# Ownership

<p class="callout success">NFE is owned by the community of people contributing to NFE's mission. </p>

### Owners or Members

*Owner-member* is the term we use to refer to people NFE recognizes as owners or members of the NFE co-operative.

- Each ownership category elects at least 1 and a maximum of 2 representatives on the NFE board. Each board member serves a 2 year term, they serve for a maximum of 2 terms.
- Owner-members take on 3 main categories. Some members can be recognized within more than one category.

#### Workers

- Workers contribute by investing time and skills to NFE activities they are hired to complete.
- They make most decisions about the day to day operations of NFE but their board representatives vote on the major decisions
- Becoming a Worker-Owner requires 3 things   
    
    - Work and report at least 240 hours or 6 months, whichever comes first. This work needs to be regular ie at least 5 hours per month.
    - Agreement to the NFE ByLaws
    - Approval of at least 2/3 our current worker-owners

#### Funders 

- Funders contribute money to an NFE microgrid project.
- Their board representatives vote on major decisions
- Becoming a Funder-Owner requires 3 things 
    - Fund at least 10% of the cost Phase 1 of a given microgrid
    - Agreement to the NFE ByLaws
    - Approval of at least 2/3 our current funder-owners

#### Customers

- Customers contribute by using and paying for energy via NFE's microgrids
- Their board representatives vote on major decisions
- Becoming a Customer-Owner requires 3 things 
    - Contributing for at least 12 consecutive months
    - Agreement to the NFE ByLaws
    - Approval of at least 2/3 our current customer-owners

<p class="callout info">Please note that NFE membership voluntary. Individuals or organizations can be funders, workers or customers and chose not to apply for member/ownership. </p>

### Responsibilities of Owner-Members

- Active participation in NFE activities as prescribed by their membership category
- Voting on admission of new members

### Benefits of Owner-Members 

- Influencing Major NFE and NFE microgrid decision
- Annual Surplus sharing 
    - Workers - equal share of NFE's surplus (NFE is a worker-member of every microgrid we operate)
    - Customers - proportional share of respective microgrid's surplus, proportional to their contribution
    - Funders - proportional share of funded entity's surplus, proportional to their contribution.
- Existing owners get right of refusal to opportunities for new membership as workers, customers or funders.

### Suspending Membership 

- Ownership is suspended if an owner-member stops contributing and is given at least one warning.
- Ownership is suspended if an owner-member dies or is dissolved or closed in the case of an organization owner.
- The Board otherwise expels an Owner on grounds of actions contrary to the mission and values, as long as the Board uses a consistent, fair, and reasonable procedure for expulsion (provided in writing to the Owners) that gives an Owner a reasonable period of time in which to explain or correct a problem.

### Non Owner Community Members 

Not all our stakeholders are currently eligible for becoming members but are still part of the community so theoretically could be owners in the future.

- Suppliers - NFE partners with organizations like UEDCL (Macrogrid operator in Uganda), Calinmeter Co a metering supplier and Linux and EnAccess foundations are key software partners. We would like to include them as members but are get to craft a model to that effect.
- Regulators - Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) and Uganda National Beurou of Standards (UNBS) are also key stakeholders and part of our community but are currently not eligible for membership.
- Advisors - We have a board of advisors who provide guidance on our business, technology and people model. We may compensate these advisors for their time but they are currently not eligible for membership.
- Donors - These have gifted the co-op resources in cash for in-kind. eg Energy IoT