Open Knowledge Foundation
Board of Directors

Board Meeting Minutes, March 2026

A meeting of the Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN) Board was held via video call on Wednesday 11th March 2026 from 19:00 - 20:30.

Board members who dialled in: Vanessa Barnett (VEB) (Chair), Helen Turvey (HT) (Vice Chair), Johnny West (JW)
Observers: Renata Avila (RA) (CEO), Cassandra Woolford (CW) (DOF)
Apologies: Tim Hubbard (TH), Ira Bolychevsky (IB)

Finance Update [CW]

The Foundation closed the Financial year in line with expectations. The final deficit was more than anticipated due to lower revenue as a result of fewer contracts than forecast, rather than overspending. Core expenditure remained tightly controlled, reflecting continued prudent financial management and the organisation's cautious approach to operating within limited resources.

Despite significant concerns at the start of the year regarding the potential impact of reductions in USAID and related philanthropic funding, the organisation performed more resiliently than expected. While growth opportunities with existing clients were constrained by budget reductions and organisational restructuring among international agencies, the overall impact was less severe than feared. Leadership expressed cautious optimism that the most challenging period has passed and that 2026 could potentially end with a positive financial result.

Discussion focused on contract profitability and sustainability. Current pricing structures are generally adequate, particularly with NGO clients, but the volume of contracts remains insufficient to cover organisational overheads consistently. Existing long-term agreements with United Nations agencies continue to provide access to opportunities but operate on fixed rates that limit flexibility and profitability, particularly when projects experience delays. 

Leadership estimated that securing one or two additional external contracts alongside a small increase in UN-related work, could bring the organisation close to break-even without relying on grant funding. Leadership further explained that limited unrestricted funding restricts the organisation's ability to invest in business development activities such as proposal preparation, project scoping and client acquisition. Additional budget allocation may be required to support growth activities and strengthen long-term sustainability.

CEO Update [RA]

Renata walked through the 2026 strategic direction, centred on delivering "digital sovereignty" through open technologies, governance frameworks, standards and digital commons infrastructure. A stronger focus on measurable outcomes is being introduced through organisational and project-level KPIs, helping improve accountability and impact tracking across the organisation.

Several significant initiatives are underway. The AI Learning Labs programme is developing practical AI literacy resources by working directly with non-technical organisations and converting lessons learned into multilingual educational materials. A major innovation project involves developing a CKAN-based Model Context Protocol (MCP) interface that allows users to query government open data portals using natural language while maintaining data provenance and transparency. Initial pilots are being developed with the Government of Brazil, with potential expansion to South Africa and other jurisdictions.

The organisation is also expanding its Open Technology Observatory work. New observatories are being developed to monitor issues relating to low-earth orbit satellite governance, space infrastructure, and brain-computer interface technologies. These initiatives aim to increase transparency, identify governance challenges, and explore opportunities for more open and community-centred technology ecosystems.

Partnership development remains strong despite limited funding. Active collaborations are underway with Wikimedia, Decidim/Catalonia, the Digital Public Goods Alliance, Open Source Initiative, Open Forum Europe, and the PeaceTech Alliance. These relationships are helping raise the organisation's profile, create new opportunities and position the foundation within emerging policy and technology discussions.

The 20th anniversary of CKAN is also being planned, with in-person events expected later in the year to celebrate the project's achievements and engage the wider community.

Governance, Board Renewal and Organisational Development [HT]

A significant portion of the meeting focused on Board effectiveness and governance. Following an external review and board engagement survey, there was broad agreement that while the Board has provided valuable support through several organisational crises over the years, the organisation has evolved and now requires a different mix of skills, engagement and governance support.

Board members acknowledged that current support arrangements are no longer fully aligned with organisational needs and that Executive Leadership would benefit from stronger strategic and operational oversight. A structured renewal process will therefore be implemented, including introducing new members, formalising governance processes, establishing term limits and strengthening performance management arrangements.

The Board agreed that existing members should remain engaged during a transition period to ensure continuity while new members are recruited and onboarded.

A potential new Board member was highlighted as a strong candidate. His experience spans governance, finance, media development and international open movement organisations, including previous service on the Creative Commons Board. His financial expertise was highlighted as particularly valuable given the organisation's current priorities.

The Board also discussed improving engagement by providing Board members with greater visibility of organisational activities, events and project developments throughout the year rather than relying solely on formal reporting cycles.

Action Points

  • HT to initiate the formal Board renewal process, which will include onboarding new board members and introducing governance mechanisms.
  • Engage with potential new Board members and commence the assessment process.
  • Improve Board engagement through greater participation in organisational events, project demonstrations and strategic discussions.