Funder Field Manual

I. Your Role

Financial support with no strings attached. The moment funding comes with editorial expectations, the movement is captured. We accept contributions only from those who understand: you're funding the principles, not buying influence over them.

Your contribution is an act of faith in the framework. You may never know what it enabled. That's the point.

II. Why Privacy-Preserving Currency

We accept Zcash (ZEC) as our primary funding method. This is deliberate:

Protects Contributors

Supporting accountability work can attract retaliation. Employers, governments, and targets of investigations have all punished those who fund transparency efforts. Shielded transactions mean your support can't be traced back to you.

Protects the Movement

If our funding sources are public, adversaries can pressure them. Anonymous funding can't be cut off by targeting donors. The movement remains resilient.

Practices Our Principles

We advocate for transparency of power, not surveillance of citizens. Your financial choices are your private business. We don't need to know who you are to put your contribution to work.

III. How to Contribute

Zcash (ZEC)

Zcash offers shielded transactions that hide sender, receiver, and amount. This is the most private way to contribute.

Getting Zcash

1. Download a wallet — Ywallet, Zashi, or Nighthawk (mobile); Ywallet or Zecwallet Lite (desktop)
2. Acquire ZEC — Exchange, peer-to-peer service, or swap from other crypto
3. Send to our address — Use a shielded transaction for privacy

For Maximum Privacy

• Use a non-KYC exchange or swap service if possible
• Send from a shielded address to our shielded address
• Use Tor or VPN when transacting
• Don't reuse addresses for other purposes

IV. What Funds Support

We run lean. Every contribution goes to infrastructure, not salaries.

Current Monthly Costs

• VPS Hosting — ~$15-20/month (Njalla, anonymous)
• Domain Registration — ~$2/month (annualized)
• Backup Services — ~$5/month
• Total — Approximately $25-30/month

Potential Future Costs

• Additional servers for redundancy
• Enhanced DDoS protection if targeted
• Tools and services for researchers
• FOIA request fees (some agencies charge)
• Legal defense fund (if ever needed)

What We Don't Fund

• Salaries or compensation for contributors
• Advertising or paid promotion
• Political donations or lobbying
• Anything that could compromise independence

V. Transparency

We practice what we preach. All financial flows are documented publicly.

Monthly Transparency Report

Each month, we publish:

• Total received (without identifying contributors)
• Itemized expenses
• Current reserve balance
• Explanation of any unusual expenditures

Reports are posted on the website and announced in the Matrix community. Anyone can review. Anyone can question.

VI. Funding Ethics

No Influence

Contributions do not buy:

• Editorial input on content
• Direction of investigations
• Immunity from criticism
• Recognition or acknowledgment (unless you request it)
• Any form of special access or treatment

Refusal Rights

We reserve the right to refuse contributions that:

• Come with stated conditions or expectations
• Are clearly intended to create perceived obligation
• Originate from sources we have reason to believe are acting in bad faith

In practice, with privacy-preserving currencies, we often won't know who contributed. That's a feature, not a bug.

VII. Non-Financial Support

Money isn't the only resource that matters. You can also contribute:

Infrastructure

• Donate server resources or hosting
• Provide VPN or privacy tool subscriptions
• Offer professional services (legal, security audit)

Time and Expertise

Consider the other roles. Researchers, amplifiers, organizers, builders, and challengers all contribute value that money can't replace.

Distribution

Share the framework. Talk about the principles. Bring others into the community. Network effects are more valuable than dollars.

VIII. First Action

If you want to support the work:

1. Read the principles. Make sure you're funding something you believe in.
2. Set up a Zcash wallet if you don't have one.
3. Send what you can—there's no minimum.
4. Bookmark the transparency page. Check it occasionally. Hold us accountable.

That's it. No registration. No recognition. No obligation. Just resources flowing toward accountability infrastructure.

The work continues because people like you make it possible.