AS IT IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL for the Centre to be owned – thereby avoiding the need to rent or maintain a property belonging to a third party – particular care has been given to satisfying three specific criteria:
- ensure that the property is not owned by individuals but by a legal entity in order to avoid problems associated with changes of personal interest and consequent changes of ownership that may involve people not interested in the project;
- avoid the resident community having to deal with money matters that lie outside of the running of the Centre;
- be in a position to return donations to givers should the project not be fulfilled.
Careful study of the laws in force has suggested the need for the three following entities: a Trust Fund, a Foundation and an Association.
1. The Trust Fund is the means for the collection, through donations, of the capital necessary for the purchase of a property. It was established by a deed on 15 December 2003 and called “Verso una comunità di vita consapevole” (Towards a mindful living community). It is composed of four people: the teachers Helga e Karl Riedl as protectors, and two representatives of the Italian Order of Interbeing (Silvia Lombardi and Stefano Carboni) as trustees.
The Trust Fund has a current account with Banca Etica (a bank which supports the creation of an alternative form of economy that respects life and human dignity).
The Trust Fund will cease to exist when a suitable place for the Centre is found and the sum collected is large enough to cover the costs of purchase. A Foundation will then be set up to which the Trust Fund will devolve the capital collected.(Why a Trust Fund?)
2. The Foundation also will be composed of one or both teachers and several representatives of the Italian Order of Interbeing. It will receive the money collected by the Trust Fund and use it to purchase the property where the Centre will be built. It will continue to manage the property and give it on free loan to the Association of members of the resident community. (Why a Foundation?)
3. The Association will be formed by members of the residential community and will receive on free loan the property from the Foundation in order to accomplish the goals of the Centre. It will also be in charge of all activities that take place in the Centre itself.