Constitution of the Materials Journalism Foundation
1. Name
The name of the association is the Materials Journalism Foundation.
2. Status
The Materials Journalism Foundation is a UK unincorporated association. It is not a company and is not currently a registered charity.
3. Objects
The objects of the association are:
To publish, support, and maintain public-interest information about materials, objects, substances, craft traditions, industrial history, material culture, and related subjects.
To operate websites, archives, newsletters, publications, and other editorial projects connected with those subjects.
To make specialist, historical, technical, and material knowledge easier to understand for the general public.
To promote careful writing, factual accuracy, responsible correction, accessibility, low data collection, and proportionate environmental practice in small-scale digital publishing.
To do any lawful thing that helps advance these objects.
4. Powers
The association may:
Create, operate, and maintain websites and publications.
Register domain names and use digital services.
Publish articles, guides, policies, research notes, archives, and educational material.
Accept donations, grants, sponsorship, or other lawful support, provided that editorial independence is protected.
Open and manage accounts or services needed for its work.
Appoint volunteers, editors, contributors, contractors, advisers, or service providers where appropriate.
Enter into simple agreements required to carry out its objects.
Adopt policies for privacy, corrections, accessibility, environmental practice, modern slavery, editorial standards, and any other relevant area.
Do anything lawful and reasonable in support of its objects.
5. Non-profit basis
The association must operate on a non-profit basis. Any surplus must be used to support the association’s objects. No surplus, profit, or asset may be distributed to members or board members except for reasonable repayment of expenses, payment for properly authorised work, or payment for services genuinely supplied to the association.
6. Membership
The association has founding members and may admit additional members at the discretion of the board.
Members must support the objects of the association and act in good faith towards it.
The board may refuse membership where it reasonably believes admission would not be in the interests of the association.
The board may remove a member for serious misconduct, conflict of interest, misuse of the association’s name, breach of this constitution, or conduct likely to damage the association or its work.
7. Board
The association is governed by a board of at least two members.
The board is responsible for the direction, governance, policies, editorial standards, finances, records, risk management, and public projects of the association.
The board may appoint roles including Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, or Project Lead. One person may hold more than one role where appropriate.
Board members must remain anonymous in public-facing materials. The association must keep an internal record of board members and officers. Public anonymity does not remove the obligation to act lawfully, responsibly, and in the interests of the association.
8. Meetings and decisions
The board may meet in person or remotely.
Board decisions may be made at meetings, by email, or by written agreement, provided that a clear record is kept.
A simple majority of participating board members is sufficient for ordinary decisions.
Major decisions should be recorded. Major decisions include changes to this constitution, closure of a project, significant spending, formal partnerships, removal of a board member, dissolution of the association, or any decision likely to affect the public identity or legal position of the association.
9. Editorial control
The board has final responsibility for editorial policy and public output.
The board may delegate day-to-day editorial work to editors, contributors, volunteers, or project leads.
Public material should aim to be accurate, readable, proportionate, and clear about uncertainty where uncertainty exists.
The association may correct, update, remove, redirect, or archive material where it considers this appropriate.
10. Conflicts of interest
Board members and anyone acting for the association must declare any significant conflict of interest.
A person with a conflict of interest should not take part in a decision where that conflict could improperly influence the outcome.
The board may still permit participation where the conflict is minor, unavoidable, or properly managed.
11. Money and property
Any money or property held for the association must be used only for the association’s objects.
The board must keep reasonable financial records.
Spending must be authorised by the board or by a person given authority by the board.
No board member or member may use the association’s money, name, assets, websites, or accounts for private purposes without authorisation.
12. Liability
As an unincorporated association, the Materials Journalism Foundation does not have separate legal personality. Members and board members should therefore act cautiously when entering agreements or taking on obligations in the association’s name.
The association should avoid unnecessary debt, high-risk activity, and commitments beyond its resources.
13. Data, privacy, and records
The association should process as little personal data as reasonably possible.
Any personal data held by the association must be handled in accordance with applicable data protection law and the association’s privacy policy.
Internal governance records may be kept privately and need not be published unless required by law or by a properly authorised decision of the board.
14. Amendments
This constitution may be amended by a majority decision of the board, provided that the change is consistent with the association’s objects and non-profit basis.
The date of any amendment should be recorded.
15. Dissolution
The association may be dissolved by a majority decision of the board.
After payment of any lawful debts or obligations, any remaining assets must be transferred to a non-profit organisation, association, charity, archive, educational project, or public-interest publishing project with similar aims.
Assets must not be distributed to members or board members for private benefit.
16. Adoption
This constitution was adopted by the founding members of the Materials Journalism Foundation on completion of this document.