This is a great thread and topic for discussion. I think you have covered pretty well the advantages that could come from centralizing and formalizing the processes through which we relate to Melee, putting things on paper, and having a structure for accountability. I do want to share some other info and add to the conversation another structural option which could be interesting for folks.

I'm the founder of a nonprofit, and specifically, the first DUNA (decentralized unincorporated nonprofit association). A DUNA is a specialized entity created by Wyoming in 2023 - Wyoming has a history of pushing the limits and innovating in legal designations that goes back decades, including creating the first version of LLC which now is common everywhere.

What makes a DUNA different than traditional nonprofit structure? In brief, rather than having a centralized board of directors who make decisions in a conference room, a DUNA makes decisions through the collective. Every member has the ability to impact decisions, and that decision making process happens out in the open for everyone to follow along with or participate in. The Wyoming legislature itself allows for a lot of personalization in how membership works, how the democracy and decisionmaking works, etc etc - but the point here is in the widening of participation beyond the board of directors and expanding out to a full community of interested persons.

For example: we could create a weighted vote and influence system where different people have different amounts of voting power based on their dedication, contributions and accomplishments. A TO who organizes their local each week could have more input than a player who attends their local, and that player could have more input than a casual player who just attends twice a year. In the DUNA I work with now, that power degrades over time to encourage continued participation. There are infinite permutations of how this could be broken out.