Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) 40 Kedale Road Seaford BN25 2BU Email: bien@basicincome.org Website: www.basicincome.org
ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
The Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) was constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on the 11th June 2017 and registered as a charity, number 1177066, on the 8th February 2018. Its constitution was amended on the 21st December 2020.
Trustees during the year were as follows: Anje Askeland (until 2024-07-45), Diana Bashur, Sarath Davala, Jurgen De Wispelaere, John Simon Duffy, Jacob Elliott, James Patrick Grant, Fabienne Hansen (from 2024-08-31), Neil Howard, Michael Hinford, Reinhard Huss, Peter Titcomb Knight, Hilde Latour, Seng Kiat Lee (from 2024-08-31), Julio Linares, Annie Glenda Miller, Kai Corrigan Nau (until 2024-04-23), Olaf Michael Johannes Ostertag, Tyler Prochazka, , Lindsay Stirton (from 2024-08-31) Malcolm Torry (until 2024-08-31).
Sarath Davala was the Chair. The Deputy Chair was Hilde Latour. Lindsay Stirton replaced Malcolm Torry as Treasurer on 2024-08-31. Fabienne Hansen replaced Diana Bashur as Secretary on the same day.
Trustees met thirteen times during 2024.
The BIEN Congress took place at the University of Bath in August 2024. The 2024 Annual General Meeting took place in hybrid form (in person and online) during the 2024 Congress. The 2025 congress will take place in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.
During the year, BIEN maintained a website, published news updates, maintained contact with its members and with affiliated organisations, and responded to requests for information. In addition, 2024 saw a number of significant accomplishments in relation to BIEN's charitable purposes. In particular:
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With funding from The Institute, BIEN developed and launched a beta version of UBIdata, an online repository and tool for accessing and interpreting data on Universal Basic Income.
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Pursuant to a memorandum of understanding agreed with the United Nations Development Programme in 2021, BIEN has continued to expand its engagement with the United Nations. For example, in December 2024, BIEN made a joint response (with Equal Right) to a call from the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights, setting out the arguments for basic income as an instrument for a just transition.
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BIEN continued the development of regional hubs in Africa and Latin America, and established a regional hub in Asia. With funding previously agreed with Mustardseed Trust and Langkelly Chase, we were able to employ a staff member to coordinate the hubs project and to contract with organisations in these three regions to manage regional hubs. The project is supervised by trustee Neil Howard. BIEN is grateful to the Mustardseed Trust and the Langkelly Chase Foundation for their funding of this project.
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Through its work with regional hubs, BIEN engaged in public outreach in a number of different settings, including setting up an Ecuadorian network, promoting (jointly with LABIN, the Latin American Basic Income Network) inter-community dialogue among regions involved in basic income pilots, and discussion of a potential rainforest UBI pilot in Guatemala.
BIEN’s finances are stable. Previously agreed grants from Mustardseed, Langkelly Chase and The Institute grants funded the regional hubs and knowledge repository projects, and membership fees and donations will enable BIEN to meet its other obligations for the next few years. As of the end of 2024, BIEN was anticipating a large grant from Mustardseed Trust. BIEN was also anticipating significant funding for its UBIdata project from ITSA Foundation. These grants were subsequently realised, with the consequence that BIEN is in an enviable financial position.
BIEN is very grateful to those individuals and organisations who continue to give time, effort and financial support to its work.
Public benefit statement: During 2024 the activities above were in accordance with the objects of the charity: ‘To educate the general public about Basic Income, that is, a periodic cash payment delivered to all on an individual basis, without means test or work requirement; to serve as a link between the individuals and groups committed to, or interested in, Basic Income; to stimulate and disseminate research about Basic Income; and to foster informed public discussion on Basic Income throughout the world.’ All of the Trust’s publications published during 2024 are freely available on the website, and an initial release of information about Basic Income via UBIdata has been accomplished.
Sarath Davala (Chair)
Lindsay Stirton (Treasurer).
