[Board] Funding for booth at Location Intelligence

[Frank Warmerdam]

Arnulf Christl wrote:
> Maybe I get this all wrong and FunCom's job was finished when the sponsor
> docs were drafted but I thought that it is FunCom's underscored priority
> #1 to actively access sponsors.

Arnulf,

This is definately FunCom's responsibility, though it seems I have more
ambition for the "develop a sponsorship program" stage than for the
"harass folks into becoming sponsors" part.

> From
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Executive_Director_Job_Description#Responsibilities
> 
> The Executive Director is to work "... with other members to pursue
> fundraising opportunities by writing proposals, meeting potential sponsors
> and developing relationships"
> 
> But that is bullet 6 out of 9.

It may be bullet 6 of 9, but ultimately fundraising is one fundamental
to making the foundation work in the form we have established.  Tyler as
ED is in some ways the resource we "throw into the gap" when something
critical isn't getting done by volunteers.  And of course, if the fundraising
isn't reasonably successful we won't be able to afford an ED to pursue the
other eight bullets.

> Google is Gold sponsor for FOSS4G (kudos, well done) so does not seem
> impossile. Is there a FunCom list of potential sponsors, contact persons
> and a timetable when to contact them?

We do now have a spreadsheet of contacts made, and with a few potential
contacts.  But we really need more folks interested in fundraising.  I've
approached a number of my own clients, and had reasonable success in getting
GDAL sponsorships but I'm already nearing the end of my personal contact
list.

Google is an example of an obvious and fairly probably large sponsor,
but one that I think takes some planning and coordinate before approaching
them.  Though I think I have some good credibility with Google (at least
on the Google Earth team), I am very uncertain what the best way to
approach them is.

> I have updated the Wiki page to point to the correct mailing lists:
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php?title=Fundraising&action=history

Thanks!  I made a pass trying to fix this up for as many committee as came
to mind in January but must have missed this one.  It really reflects the
fact that Fundraising isn't at the top of my priority list. :-(

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org