core Members are legally liable, and to provide full transparency to the Anu Initiative community and to our regulators, all transactions will be made public and archived on the blockchain.
Transparency, passion, integrity, commitment, and community are the organization’s values that will guide the governance model’s implementation and further development.
Traditional Charity Giving
Pros:
- Established and widely recognized organizations exist, allowing donors to easily identify and support a cause they care about.
- Donations are tax-deductible, offering an additional incentive for charitable giving.
- Some organizations offer transparency reports to show how donations are being utilized.
Cons:
- Lack of transparency – It can be difficult for donors to know how their donations are being used.
- Middlemen and overhead costs – A portion of donations may be used to cover operational and administrative expenses.
- Potential for fraud – There have been many cases of charity organizations misusing funds or being outright scams.
- Limited control – Once a donation is made, the donor typically has no further say in how the funds are used or distributed.
Transparent Blockchain-based Giving
Pros:
- Greater transparency – Blockchain technology allows donors to track how their donations are being used in real-time.
- Community control – IAOs give donors more control over how their funds are used.
- Lower overhead costs – Blockchain-based donations can cut out the need for intermediaries and drastically reduce administrative costs.
- Trust and security – The use of blockchain technology provides a high level of security and eliminates the potential for fraud.
Cons:
- Lack of mainstream adoption: The use of blockchain-based donations is not yet widespread, which may deter some potential donors.
- Complexity: Some individuals may find the process of donating through an IAO to be confusing or intimidating.
- Limited acceptance: Not all charitable organizations are equipped to accept blockchain-based donations, which may limit the number of causes that can be supported. Anu Initiative CLG acts as a bridge between the blockchain and real-world transactions to convert blockchain donations to fiat without unnecessary fees.
2. The Problem
The global environmental crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. The world is facing unprecedented levels of biodiversity loss, deforestation, climate change, and other environmental challenges that threaten our very existence. Traditional fundraising methods often suffer from issues such as lack of transparency, high fees, and a lack of trust, which can limit the effectiveness of efforts to address these challenges.
3. The Solution
Anu Initiative proposes a decentralized fundraising model using blockchain technology to address these challenges. By creating a IAO, Anu Initiative will provide a transparent and secure platform for raising funds and distributing them to vetted impact partners who are committed to promoting environmentally sustainable practices.
4. Using Blockchain Technology for Transparency and Trust
Anu Initiative uses blockchain technology to create a transparent and secure platform for fundraising. By leveraging the power of smart contracts, Anu Initiative aims to automate the process of fundraising and distribution of funds to impact partners. This eliminates the need for intermediaries and reduces the risk of fraud or mismanagement.
4.1 Anu Initiative’s Web3 (Blockchain / dNFT) Use-Case for Charitable Fundraising
5. Vetting Process for Impact Partners
Anu Initiative’s impact partners are carefully selected and taken through a thorough vetting process to ensure that they are committed to promoting environmentally sustainable practices and comply with Anti Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing regulations. This includes an evaluation of their track record, their goals, and their alignment with Anu Initiative’s mission.
More about how Anu Initiative CLG’s Impact Partner selection process can be found here: Beneficiary Selection Policy
6. Cryptonomics (Anu Token) / Non-fungible Token (dNFT) - How does it work?
Being a part of the Anu Initiative community means you get to have more control over where your donations end up. To be a part of the community, you will:
- Create a Company or Individual Anu Initiative account via our Know-Your-Customer registration dApp.
- Become an Anu Initiative IAO citizen through direct donations to the Anu Initiative Treasury or ownership of at least one Anu Token.
- IAO citizenship allows you to vote on ecological impact projects proposed by Anu Initiative CLG.
- Direct Donations and 1% of all Anu Token transactions are collected in the Anu Initiative Treasury and automatically translated into USDC via our Smart Contract deployed on the Polygon blockchain.
- Each IAO citizen receives Proof of Donation and Impact in the form of a soul-bound, untradeable dynamic Non-Fungible Token (dNFT). We aim to display many relevant details on the dNFT, adding more design and development improvements with each future iteration.
The dNFT will act as a traditional receipt, and will display things like:
- The total amount you’ve donated to the treasury.
- The overall ecological impact you’ve made.
- The number of initiatives you’ve voted for in the Anu Initiative’s IAO Governance system
Proof of Donation and Impact – dNFT Concept
To make sure your donations and votes matter, Anu Initiative enters into legally binding agreements with Impact Partners. In turn, our Impact Partners are contractually required to provide Proof of Impact on the public Anu Initiative Forum. To ensure we are generating real-world Impact, Anu Initiative will not accept carbon offset credits as Proof of Impact.
6-1. Initial DEX Offering Token Allocation
- Treasury: 10%
A treasury fund is an essential aspect of tokenomics. It provides a reserve of tokens that can be used to fund future development or to provide liquidity on exchanges. - Development: 5%
This includes funds for ongoing development, maintenance, and improvement of the project. These expenses include salaries for developers, server costs, and any other expenses that are directly related to the development of the project. - Marketing: 5%
Marketing is essential to attracting new investors and building community support. This category includes funds for advertising, community management, public relations, and other promotional activities. - Team: 5%
This category includes funds allocated to the project’s core team members as reward for their dedication and all efforts and resource commitments provided during the start-up phase. This allocation could be distributed as a salary or as equity in the project. - Advisors: 5%
Advisors can provide valuable insights and connections to help the project succeed. This category includes funds for paying advisors or providing them with equity in the project. - Initial Liquidity Offering: 70%
The initial liquidity offering is the number of tokens allocated for the initial public sale. This category is critical to ensure a fair distribution of tokens to early investors and supporters.
