[Board] next board meeting & project sponsorship

[Tim Schaub]

On 6/2/11 11:31 AM, Eli Adam wrote:
>> 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?
>

At the board meeting, I was hoping to just clarify what is in place and 
what projects can do to accept donations.  I was hoping the result could 
be used to finalize this doc:

http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Microdonations

There has been discussion previously about the accounting hassle created 
by projects accepting small donations (along the lines of "OSGeo is not 
a bank").  I wanted to hear again what the specific issues were.

>> 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.

GDAL/OGR, MapGuide, and (previously) OpenLayers all recognize the OSGeo 
sponsorship levels that are described here: 
http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Project_Sponsorship.  (These are different 
than the sponsorship levels described here: 
http://www.osgeo.org/sponsorship.)

I recently made a motion to the OpenLayers PSC that we add a Bronze 
level at $1000 USD.  A concern was raised that we should confirm this 
was acceptable to OSGeo since it wouldn't match the OSGeo levels.

Seeing that other projects recognize sponsors at different levels, I'm 
assuming that this is a non-issue.

Tim

>>
>> 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.