Definition of a Voluntary Institution

A voluntary institution is a chartered, mission-specific organisation that:

1. publishes a charter stating its mission, authority, and limits;
2. offers resources on disclosed terms;
3. accepts only participants who opt in;
4. publishes its outcomes, including failures;
5. submits to independent audit;
6. can have its leadership removed; and
7. expires unless renewed on evidence.

An organisation missing any of these is not a voluntary institution under this specification, whatever it calls itself.

Resources an institution may provide

Capital, research, facilities, equipment, data, engineering support, legal support, regulatory navigation, procurement access, distribution, and long-horizon patience that private capital usually cannot offer.

ISILP. Definition of a Voluntary Institution. The Intelligentism Specification, version 0.1.0-alpha (revised 2026-08-01). https://intelligentism.isilp.org/spec/institutions/definition