[Board] next board meeting & project sponsorship

[Eli Adam]

> 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.  

Is sponsorship through this page, http://www.osgeo.org/sponsorship/opportunities ,  not easy enough?

> I know that 
> project sponsorship is conflated with foundation sponsorship.  Would the 
> same objections apply if projects were to have their own sponsorship levels?

By clicking on the links to project sponsorship from that page, it seems many already have different level, a few start at 500 USD/EUR others start at $1.  

> 
> 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,
>