About the FKMP

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Find here more background about the Friends of the Kalahari Meerkat Project Society, based on our articles.

• History and Organisation
• Purpose
• Memberships
• Friends Fund
• Copyright
• Team

History and organisation

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The Friends of the Kalahari Meerkat Project society (FKMP) was founded in November 2007, and is organised as a legal entity according to Swiss law (ZGB Art. 60 ff). The FKMP society is in general legally independent from the Kalahari Meerkat Project (KMP), though the two organisations are functionally linked.

Tim Clutton-Brock and Marta Manser, of the Kalahari Meerkat Project (KMP), and Evi Bauer (ex Earthwatcher, www.pangolin.li) have agreed in Spring 2007 to set up a sponsoring venture, in which people interested in meerkat research and in the meerkats of the Kalahari Meerkat Project will receive information about the project and the meerkats, in exchange for funds contributing to the research.

It was decided to set up the Friends of the Kalahari Meerkat Project society (FKMP) which will operate this venture. “Friends” are members who will receive meerkat information in exchange for their membership fee or a sponsorship fee. The FKMP also collects donations, bequests and similar contributions, or may organise merchandising activities. Furthermore, the FKMP will advertise and organise “Friends visits” where Friends can visit the project.
 

Purpose of the FKMP

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The purpose of the society is two-fold:

• The FKMP society supports research on meerkats and their ecosystem, performed at the Kalahari Meerkat Project, with funds, which are contributed by the FKMP members in the form of membership fees and donations.
• The FKMP society fosters the knowledge about meerkats, and specifically about the KMP meerkats, in people not directly affiliated with the KMP. The FKMP does so by making information on the meerkats available exclusively to members via the FKMP website, or on other paths.

Memberships

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Membership is open to individuals and legal bodies who accept the purpose of the FKMP society and are willing to support our purpose and the KMP. The Board can exclude members if they endamage the interests or reputation of the FKMP society, or the KMP.

The society consists of contributing members and Friends. Contributing members contribute time and resources to the society; the number of contributing members should not exceed the number needed to operate the society and fulfill its purpose. All contributing members currently do not receive any financial compensation for their work; the team volunteers, and all proceeds currently are made available to the Friends Fund.

Friends subscribe to receive information, and usually play no active role in the dealings of the society.

Friends Funds

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The financial surplus, resulting after any obligations of the society are met, is contributed to the “Friends Fund”. The monies in the Friends Fund can be applied for by researchers, for the sole use of supporting their research on meerkats and their ecosystem, and only under the condition that field research is performed in the KMP.

Researchers applying for FKMP funds must have obtained permission from the KMP to conduct their project in the KMP before FKMP funds may be applied for. Researchers have to submit a grant application, which will be evaluated by the Funds Commitee.

The Funds Committee alone decides on grant recipient(s), unless the respective funds were obtained by a donation, bequest, or similar source and the donor made it subject to provisions to its use, as long as this use is accepted by the KMP.
 

Copyright

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Copyrights of any information (text, pictures, video, audio material) are with the KMP and FKMP; information obtained as a Friend may only be used for personal purposes; distribution of information to individuals and groups, in writen or digital form, is prohibited, unless the Friend has a written permission by the FKMP.

Team

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The FKMP team currently consists of:

• Evi Bauer, Switzerland, President, secretary, webmaster
• "JJZ", Switzerland, vice president and strategy
• "Pronker", USA, contributing member
• "Lil'Earthwoman", Germany, contributing member
• Linda Hollén, United Kingdom, scientific advisor, Funds committee
• Lukas Keller, Switzerland, scientific advisor, Funds committee

The FKMP team is in frequent contact with the KMP management and team in Cambridge, Zurich and the KRR field site.

All current FKMP team members fully volunteer for the FKMP, and receive no financial compensation for the time and money invested in the society, the website, data preparation, the shop, administration or other activities for the FKMP.



The articles of the FKMP society are available to Friends on request.