Date: 2025-08-31
BASIC INCOME EARTH NETWORK (BIEN)
Charity number 1177066
Receipts and payments
for the period 1[st] January 2024 to 31[th] December 2024
| 1/1 to 31/12 | 1/1 to 31/12 | 1/1 to 31/12 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2024 | 2024 | |
| CAF Bank | PayPal | Total | |
| Brought forward, balance 31/12/23 | 144,946.55 | 1,423.22 | 146,369.77 |
| Income | |||
| Membership fees and donations | 1,078.81 | 2,252.00 | 3,630.81 |
| Donated royalties | 728.13 | 0 | 783.13 |
| Gift Aid | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mustardseed Trust grant for hubs project | 30,529.30 | 0 | 30,529.30 |
| The Institute grant for knowledge repository | 16,000.00 | 0 | 16,000.00 |
| Interest | 2,219.83 | 0 | 2219.83 |
| Total income | 50, 556.07 | 2,252.00 | 53,163.07 |
| Expenditure | |||
| Website and email inboxes | 1761.58 | 0 | 1761.58 |
| Mailchimp (monthly update) | 2,725.42 | 0 | 2,725.42 |
| Zoom account | 155.88 | 0 | 155.88 |
| Matrix communications and infotech | 0 | 249.89 | 249.89 |
| Donorbox and other platform fees | 38.36 | 0 | 38.36 |
| PayPal fees/bank charges | 464 | 68.45 | 532.45 |
| Trustee expenses | 953.13 | 0 | 953.13 |
| Insurance premium | 526.44 | 0 | 526.44 |
| Events | 5590.86 | 0 | 5590.86 |
| Staff costs | 22,319.76 | 0 | 22,319.76 |
| Independent contractors | 31,557.20 | 0 | 31,557.20 |
| Knowledge repository | 55,051.99 | 0 | 55,051.99 |
| Accounts inspection | 250.00 | 0 | 250 |
| Total expenditure | 121,394.62 | 318.34 | 121,712.96 |
| Transfers | |||
| Transfer UK Bank to UK Paypal | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total transfers | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Balance at 31th December 2024 | 74,108.00 | 3,356.88 | 77,819.88 |
Funds
| General Fund | 14,336.55 |
|---|---|
| BIEN hubs project | 54,607.87 |
| Knowledge repository | -124.54 |
| Permanent Fund | 9,000 |
| Total | 77819.88 |
Bank accounts
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| Cafcash Caf Gold Total |
7,929.01 66,178.99 |
|---|---|
| 74,108.00 |
Notes
1. Hubs project: movements 1/1/24 to 31/12/24
| Hubs project balance at 31/12/23 Grants received Mustardseed Total grants received Expenditure Hubs project coordinator salary and costs Hub managers contract fees Events Total costs Hubs project balance at 31/12/24 |
30, 529.30 30, 529.30 22,319.76 31,557.20 5,590.86 |
83,546.39 0 59,467.82 54,607.87 |
|---|---|---|
This table should be read in conjunction with the hubs project projection in the appendix.
2. Knowledge repository project: movements 1/1/24 to 31/12/24
| Knowledge repository project balance at 31/12/23 Grants received The Institute Total grants received Expenditure University of Bath for research Autonomy for knowledge repository services Common Knowledge for knowledge repository services Total costs Knowledge repository project balance at 31/12/24 |
16000.00 19000.00 19920.00 16131.99 |
38927.45 16000.00 55.051.99 -124.54 |
|---|---|---|
Lindsay Stirton, Treasurer
31 July 2025
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Appendix to accounts for 1/1/24 to 31/12/24
Financial projection for the hubs project to June 2025
Please note that the financial year for the hubs project grants runs from July to June, and not from January to December.
| ecember. | |
|---|---|
| EXPENDITURE | £ |
| Year 1, July 2022 to June 2023 | |
| Regional hubs co-ordinator for three years: year 1, salary £19,200 p.a. + £1,970 employer NICs andpension |
21,170 |
| Africa hub manager for three years: year 1, contract fee £12,000 | 12,000 |
| Operating budget for hubmanager and expensesforco-ordinator | 3,000 |
| Total for year 1, July 2022 to June 2023 | 36,170 |
| Year 2, July 2023 to June 2024 | |
| Co-ordinatoryear 2, salary, employerNICsand pension | 23,287 |
| Africa hubmanager for three years: year 2, contract fee | 12,840 |
| Latin America hub manager for twoyears:year 1,contract fee | 12,000 |
| Asia hubmanager for two years: year 1, contract fee | 12,000 |
| Operating budgetsfor threehubmanagersand expensesforco-ordinator | 7,000 |
| Total foryear 2, July 2023 to June 2024 | 67,127 |
| Year3, July 2024 to June 2025 | |
| Co-ordinatoryear3, salary, employerNICsand pension | 24,451 |
| Africa hub manager for three years: year 3, contract fee | 13,482 |
| Latin America hub manager for two years: year 2, contract fee | 12,600 |
| Asia hub manager for two years: year 2, contract fee | 12,600 |
| Operating budgets for three hub managers and expenses for co-ordinator | 8,000 |
| Total for year 3, July 2024 to June 2025 | 71,133 |
| Total for project | 174,430 |
| INCOME | |
| Lankelly Chase grant received | 50,000 |
| Mustardseed grant received and expected | 121,054 |
| Total income | 171,054 |
| Deficit to be met from general or permanent funds | 3,376 |
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