[Board] next board meeting & project sponsorship

[Tim Schaub]

Sounds like there might not be a quorum for today's meeting.  I'll wait 
to see if anybody else shows up.

Regarding the Bronze OSGeo Sponsorship level, I understand your reasoning.

I'm interested in making it easier for individuals or small 
organizations to donate to the foundation's projects.  I know that 
project sponsorship is conflated with foundation sponsorship.  Would the 
same objections apply if projects were to have their own sponsorship levels?

Thanks,
Tim

On 6/2/11 8:33 AM, Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> On Tue, May 24, 2011 at 8:32 PM, Tim Schaub<tschaub at opengeo.org>  wrote:
>> To that agenda, I added an item on project sponsorship&  donations.  The one
>> proposal there is about adding a "Bronze" level at $1000 USD.
>
> Tim,
>
> I'm sorry I won't make it to the meeting today.  I'm not sure what the
> background is on adding a $1000 sponsorship level, but I am not too
> keen on it for a few reasons.
>
> 1) There is a non-trivial amount of effort involved in maintaining a
> sponsorship relationship.  At $1000 the return for effort is not so
> great.
>
> 2) It gives organizations that was to get some value out of an
> association with OSGeo an awfully cheap way of doing so.
> There aren't that many organizations for which $3000 a year is
> too much if they are at all serious about it.  If we get four new
> bronze sponsors but two silvers drop down to bronze given
> the new "cheap" option we won't have any more money.
>
> 3) Is does dilute the value of the higher level sponsors to some
> degree.
>
> All that said, I'd be roughly a -0 on the issue but then I haven't
> heard the justification.
>
> I will note there is no problem with an organization giving $1000
> to OSGeo if it wants, and the conference does usually have an
> inexpensive level of sponsorship.  Also, organizations without
> much money to contribute can assist in other ways.
>
> Best regards,


-- 
Tim Schaub
OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org
Expert service straight from the developers.