Agreement 3 — Stewardship

Incorporates the General Terms and Conditions in full. Standard provisions are set out therein and apply without repetition.

Every asset needs a keeper — and every place, a face; sometimes one, sometimes many. The Stewards are the network’s living presence at the thing entrusted — not its owners, not its tenants, but its custodians: those who keep it sound and put it to good use, and, where it is a place, open the door, tend the rhythms, and hold the conditions in which a regenerative space stays alive between gatherings. An asset may be held by one keeper or by many; where many, they hold it together, each according to what they tend. They are the bridge between ownership and community, between the asset and the people it serves. A Steward has chosen to put themselves between a thing and its possibilities — whether that thing is a parcel of land, a workshop, a vehicle, a tool, or a whole place. This Agreement is the network’s answer to that choice. It offers the standing of being entrusted, the freedom of working within a framework rather than against one, and the recognition that comes from being the one others can call.

This Agreement is made and entered into on [Date] by and between:

ReGenerativa APS — ETS, a recognised Association for Social Promotion and Third Sector Entity (Associazione di Promozione Sociale — Ente del Terzo Settore) under Italian law, registered pursuant to Legislative Decree 3 July 2017, No. 117 (Third Sector Code) and inscribed in the Registro Unico Nazionale del Terzo Settore (RUNTS), with registered office at [Address], Castorano (AP), Italy, tax code 92074380442, represented by [Name and Title of Authorised Representative] (hereinafter, the “Association”);

and

[Steward’s Full Name], born on [date] in [city], residing at [address], tax code/ID no. [ID number], an individual who wishes to serve as steward in collaboration with the Association (hereinafter, the “Steward”).

The Association and the Steward are hereinafter jointly referred to as the “Parties” and individually as a “Party.”

1. Nature and Purpose of the Role

1.1 The Association operates a network of regenerative hubs and stewards a range of shared Assets (GT-1.4) — places, land, buildings, equipment, tools, and vehicles — through which it carries out institutional, educational, ecological, cultural, social, and community-building activities.

1.2 By this Agreement, the Association entrusts the Steward (or, where the Asset is co-stewarded, the Stewards jointly) with the operational stewardship of [name / description of the asset, place, or project] (the “Asset”) for the period and under the conditions set out herein. Where the Asset is a place at which activities are carried out, it is a Hub (GT-1.4), and the references to “Hub” in this Agreement apply; where the Asset is not a place — a tool, a vehicle, equipment, or land used without gathering — references to “Hub” are read as “the Asset”, and the place-specific duties (door, rhythms, gatherings, Hub DNA) apply only so far as they are relevant.

1.2A Interpretation. Throughout this Agreement, “the Asset” is the general term for the thing entrusted; “the Hub” is used where a provision concerns a place specifically. Each Asset is entrusted purpose-bound, for the specific use and within the specific limitations of its Asset DNA (GT-1.5) — expressed, for a simple asset, in the Permitted Use annex (Agreement 1 Annex 2), and for a Hub in the fuller Hub DNA (Agreement 1 Annex 5). The Steward’s care is held against that DNA.

1.3 The Steward’s role — held individually or collectively by co-stewards (Clause 3.3) — is that of a delegated custodian, coordinator, and guardian of the Hub’s functioning, acting on behalf of the Association and within the Association’s legal and organisational framework.

1.4 The Steward’s principal mandate is to keep the Asset sound and put it to good regenerative use — to optimise resource inputs and maximise regenerative outputs in relation to the Asset, its activities, its people, and its wider ecosystem, within the purpose and limitations of its Asset DNA (Clause 1.2A) - honouring the carrying capacity and rhythms of the Asset and its people, including rest, fallow, and ecological limits, as part of regenerative use; sufficiency over maximisation.

1.5 This Agreement does not grant the Steward autonomous possession of the underlying asset, nor constitute a subletting or transfer of the Association’s upstream right of use. The general exclusions of GT-11.5 (no ownership, tenancy, governance, or profit rights) and GT-12.4 (no employment relationship) apply.

1.6 The Steward accepts the role in order to help the Association ensure that the Asset remains sound, well-used, safe, and (where it is a place) welcoming, and that it functions as a regenerative node capable of creating more value with fewer extractive inputs.

1.7 Membership prerequisite. The Steward must hold a current Membership Agreement in good standing per Agreement 2, Clause 1.4 (see GT-11.4).

1.8 Origin in membership. This Agreement formalises, for this Asset, the standing mandate every Member already holds under Agreement 2, Clause 2.7 (GT-11.4); it does not create it.

