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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 17/10/2015 2:21 am, Sanghee Shin
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:719F4D79-C188-47AA-A618-CB03C64A7DFF@gaia3d.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">I think managing the relationship with sponsors is the typical marketing committee job. Can I know the status of marketing committee? It seems dormant. </pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
Hi Sanghee,<br>
Correct, the marketing committee is not active.<br>
Previous marketing focus moved toward developing training material,
which has focused on OSGeo-Live material. As a result, discussions
about marketing has pretty much moved to OSGeo-Live.<br>
Admittedly, this is only one part of potential marketing activities.
However, track record shows that volunteers tend not to like getting
involved in chasing money from sponsors, or managing requests for
money. (Lots of interest in people asking for money for particular
things, very little interest in deciding priority for which requests
get funded and which don't, and very little interest in processing
requests for funds.)<br>
<br>
The current OSGeo board might want to revisit prior Board Priorities
and consider whether they still align with thoughts of the current
board.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors#Board_Priorities">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors#Board_Priorities</a><br>
In particular:<br>
<br>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<h3 style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px
0.3em; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em;
border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 16.7639999389648px;
font-family: sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;
letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.0499992370605px; orphans:
auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;
white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255,
255);"><span class="mw-headline"
id="OSGeo_as_a_low_capital.2C_volunteer_focused_organisation">OSGeo
as a low capital, volunteer focused organisation</span></h3>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.0499992370605px;
color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: sans-serif; font-size:
12.6999998092651px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto;
text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;
white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255);">Should OSGeo act as a high capital or low capital
organisation? I.e., should OSGeo dedicate energy to collecting
sponsorship and then passing out these funds to worthy OSGeo
causes.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.0499992370605px;
color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: sans-serif; font-size:
12.6999998092651px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto;
text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;
white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255);">While initially it seems attractive to have OSGeo woo
sponsors, because we would all love to have more money to throw at
worthy OSGeo goals, the reality is that chasing money is hard
work. And someone who can chase OSGeo sponsorship is likely
conflicted with chasing sponsorship for their particular
workplace. So in practice, to be effective in chasing sponsorship,
OSGeo will probably need to hire someone specifically for the
role. OSGeo would then need to raise at least enough to cover
wages, and then quite a bit more if the sponsorship path is to
create extra value.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.0499992370605px;
color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: sans-serif; font-size:
12.6999998092651px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto;
text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;
white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255);">This high capital path is how the Apache foundation is set
up, and how LocationTech propose to organise themselves. It is the
path that OSGeo started following when founded under the umbrella
of Autodesk.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.0499992370605px;
color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: sans-serif; font-size:
12.6999998092651px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto;
text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;
white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255);">However, as OSGeo has grown, OSGeo has slowly evolved
toward a low capital volunteer focused organisation. Our overheads
are very low, which means we waste very little of our volunteer
labour and capital on the time consuming task of chasing and
managing money. Consequently, any money we do receive (from
conference windfalls or sponsorship) goes a long way - as it
doesn't get eaten up by high overheads. This low capital path is
something that is working very well for us, and the path we should
continue to follow.</p>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Cameron Shorter,
Software and Data Solutions Manager
LISAsoft
Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009
P +61 2 9009 5000, W <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.lisasoft.com">www.lisasoft.com</a>, F +61 2 9009 5099</pre>
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