[Board] Sponsorship funding and value for money

[Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)]

On 17-Dec-07, at 7:28 PM, Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> I don't think any of the above three items should be allowed to  
> inhibit
> pursuing sponsorships.

Sure, but I thought you'd appreciate seeing some of the other ideas  
and hopes I have rolling around in my head.  I see them as challenges  
that, when beat, will help us do the job even better.

> Tax free status may matter to individual contributors and to some  
> grant
> giving agencies but is generally not significant to sponsoring  
> companies
> who can just write off sponsorships as a business expense.

Still, I don't think we can minimise the importance of this task, as  
I believe having the tax free status means OUR organisation does not  
have to pay taxes.  As well, from the quick review I've done of US  
based grants, you aren't going to get far in the grant world without it.

> I think that we need to establish our basic message for  
> sponsorship, and
> then start knocking on doors.  We should start out with friendly  
> candidates
> and even if we don't get sponsorship, we should be asking for  
> feedback on
> what could make sponsorship valuable, what resonates and what does  
> not.

Just in case anyone hasn't seen this and needs some material for  
approaching sponsors:
http://www.osgeo.org/sponsorship
Or as a 2 page printable:
http://www.osgeo.org/files/Help_Sponsor_OSGeo.pdf

Tyler