7. Membership Structure
Anu Initiative will have two groups of IAO citizens:
Core Members - Directors and Charity Trustees of Anu Initiative CLG that are responsible for the day-to-day management of the organization.
Members - IAO citizens with voting rights and decision-making power.
7-1. Core Members
Core Members are responsible for managing the operations of Anu Initiative CLG. They represent the legal entity Anu Initiative Company Limited by Guarantee, and they are responsible for developing and executing strategies and overseeing the organization’s day-to-day operations.
Vetting Impact Partners – As required by applicable legislation (i.e. Virtual Asset Service Provider), funds can be provided only to companies that pass the Anti-Money Laundering and the Counter Terrorism Financing screenings. Core Members liaise with professional service firms to perform required screenings before enrolling organizations as Impact Partners, as per AML and CTF regulations.
More information about Anu Initiative’s Impact Partner selection process can be seen below:
Operational matters – Core Members are responsible for deciding on operational matters, such as hiring new team members, deciding on partnerships, and making any other necessary decisions to keep Anu Initiative IAO running smoothly in pursuit of its mission.
Create proposals – Create proposals in one of the following categories:
Impact - Air/Fire/Aether/Water/Earth
Impact related initiatives, such as trees planted, tons of plastic removed from the rivers/ocean, pupils receiving ecology education, area of protected/reforested land etc. will be negotiated with Impact Partners and taken through the AML/CTF screenings.
IAO Development/Policy - Once the Smart Contract is deployed on the main-net, changes to it can only be done via the IAO changes process
Treasury Management – Core Members are responsible for allocating funds to different environmental charities.
Veto – Core Members have “veto” power on proposals that passed the IAO voting system maliciously or decisions that may be damaging to Anu Initiative CLG.
7-2. Members
Members are individuals who registered via the KYC dApp, hold Anu Tokens or who donated to the Anu Initiative Treasury, which give them voting rights and decision-making power, based on a referral model (explained below).
Selection of Impact Partners – Members can *propose and vote on enrolling new environmental charities. Core Members then use independent professional services firms to perform required vetting for the new partner.
Ban Impact Partner – Members can propose and vote on blacklisting an Impact Partner from the vetted list as a result of not completing the work agreed, or if proof-of-doing is not in line with the contract signed between Anu Initiative CLG and Impact Partner.
7-3. Code of Conduct
8. Voting Rights
The Anu Initiative IAO governance model and systems are designed to ensure the following:
Transparency – The voting system is transparent, allowing all members to see the voting results and the reasoning behind the decision-making process.
Security – The voting system is secure to prevent any malicious attacks, fraud, or manipulation of the voting process.
Accessibility – The voting system is accessible to all members and allows them to vote easily and efficiently.
Fairness – The voting system ensures that all members have an equal opportunity to vote.
Flexibility – The voting system is flexible and adaptable to accommodate different types of decisions, quorum requirements, voting periods, and other parameters specific to the Anu Initiative IAO.
Participation – The voting system encourages participation and engagement from all members, by providing relevant information, incentives, and feedback mechanisms to help them make informed decisions.
Anu Initiative is designing a Referral program that gives committed members of the community a title depending on how many people they brought into the eco-system, the title will be showing on the member’s dNFT.
Seedling Guardian - For donors who have made their first donation, symbolizing the initial step in growth and impact.
Sapling Steward - For donors with 1 referrals, representing the nurturing phase of growth and contribution.
Canopy Contributor - For those with 2 referrals, reflecting their role in expanding the ecosystem’s canopy, providing shelter and support.
Forest Friend - Awarded to donors with 4 referrals, denoting a deeper connection and commitment to the cause.
Wildlife Warden - For individuals with 8 referrals, highlighting their role in protecting and advocating for wildlife within the ecosystem.
Eco Engineer - Granted to those with 16 referrals, emphasizing their contribution to designing and implementing sustainable solutions.
Biodiversity Builder - For donors with 32 referrals, recognizing their significant impact on enhancing the diversity of life within the ecosystem.
Guardian of the Jungles - Awarded to individuals with 64 referrals, symbolizing their leadership in safeguarding and expanding natural groves.
Nature’s Ally - For those with 128 referrals, denoting their esteemed position and influential role in the community’s efforts towards restoration.
Anu Champion - The highest rank, reserved for individuals with 256 or more referrals, representing their legacy-level impact on the environment and the community’s mission.
The Golden Ratio was used to model the referrals per rank.
Anu Initiative will partner with corporations and reputable service providers (such as Amazon, Microsoft, Etsy, etc.) to create Incentive Programs for members, depending on the rank they achieve.
Concept Icons for the first 9 ranks - to be displayed on dNFT
Concept Icon for the Anu Champion rank - to be displayed on dNFT