The purpose of this honorarium policy is to outline the guidelines and procedures for providing honorariums to individuals or entities who have contributed their time, expertise, or services to the GitLab Foundation’s initiatives, events, or projects. Please click here to see how how team members should handle honorariums and stipends offered to them.

Definition of Honorarium

An honorarium is a nominal payment or token of appreciation given to individuals or organizations as a gesture of recognition for their valuable contributions to the GitLab Foundation.

Criteria for Payment of an Honorarium

Honorariums may be offered to individuals or entities who have voluntarily participated in foundation activities, events, or projects and have made a significant contribution to the GitLab Foundation's mission and goals. Specifically:

• The services rendered are above and beyond the individual's or organization's regular duties
• The services are directly related to the mission and purpose of the GitLab Foundation
• The services are provided voluntarily and without expectation of compensation

Honorarium Amount

The honorarium amount will be determined based on the nature of the contribution, the time invested, and the overall impact on the Foundation's objectives. To ensure transparency, the following ranges have been established. An exact amount will be determined by the manager and Director of Operations and based on the information provided in the approval.

Appropriate amounts should be determined based on geographic market (i.e., lower honorariums in less expensive markets, higher honorariums in more expensive markets).

Other Expenses

In lieu of or in addition to an honorarium, team members may offer to cover costs incurred to host/attend a meeting or event (registration, travel, room rental, meal, translator, etc.). This should follow the approval process below.

Approval Process

Approval for an honorarium payment must be obtained before an honorarium can be paid. The process for obtaining approval is as follows:

1. The GitLab Foundation team member should submit a written request, via email, to their manager and Director of Operations for approval, outlining:
   1. The name of the recipient organization/individual and requested contribution amount
   2. Justification for giving an honorarium and size of the honorarium
2. The request will be reviewed by the manager and the Director of Operations to assess the appropriateness and ensure resources are available
3. If approved, the team member will be notified and ask to collect information from the individual.