Sahana Software Foundation Travel Policy
Travel Policy Adopted by Sahana Software Foundation December 2011 Director's Meeting on 5 December 2011.
General Requirements
- All persons traveling on behalf of SSF must fill out the SSF Travel Request Form: http://bit.ly/ssf-travel-form. Be sure to include in this estimate all expenses for which you wish to claim reimbursement - this may include airfare, ground transportation, baggage handling fees, local transportation to/from airports, hotel and event sites, accommodations, etc.
- No expenses are to be encumbered without an explicit travel approval letter/email indicating approved funding amounts from the SSF CEO, CFO/Treasurer or their designee(s)
- No expenses that are not pre-approved will be covered by SSF
- Travel for SSF must adhere to all of the requirements in this document and any additional requirements imposed if funding is provided from a third party outside of SSF
- Any exceptions to these requirements must be explicitly approved by the SSF CEO, CFO/Treasurer or their designee(s) in writing with full justification documented
- SSF will not pay for any expenses that are also payed by another source
- A full travel report with all receipts must be given to the Sahana Software Foundation within 7 days of completion of travel - download the form here into your preferred format: http://bit.ly/ssf-travel-claim. Fill out the form according to its instructions and e-mail the form and all receipts together as directed on the form.
- All expenses claimed must have a receipt
- Collecting receipts and documentation together in one place is the responsibility of the traveler - having sent receipts at the time of booking does not release the traveler from needing to maintain these documents and submit them with the travel expense claim.
- Anyone traveling using SSF funds agrees to sign any releases required by SSF or third parties supporting the travel including but not limited to unlimited redistribution of images taken during the events and copies of slides, papers, and training materials used at the events.
- Anyone traveling using SSF funds may be asked to write a blog post or news item about the event for the SSF website.
- SSF will pay net 30 for general SSF funds or 7 days from receipt of third party funding.
Expense claims filed more than 60 days after the completion of travel will not be processed.
Combining Travel for SSF and non-SSF purposes
- SSF will not pay for transportation or other expenses for non-SSF business. This includes personal travel or business travel (including additional days accommodation or other expenses at the place of the SSF event).
- All travel that is to be the responsibility of SSF shall be booked separately from travel for personal or other non-SSF business if possible. It is the responsibility of the traveler to document the differential costs to attend the SSF events and the non-SSF events.
Air Travel
- Air travel should be economy class, least-cost reasonable routing
- Up to 15% of the absolute least cost shall be deemed as a reasonable additional cost for convenience of the traveler.
- If necessary, include baggage handling fees for checked luggage on the estimate provided to SSF or these may not be covered.
- SSF will reimburse the traveler for the cost of trip cancellation insurance up to $50 per trip without an explicit advance request and approval for a higher amount. If you elect not to purchase trip cancellation insurance, you may be liable for the expenses if unable to travel.
Ground Transportation
- Ground transportation is to be the least cost method necessary to meet the requirements for SSF needs
- Travel methods must be estimated and documented in the travel request form, including for rental vehicles, train, rail, bus fares, airport shuttles, taxis, etc.
- Use of a personal vehicle shall be reimbursed at the current IRS reimbursement rate
- Use of a personal vehicle must be documented as the least cost reasonable method of travel and approved by SSF CEO, CFO/Treasurer or their designee(s).
- SSF will generally approve up to $50 per trip for local transportation without an estimate to cover all expenses to/and from home, airports, accommodation and event site unless a larger amount is otherwise requested and approved in advance.
Lodging
- Lodging is to be least cost reasonable
- GSA Per Diem Rates from http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287 (for US travel) or http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp (for non-US travel) should be used as a guideline to reasonable
- SSF travelers at the same event should use double occupancy when possible
- SSF will only pay for the portion of a room occupied by the SSF traveler
Meals and Incidental Expenses
- SSF does not provide funding for meals and incidental expenses. If third-party funding allows for meals and incidental expenses, this must be detailed on the travel request form.