GM everyone!
As the term of the Season 4 Community Grants Committee is drawing to a close, it is time to begin the election process for Season 5.
Season 5 of the Grants Program will continue with its own separate budget. This season, there are several updates aimed at improving accountability, engagement, and community interaction.
Committee Composition and Structure
The composition of the Grants Committee will remain the same as in Season 4, with 9 members:
- 6 Non-Foundation members
- 3 Foundation members
To improve accountability, the committee will be split into two groups for the purpose of reviewing grant applications. This will ensure that each application receives focused attention and that committee members can be held accountable for their roles. The overall voting process will continue to be handled by the entire committee.
New Role: Community Relations Expert
In addition to the existing roles, we are introducing a new “Community Relations Expert” position. This member will be responsible for organizing alternating monthly community events or forum posts about approved grants and the committee’s functioning. This role will ensure that the community remains informed and engaged with the Grants Program.
Responsibilities for Community Members
To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the committee, we are implementing the following responsibilities:
-
Grant Ownership: Each grant application will have a designated owner, chosen based on skill set. The owner will be responsible for reviewing and researching the grant application, documenting findings, and presenting them to the committee.
-
Diligence Call Participation: For each diligence call, the following participants are required:
-
The designated owner
-
1 Foundation member
-
1 Tech expert
-
2 other community members (roles appropriate to the application)
-
-
Weekly Review Calls: The entire committee will participate in a weekly review call. The owner will present the application, lead discussions, negotiate grant amounts and milestones, and complete a marketing brief.
-
Availability: All members must have three 2-hour slots available each week for committee work and must participate actively in the weekly review calls.
Monitoring and Compensation
The Foundation will monitor participation and engagement in grant calls and committee discussions to ensure accountability.
- Compensation:
- Ordinary Members: 1,500 USDC per month
- Community Relations Expert: 2,500 USDC per month
Election Process
There are 6 positions that non-Foundation committee members can fill, including the new Community Relations Expert role:
-
Technical Expert (x2):
Individuals with applicable skills in blockchain development, Solidity programming, security auditing, tokenomics analysis, and an understanding of decentralized protocols and consensus mechanisms. Technical experts will evaluate the technical feasibility and security of grant proposals, ensuring they align with best practices and innovation standards.
-
DeFi Expert (x1):
An individual with a deep understanding of decentralized finance protocols, including yield farming, liquidity provisioning, automated market makers, lending and borrowing, and smart contract security. The DeFi expert will evaluate the value proposition, risk assessment, and market relevance of DeFi-related grant proposals, leveraging hands-on experience in the DeFi space.
-
Ecosystem Expert (x1):
A member from either the collator community or someone actively building a dApp on the Moonbeam ecosystem. This expert should be familiar with the dApps, bridges, DEXs, lending protocols, games, and NFT marketplaces in the Moonbeam ecosystem and capable of identifying gaps and opportunities for growth and innovation.
-
Business Expert (x1):
An individual with applicable skills in evaluating financial performance, market position, competitive advantage, project team composition, and growth potential. Business experts will assess the commercial viability and strategic fit of proposals, ensuring they contribute to the ecosystem’s long-term success.
-
Ecosystem & Community Relations Expert (x1):
A member from either the collator community or someone actively building a dApp on the Moonbeam ecosystem. This expert should be familiar with the dApps, bridges, DEXs, lending protocols, games, and NFT marketplaces in the Moonbeam ecosystem and capable of identifying gaps and opportunities for growth and innovation.
In addition to acting as a regular committee member, this new role is designed to keep the community informed and engaged with the Grants Program and as such has greater responsibilities (and compensation). The Community Relations Expert will organize regular community events or forum posts (minimum monthly) that highlight approved grants and provide updates on the functioning of the committee. They will also chair a grants discord channel in the Moonbeam Discord server to provide regular updates and coordinate activities with MBF community & marketing teams.
Anyone interested in participating should create a “Grant Committee Candidacy” post on the Grant Proposals forum by September 12, 2024, 03:59 AM UTC. This includes the 6 existing non-Foundation members.
The post should use the following format:
- Name:
- Timezone:
- English Language Proficiency:
- Committee Position:
- Qualifications:
- Background:
- Code of Conduct:
- Experience:
- Motivation:
- Conflicts of Interest:
- Availability:
- Supporting Information:
Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:
-
Minimum IRL 3 proficiency in English
-
An active and participating member of the community, in good standing.
-
Trust level 1 on the Moonbeam forums
-
Capable of spending a minimum of 10 hours per week
The community will have 1 week to provide feedback on the candidacy posts and ask additional questions until September 19, 2024, 03:59 AM UTC. A weighted snapshot vote will be organized starting on September 19, 2024, 03:00 PM UTC and ending on September 26, 2024, 03:00 PM UTC.
The start of the Season 5 Grants Program is October 1, 2024.
Term
Committee Members will serve until a new election is held, no later than March 31st, 2025.
Timeline Overview:
-
September 4, 2024: Forum post announcing the election process.
-
September 12, 2024, 03:59 AM UTC: Deadline to submit candidacy posts.
-
September 19, 2024, 03:59 AM UTC: Close of community discussion on candidates.
-
September 19, 2024, 03:00 PM UTC: Start of Snapshot vote.
-
September 26, 2024, 03:00 PM UTC: Close of Snapshot vote.
We look forward to seeing the community’s continued involvement and the next round of innovative projects that will help grow our ecosystem!