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A charter is a legal document providing basic information about a community_of_interest_coi including its location, purpose¹⁾, profit status (usually non-profit), governing board (e.g., Board of Directors) composition, and stakeholder (or ownership) structure. Sometimes the Charter is referred to as the articles of incorporation or a certificate of incorporation. In the case of a for-profit corporation, the articles of incorporation must include the number, classes and par values of authorized shares. In the United States, most states require the name and address of the company’s registered_agent. Charters: Creating the Organization

The CoI charter is important because when they are filed and approved with a legal entity, such as a secretary of state, they “give birth” to a new CoI as a formal corporation.

A CoI Charter is not the same as the CoI Bylaws, which set forth the rules for the company's day-to-day operations.²⁾.

Note:

1. Charter, as described in this section, only applies to Ecosphere CoIs that file for incorporation.
2. Ecosystem CoIs and Domain CoIs prepare “Charters”, too, but these charters are not legal or legally binding documents. Instead they are “subcharters” of and must be approved by the their parent Ecosphere, a process defined in either the parent Ecosphere's Bylaws or registered_agent * Agent's Address * Number of Shares Authorized * The Classes and par value of the shares * Roles and Responsibilities * Directors*

• The Charter id made specifically for the CoI (i.e., Ecosphere).

• Smartsheet Project Charter Template, Smartsheet, 21 May 2020, https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/project-charter-templates-and-guidelines-every-business-need
• UpBoard, Project Charter Online Tools & Templates – Best Practices, accessed 21 May 2020, https://upboard.io/project-charter-online-software-tools-templates/

The Essential Guide to Creating an Effective Team Charter