[Board] OSGeo vs 501c3 status - inpur required

[Daniel Morissette]

I agree with Jeff that we are spinning our wheels and should use a 
professional to manage our finances.

Based on my experience managing Mapgears (inc) and OSGEO-QUEBEC 
(non-profit) using an external accounting firm for the book keeping and 
financials, it should be in the range of 300-500$/month for the monthly 
book keeping tasks, and 1000-1500$ for the year end financial statements 
and tax filing. If you add a second corporation (taxable subsidiary) 
then you add a few hundred to both numbers. That's where my previous 
5-10k$ figure comes from.

Getting a preliminary finance snapshots to the board every 3 months 
would likely be enough and keep costs more reasonable (i.e. monthly may 
be a bit much).

The budgetting and financial planning task, as well as invoicing and 
cashing checks would remain with the treasurer. This would insure 
separation of tasks (and accounts verification) between the treasurer 
and a third party and prevent potential for fraud.

I would have gone for that already... I just don't know any US-based 
accountant with experience in nonprofits, so once again I invite our US 
based membership to send me references if you have any.

Daniel


On 12-11-11 2:53 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
> Jeff,
> I'd be wanting to see your proposal fleshed out into specifics before
> I'd be likely to be convinced.
> Ie, specify specifically what a paid role is expected to do. Estimate
> how much time/cost that will take. Establish what value it will bring to
> the OSGeo Foundation. Then we can assess the expected return on investment.
>
> At the moment, I'm still in favour of OSGeo act as a light weight
> organisation.
> I do also note that a relationship with Eclipse/LocationTech will has
> the potential to address the financial management requirements we are
> considering.
>
> On 12/11/12 01:11, Jeff McKenna wrote:
>> Frank,
>>
>> I just feel it's time to "bring in the heavies", a funded person (if we
>> can budget something like $1,000 per month) to manage this.  I sit on a
>> provincial board that does that, hires an accountant, and yet that Board
>> doesn't have the international issues that we have here.  I feel we are
>> spinning wheels, working very hard to figure this out, but we are out of
>> our "wheelhouse".
>>
>> I guess my comments/feelings are too general for your questions.
>>
>> -jeff
>>
>>
>>
>> On 12-11-10 11:39 PM, Frank Warmerdam wrote:
>>> On 12-11-10 01:32 PM, Jeff McKenna wrote:
>>>> For what it's worth, here are my feelings briefly:
>>>>
>>>> - keep the project sponsorship program
>>>> - hire a professional bookkeeper to manage the financials as of January
>>>> 2013 (among the responsibilities such as mentioned in this email
>>>> [taxes,
>>>> IRS, non/profit status, financial institutions etc.], his/her main
>>>> responsibility will be a monthly financial report submitted to the
>>>> Board, preferably as short as one side of a page)
>>>> - create a taxable subsidiary
>>>>
>>>> I think this would lesson the load on our great (yet small) pool of
>>>> OSGeo volunteers, and at the same time let us continue with the
>>>> sponsorship program (and hopefully expand it someday).
>>> Jeff,
>>>
>>> Are you suggesting then that we aim for 501c3 status which implies
>>> at least on paper narrowing our focus to educational goals?
>>>
>>> I believe that the responsibilities you are describing go well
>>> beyond that of a bookkeeper and so the pay would be substantially
>>> more than just for bookkeeping.  I imagine someone with more business
>>> experience than me should comment.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>> _______________________________________________
>> Board mailing list
>> Board at lists.osgeo.org
>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/board
>
>


-- 
Daniel Morissette
http://www.mapgears.com/
Provider of Professional MapServer Support since 2000