I saw this one when it popped up. The thing which really got my attention was “For that role, we would probably forgo fundraising experience in favour of strong online communications skills”.

The challenge, from what I can see wearing your hat, is the same as any initiative which HP OER might fund = How to get these kinds of people to collaborate, and share the learning, in real time. There are plenty of good communicators spread around the HP funded traps.

We’re starting to see some movement in the telephony space now.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/82141_call_for_telecom_industry_ecomm/
A lot of what your advisory board are suggesting might become possible as Web designers and SIP engineers start to focus on global groups rather than National institutions (or even Global ones like Wikipedia).

So if HP would consider sponsoring some forums to complement this blog it might help to encourage the kind of “strong online communication” that Wikipedia’s global groups and many others want. Something like a social site for fundees, and potential ones. E.g. sitepoint.com without the ads. (It would save you having to report things second hand).

Perhaps we could add something like OER radio. (a la http://wikipediaweekly.org/)

I’d also be interested to know how one goes about putting together a joint funded initiative between HP and this foundation.
http://www.robertsonfoundation.com/?page_id=4