2. Relationship to the Ownership Agreement

2.1 The Steward expressly acknowledges that the Association’s use of the Hub is derived from the applicable Ownership Agreement or other lawful upstream title held by the Association.

2.2 The Steward’s presence and role exist solely within the Association’s framework and remain subordinate to the Association’s rights and obligations under that upstream agreement.

2.3 The Steward acquires no independent right against the Owner or against the underlying asset by virtue of this Agreement. In the event of conflict, the Ownership Agreement shall prevail.

3. Stewardship Mandate

3.1 The Steward is entrusted with a practical and strategic mandate to support the Hub as a regenerative node. This includes: improving the effective use of the Hub’s spaces, tools, infrastructure, and human capacities; reducing unnecessary operational burdens, waste, friction, and fragmentation; supporting viable forms of cost coverage and resource inflow; increasing the Hub’s ability to host meaningful activities; and strengthening the condition of the place, people, and network over time.

3.2 Specific duties may include: day-to-day coordination of the space; welcoming and orienting members, participants, facilitators, and guests; upholding the Hub DNA and practical rules; organising the calendar of stays, events, and use periods; making visible what tasks, needs, or opportunities exist; ensuring the Hub is left in good order; facilitating communication between the Association and local users; and identifying opportunities for greater regenerative impact.

3.3 Co-stewardship and shares. An Asset may be stewarded by one Steward or by several co-stewards together. Where several, they hold a single collective delega di spesa over the Asset’s discretionary envelope, divided in proportion to each Steward’s recorded active contribution to the Asset (GT-3A, and Agreement 2 Clause 2.7) under the holon’s declared value system (GT-4.3A), recomputed on the cadence set in the Allocation Model. Co-stewards exercise this authority jointly and account for it jointly. The Association may revise the stewardship structure as needed — but not silently: a revision affecting a serving Steward’s mandate or share is preceded by a conversation with the affected Stewards and written notice of at least thirty (30) days stating the reasons; a revision that would end a Steward’s mandate is a termination and proceeds under Clause 16.

4. Hub DNA, Regenerative Impact, and Mission Alignment

4.1 The Steward shall safeguard the specific DNA of the Hub, meaning the values, participation norms, rhythms, care standards, behavioural boundaries, and use conditions communicated by the Association, as set out in the Agreement 1 Annex 5 — Hub DNA for this Hub. The Hub DNA is informed by the Association’s Regenerative Impact Framework (GT-1.6), which classifies regenerative impact across six integral dimensions.

4.2 The Steward shall help ensure that all persons present at the Hub are informed of and expected to respect the applicable DNA and use conditions.

4.3 The Steward shall support forms of use that deepen mission alignment and enhance regenerative quality, while discouraging uses that are wasteful, extractive, passive, or manifestly incompatible with the Association’s mission, the Hub DNA, the applicable Owner conditions, safety requirements, or applicable law.

4.4 Steward’s Access Veto. The Steward may decline or revoke a member’s or participant’s access to the Asset by notice stating the reasons. The veto is asset-scoped: it does not affect the person’s membership, Network Passport record, or standing elsewhere in the network. It is subordinate to the Owner’s rights under Agreement 1: the Steward may not admit a person the Owner has excluded (Agreement 1, Clause 2.7), nor deny access to a person the Owner has designated for access (Agreement 1, Clause 2.8), subject to the safety, capacity, and DNA limits stated there. The affected person may refer the veto to review under GT-7, including the interim panel of GT-7.2; the veto stands pending review, and the review may confirm it or restore access. Clause 11.2 applies to the exercise of this power.

5. Operating Costs and Coverage

5.1 The Hub is made available within the Association’s network not as a rental arrangement but as a mission-based place whose ordinary operating costs must nevertheless be covered.

5.2 The Steward’s role includes helping the Association ensure that the operating period is viable, responsibly managed, and regenerative in its use of resources, through one or more of the following: contribution-based stays, hosted workshops and events, sponsorship or benefactor support, member contributions, donations, cost-sharing among participants, logistical efficiencies, and regenerative improvements that reduce future costs.

5.3 Unless expressly stated in an Annex, the Steward does not personally guarantee all Hub costs. The obligation is one of active stewardship, planning, communication, optimisation, and responsible contribution toward viability, not an automatic personal debt obligation.

5.4 If the Parties wish to assign a specific cost-coverage target, such target shall be clearly stated in writing together with the relevant period, estimated operating costs, what counts as valid coverage, the reporting method, and what happens if the target is not reached.

