Arches Project Governance and Financial Support

Arches Project Governance

The Arches Project Governance Framework was established in February 2025 to ensure the long-term sustainability and to establish a formal system for stakeholder input on priorities and direction of Arches, making it more reflective of and responsive to community needs. The framework was established by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), the primary sponsor of Arches since 2012, with advice from the Arches Planning Advisory Group and open-source governance advisors. The framework is comprised of the following components, which are more fully detailed in the Arches Project Governance Charter:

Mission: The Arches Project supports the long-term sustainability of the open-source Arches software platform—its use and effective data management—to serve cultural heritage around the world and for other purposes that benefit the Arches Platform and its community.

Goals and priorities set by Arches Project governance committees should support this Mission, which aligns with the philanthropy-based mission and values of the GCI.

Governance Membership: For an organization to be eligible to participate in Arches Project governance, it must first become an Arches Project Governance Member. An organization may become a Member by making a significant contribution of any type to the Arches Project and through a formal process of attesting to: 1) its support for the Arches Project Mission; 2) abiding by the Arches community Code of Conduct; and 3) abiding by the terms of the Arches open-source software license. By becoming a Governance Member, an organization publicly demonstrates its support for the Arches Project.

Governance Bodies: The Governance Framework is comprised of three bodies that collectively provide recommendations to the GCI for determining the priorities and direction of the Arches Project:

1. Project Steering Committee works to provide recommendations on the strategic and operational requirements and priorities of the Arches Project;
2. Technical Advisory Committee advises the Project Steering Committee on the Arches Platform software roadmap and related technical work; and
3. Community Advisory Committee advises the Project Steering Committee and Technical Advisory Committee by serving as a source of community-based insights, particularly from entities implementing Arches, for Arches Platform software development as well as other community infrastructure and operational needs.

The Project Steering Committee is the primary body of the Arches Governance Framework that makes recommendations to the GCI. The Technical Advisory Committee and Community Advisory Committee are subordinate to the Project Steering Committee, both serving advisory roles. These three committees are comprised of representatives of Arches Governance Members.

Arches Project Governance Members: The GCI is now confirming initial Arches Governance Member institutions, which will soon be listed here.

Arches Project Governance Committee Representatives: The GCI is now confirming representatives of Arches Project Governance Members to serve on the three Arches Project Governance Committees, who will soon be listed here.

Arches Project Dedicated Fund

The GCI will soon be announcing additional details regarding the recent establishment of the Arches Dedicated Fund, the earnings of which will provide for long-term financial support for Arches. Initial funds have been committed to it, and it is managed by the J. Paul Getty Trust, a nonprofit philanthropic institution of which the GCI is an operating program. The Arches Project Steering Committee will provide recommendations to the GCI on prioritizing use of available resources from this fund. Operational expenses of the Arches Project team at the GCI will continue to be covered directly by the GCI.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does my organization become an Arches Governance Member?
At this time, Arches Governance Membership is limited to those organizations that have had a substantial history of community participation and contributions to the Arches Project, and that have been invited by the GCI to participate in governance. If you would like to learn more about the possibility of your institution becoming involved in Arches Project governance or becoming an Arches Governance Member, please contact the Arches Project team at contact@archesproject.org.

How do I participate in an Arches governance committee?
As indicated in the Arches Project Governance Charter, governance committee members must represent organizations that are Arches Governance Members. Questions may be directed to the Arches Project team at contact@archesproject.org.

How are contributions made to the Arches Project Dedicated Fund?
For questions about contributing to the Arches Project Dedicated Fund, please contact the Arches Project team at contact@archesproject.org.

The Arches Project team at the GCI will be updating this page and providing additional information about Arches Project governance to the community as it is more formalized in the coming months.

To stay up-to-date on project news, sign up for the Arches project announcement list or join the Arches Community Forum.

Last updated: February 2025