Gitcoin

[NOTE: The council’s responsibilities have been updated according to comments made on this proposal. Please view the link posted in the ‘discussion’ for the final update]

The Governance Council completed its first term and has published a retrospective assessment 4 of their performance against the original mandate 4 established in March 2025.

The council was initially created to bring “structure, accountability, and decentralization” to governance through facilitating governance processes, supporting decentralization efforts, stewarding the DAO Constitution, and enhancing transparency.

Term 1 Assessment The retrospective documents both successes and challenges during the 3.5-month term:

Challenges Identified:

Token delegation delays prevented full participation until May

Communication gaps between council and core team

No designated council coordinator for deliverable tracking

External organizational transitions (Allo Capital spinout, Grants Labs shutdown) created additional complexity

Zero progress on constitutional development due to unclear guidance and scope

Achievements Noted:

GG23 coordination achieved 100% participation through Grant Ships

Successful vote participation once delegations were completed

Cross-ecosystem governance insights provided to the community

Voting power distribution helped reduce quorum dependency on large token holders

Proposed Term 2 Framework Based on Term 1 lessons learned, the retrospective outlines a refined approach for Term 2 (August - December 2025):

Enhanced Operational Structure:

Self designate a council coordinator for deliverable tracking and core team coordination

Improved communication framework to prevent reactive decision-making

Updated Deliverables:

Process Facilitation: Enhanced forum participation, ensuring proposals and posts on the forum receive adequate discussion and feedback

Transparency Enhancement: Quarterly governance updates published on schedule (October 15, January 15)

Community Engagement: Documented council input on high-impact proposals and partnerships.

Success Metrics:

100% of votes meet quorum

All quarterly updates published on schedule

Improved forum engagement and moderation coverage

The constitutional development mandate has been removed from Term 2 scope to better align deliverables with available resources and community priorities.

The Vote Based on the retrospective findings and community feedback, we will be taking this to a vote with two options:

Continue: Proceed with Term 2 using all five current members (Wasabi, Ivan Molto, SEEDGov, PGov, Tane) and the enhanced operational framework

Discontinue: End the council program and revert to the current steward-led governance model

All five current members have committed to serving Term 2 if approved. The decision maintains the existing team composition rather than opening new nominations, allowing the group to apply lessons learned from Term 1 immediately.

If discontinued, governance will return to ad hoc coordination by active stewards, with lessons learned from the council experiment documented for future reference.

Community Input The retrospective provides analysis of what worked, what didn’t, and proposed solutions for moving forward. The original charter outlines the initial vision and expectations that guided Term 1.

We encourage the community to review both documents and provide feedback on whether the proposed Term 2 framework adequately addresses the structural issues identified in Term 1, and whether a structured council approach can deliver meaningful improvements to Gitcoin’s governance effectiveness.

Thanks for your consideration!