5A. The Asset’s Living Balance

5A.1 The Asset runs a living balance per GT-4.4A, on the parameters of the Allocation Model (GT-4.6). The Stewards’ first duty each cycle is to cover the Asset’s real operating need before directing any discretionary surplus; persistent shortfall beyond the band engages the graduated intervention of GT-4.8. The measured balance initiates review — it never of itself removes a Steward: any change of Stewards proceeds under Clause 16, after the relational conversation of GT-4.8(b).

5B. The Asset’s Regenerative Balance

5B.1 The Asset likewise runs a regenerative balance per GT-2.7, assessed each season through the Regenerative Impact Framework (GT-1.6) against Annex 2 §D and recorded in the Hub DNA living-progress table — support first for honest struggle (GT-2.4), graduated response only for wilful or persistent uncured harm (GT-2.7(b)), any change of Stewards under Clause 16, with the Voice for the Land and the Unborn (A8-1 §1.6) speaking in the review.

6. Events, Retreats, and Hosted Programmes

6.1 The Steward may propose or support the organisation of workshops, retreats, educational programmes, gatherings, and other hosted activities at the Hub, provided they are consistent with the Association’s mission, the Hub DNA, the Association’s approval procedures, and the applicable Ownership Agreement.

6.2 The Steward shall not independently appropriate event income as personal revenue merely because they are stewarding the Hub. All financial flows linked to events shall be accounted for through the Association or through a written structure expressly approved by the Association. Where a hosted event generates surplus, the Asset Regeneration Contribution applies to that surplus (GT-4.9; rate per LGR-9), routed to the Asset holon so that surplus made at the Asset regenerates it.

7. Financial Handling and Limits of Authority

7.1 The Steward may be authorised to collect participation contributions, manage event registrations, pay minor pre-approved expenses, keep local petty cash, and maintain budget records.

7.2 In all such cases, the Steward shall keep basic and transparent records, use funds only for authorised purposes, and account to the Association upon request.

7.3 The Steward may not, unless specifically authorised in writing: sign contracts on behalf of the Association, incur debt in its name, take loans, give guarantees, open bank accounts, transfer rights over the Hub, or bind the Association to extraordinary commitments.

8. Distinction Between Stewardship, Volunteering, and Paid Services

8.1 Unless otherwise specified, stewardship under this Agreement is presumed to be either voluntary, or paired only with reimbursement of approved expenses, or accompanied by separately contracted paid services.

8.2 If the Steward also provides paid services (facilitation, teaching, consultancy, technical work, etc.), those paid activities must be governed by a separate written agreement (such as the Mentorship Agreement or a professional services contract) and documented through the proper fiscal channel.

8.3 No compensation shall be due merely because the Steward has stewarded the Hub, unless it is expressly stated in this Agreement, an annex, or a separate agreement.

8.4 Where the Steward receives compensation under a separate agreement, the Association applies withholding, social-security contributions, and related fiscal obligations as sostituto d’imposta in accordance with GT-12.

8A. Independent Activities and Non-Competition

8A.1 Independent activities are governed by GT-11.6. In addition, the Steward shall not organise paid activities at the Hub outside the Association’s framework without the Association’s prior written agreement.

9. Reimbursements

9.1 The Association may reimburse the Steward only for expenses actually incurred, connected with the stewardship role, pre-approved or otherwise accepted, and documented appropriately. Reimbursement is analytical only — item by item, against receipts; self-certified expenses are admissible solely within the bounds of Art. 17(4) CTS (a prior Board deliberation, and within the statutory per-day and per-month caps), and flat-rate reimbursements are never made: a forfait payment to a volunteer would constitute remuneration (Art. 17(3) CTS).

9.2 Reimbursable expenses may include travel, fuel, tolls, local purchases, food for common activities, materials, emergency operational expenses, and communication or logistical expenses.

9.3 Source of reimbursement. Reimbursements are paid from the Asset holon’s cost-coverage bucket under GT-4.4(b), of which the Association is the fiscal host. As part of cost-coverage, valid reimbursements are met before the discretionary envelope is filled and are therefore unaffected by the discretionary narrowing of GT-4.4A(b) (Clause 5A.1). Where local cost-coverage cannot meet a valid reimbursement, the Steward may seek top-up via Board allocation from the Association holon’s discretionary bucket (GT-4.4(c)), or in cases of hardship, request Elder Council allocation (GT-4.4(c), Elder Council row). In every case, a valid, pre-approved, documented reimbursement is an obligation of the Association payable within sixty (60) days of submission, regardless of the holon’s liquidity; the Association recovers the amount from the holon’s future cost-coverage.

10. Care of the Hub and Resources

10.1 The Steward shall care for the Hub and its resources with due diligence, per the Asset Care Protocol (A1-6) and its applicable child protocols, and shall promptly report damage, structural concerns, conflicts, safety issues, breaches of use conditions, and any material issue affecting the viability of the Hub.

