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The Grants Metadata Standard

Overview of DAOIP-5: Grants Management Standard​

DAOIP-5 is a standard that defines data schemas and processes to streamline grants management for DAOs. It provides a structured way to organize, share, and manage information about grant systems, funding pools, and project applications. The goal is to improve transparency, interoperability, and efficiency across DAO-based grant programs.

How DAOIP-5 Works​

  1. Core Components:

    • Grant Systems: Represent the governance or administration body managing the grants, such as a DAO or foundation. They publish a grantPoolsURI to enable indexing and discovery of available funding pools.
    • Grant Pools: These are resources, such as smart contracts or off-chain funds, allocated to specific grant purposes. Each pool includes metadata like application status, governance information, and contact details.
    • Projects: Represent individuals or teams seeking funding. Projects provide structured information about their goals, milestones, and relevance to specific grant pools via a projectsURI.
    • Applications: Link projects to specific grant pools, detailing the funding requested, proposal status, and payout details.

  2. Schemas and Attestations:

    • DAOIP-5 uses JSON-LD schemas to structure data, ensuring it is machine-readable and interoperable.
    • It integrates with DAOIP-3 for attestations, allowing trusted verification of project credentials, such as ownership or past contributions.

  3. Interoperability:

    • By adhering to a shared schema, DAOIP-5 enables seamless collaboration between different DAOs and grant tools, supporting use cases like a "common application" for grants.

Benefits of DAOIP-5​

  • Transparency: Makes it easy to see which projects are funded, how grants are allocated, and what governance rules apply.
  • Efficiency: Reduces redundant work by standardizing application and reporting processes.
  • Interoperability: Facilitates coordination between grant programs, allowing DAOs to co-fund projects or share applicant data.
  • Trust: Builds credibility through verified project and member attestations.

Example Use Case​

Imagine a developer wants to apply for funding from three DAOs—Gitcoin, Optimism, and Ethereum Foundation. With DAOIP-5:

  • The developer publishes a projectURI containing all relevant details.
  • Each DAO retrieves this information from the shared URI, without needing separate applications.
  • The DAOs can collaborate on funding decisions, co-fund the project, or use attestations to verify the developer's credentials.

TL:DR​

DAOIP-5 simplifies grants management for DAOs, fostering better collaboration and transparency. By creating a common language for grants data, it helps DAOs and grant recipients achieve their goals more effectively.

How to Adopt?​

TBD