11. Community Conduct

11.1 The Steward shall interact respectfully with members, participants, mentors, volunteers, owners, guests, and third parties.

11.2 The Steward shall not engage in harassment, discrimination, abuse of power, severe financial opacity, manipulative or coercive behaviour, or conduct likely to place the Hub or Association at serious relational, legal, or reputational risk.

11.3 The Steward shall make reasonable efforts to clarify expectations, support co-responsibility, reduce avoidable tensions, address problems early, and escalate serious issues to the Association.

12. No Ownership, Tenancy, or Governance Rights

12.1 The general exclusions of GT-11.5 apply: the Steward acquires no property, governance, or profit right over the Hub, the underlying asset, or the Association by virtue of this Agreement. Any accommodation at the Hub is functional to the stewardship role and remains revocable and conditional.

13. Confidentiality

13.1 The Steward shall keep confidential any sensitive information obtained through the stewardship role, including personal information about members or participants, internal plans, and non-public financial or operational information.

13.2 This confidentiality obligation continues after termination of this Agreement.

14. Reporting and Review

14.1 The Steward shall provide the Association with reasonable updates on occupancy and use, events and plans, cost coverage status, operational issues, maintenance needs, and significant developments.

14.2 The Parties may agree to periodic review meetings at a cadence proportionate to the Asset’s intensity of use, and no less often than annually, to assess stewardship effectiveness and whether any change in role or structure is needed. The Parties may align review periods with the Association’s seasonal calendar, including but not limited to the equinox and solstice gatherings that serve as natural coordination points for the network.

14.3 Association responsiveness. Where this Agreement requires the Association’s approval or written authorisation (including Clauses 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.3, and 8A.1), the Association shall respond to a documented request within twenty-one (21) days — approving, declining with reasons, or stating when a decision will be made. Silence is not approval; a request left without response beyond that period may be escalated by the Steward under GT-7, including the interim panel of GT-7.2.

15. Duration

15.1 This Agreement begins on [start date] and continues until [end date], or for an indefinite term subject to periodic review, or for the specific stewardship cycle described in an Annex.

15.2 The Parties may define a trial period, a seasonal stewardship period, a rotating steward structure, or a project-based stewardship period.

16. Termination

16.1 Termination by Notice. Either Party may terminate this Agreement without cause by giving written notice. The minimum notice period is 30 days, extended to 90 days where the Steward has held this Agreement continuously for twelve (12) months or more.

Notice runs from the date of written receipt. The Parties may agree a shorter period by mutual written consent.

16.2 Immediate Termination for Cause. Either Party may terminate immediately for serious cause per GT-6A. For this role, serious cause additionally includes: misuse of the Hub, serious breach of DNA or Owner conditions, unauthorised private appropriation of revenues, refusal to hand over records or keys, or persistent disregard of the Association’s lawful instructions; and, on the Steward’s side, the Association exposing the Steward to serious unaddressed risks. Except where the cause is danger to persons or the Asset, safety, or misappropriation, termination for cause is preceded by written notice of the breach and seven (7) days for the other Party to respond. Where the Association invokes danger, safety, or misappropriation to terminate without that window, the termination notice shall state the documented grounds. The Steward may refer the invocation to review under GT-7.2 after the fact; where the invoked ground is not substantiated, the termination takes effect as termination by notice under Clause 16.1, and the Steward’s entitlements under Clauses 16.1 and 16.3 — including the housing window — are owed in full.

16.3 Upon termination, the Steward shall cease presenting themselves as steward, hand over keys, records, and relevant information, cooperate in transition, and leave the Hub in the agreed condition. If events have been scheduled within the notice period, the Steward shall either complete their stewardship obligations for those events or assist in finding a suitable replacement.

Where the Steward resides at the Hub, the obligation to vacate the accommodation follows the full notice period of Clause 16.1 even on termination for cause — except where the cause is danger to persons, safety, or misappropriation — and the Association shall make reasonable efforts to assist the Steward in finding interim accommodation within the network.

17. Liability

17.1 The Steward shall be liable for losses resulting from their own wilful misconduct or gross negligence.

17.2 The Association shall indemnify and hold the Steward harmless from third-party claims arising from carrying out Association activities, provided the Steward was acting within their authorised role and not engaging in misconduct. This indemnification is in line with the Association’s insurance coverage.

17.3 Nothing in this Agreement limits liability for intentional wrongdoing.

18. Signatures

For ReGenerativa APS — ETS:

Name: [Name and Title of Authorised Representative]

Signature: _________________________

Date: _________________________

Steward:

Name: [Steward’s Full Name]