[Oceania-Board] 2024-2025 budget

Thu Jun 6 18:22:40 PDT 2024

The 2024 budget for the conference was approved, and is here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/150wqk7kK4_iO0_xOjmd8ixW74OIGexF--h03hkU4lLk/edit

So the $90 k income and $60 k expenses are broken down...

On Fri, 7 Jun 2024 at 11:13, Ewen Hill <ewen.hill at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
>   Thanks for all the hard work on this. I think it could be worthwhile
> using a conventional ledge of income vs expenses and to break out items
> into separate sheets like administrative expenses and conferences. Seeing
> an amount of $90k income should be able to be drilled down a little - say
> to amounts over $3-$5k? It would mean that those not involved on the
> finance side can see how our reserves are spent and the significant risk
> (and rewards) of the global conference.
>
> Regards
>
> Ewen
>
> On Thu, 6 Jun 2024 at 12:44, John Bryant via Oceania-Board <
> oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org> wrote:
>
>> Yes, I think we should talk through column H as a group, perhaps make
>> some adjustments as we go, then hopefully we'll have something we can
>> approve.
>>
>> Cheers
>> John
>>
>> On Thu, 6 Jun 2024 at 09:46, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi John
>>>
>>> Thanks for putting this together. I think it's comprehensive and
>>> reasonably accurate.
>>>
>>> If the Hobart event goes well, I hope we can replicate Melbourne and
>>> Wellington and achieve a $60 k surplus, but let's not bank on that.
>>>
>>> The forecast budget for next year with a $30 k surplus from Hobart is a
>>> $20 k loss, but that includes provision of a $23 k advance to the Auckland
>>> conference, which isn't necessarily going to be required. It's hard to
>>> budget for something that is so far out... but also, keep in mind, we'll
>>> likely start getting sponsors for the Auckland conference next FY too, so
>>> there'll hopefully be income as well as expenses for that event.
>>>
>>> Also, for context, as of Today, we have $57,000 in the bank. This is
>>> down from a peak of around $80 k, so it's about time we started having some
>>> good years that add to this!
>>>
>>> Are we ready to table a budget at the Board meeting for approval
>>> tomorrow?
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> On Tue, 4 Jun 2024 at 11:27, John Bryant via Oceania-Board <
>>> oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks, I've updated the sheet to reflect this.
>>>>
>>>> All - I've added a column H to the sheet
>>>> <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gRWZXt1bZqTqNMf5sr7Ff5dH4Sp_Nabe4QoZHPPPpmw/edit#gid=1487652216>,
>>>> we can use this to work out our final budget numbers for approval. I've
>>>> left 3 scenarios in there for discussion, but I think we need to settle on
>>>> one set of numbers (and review later if needed).
>>>>
>>>> If there's any more discussion in the next few days, that's great,
>>>> otherwise we can discuss (and finalise) at Friday's meeting.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers
>>>> John
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, 3 Jun 2024 at 11:06, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi John
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, $30 k should be guaranteed as a minimum.
>>>>>
>>>>> That's a good point about the global event... it's going to be hard to
>>>>> budget. Maybe we should be budgeting the $25 k seed funding as an expense
>>>>> and no income from the event, actually. Or we do the budget without
>>>>> Auckland, and update if it's successful (though we should hear any day now!)
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, 3 Jun 2024 at 12:55, John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks Alex, that sounds good, should we use $30k as the projected
>>>>>> surplus in our budget?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes that makes sense re: FOSS4G 2025 (though I thought maybe the PCO
>>>>>> was handling all the funds until acquittal). If we get the green light, I
>>>>>> suppose we should estimate how much $ we will handle in FY 2024-25.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>> John
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Mon, 3 Jun 2024 at 10:41, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi John
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Regarding Hobart, we have a handful of registrations and one
>>>>>>> sponsorship already, and we have over a dozen submissions to talk, with
>>>>>>> over a month to go. I've reviewed the budget and started capturing actuals,
>>>>>>> and everything is still aligned to the approved budget in terms of
>>>>>>> expenses. In short, I'm optimistic we'll achieve a surplus of at least $30
>>>>>>> k.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Also, keep in mind that if we do hold the 2025 global event in
>>>>>>> Auckland, we'll likely start receiving revenue next FY.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Mon, 3 Jun 2024 at 12:27, John Bryant via Oceania-Board <
>>>>>>> oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi all, we need to sort out our budget ASAP so that we can have
>>>>>>>> clarity on spending for the next financial year (which begins on 1 July).
>>>>>>>> We've said a few times we need to give clarity on TGP in particular. I
>>>>>>>> think we should try to wrap it up at our board meeting this Friday, if
>>>>>>>> possible.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I've updated this draft budget sheet
>>>>>>>> <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gRWZXt1bZqTqNMf5sr7Ff5dH4Sp_Nabe4QoZHPPPpmw/edit#gid=1487652216> with
>>>>>>>> as much current info & projections as I can. *I've currently got 3
>>>>>>>> scenarios but I think our budget should settle on one*, and
>>>>>>>> perhaps do a budget review once we get a better idea of Hobart revenue.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> A few notes/questions:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>    - Current FOSS4G SotM Oceania 2024 amounts are based on the
>>>>>>>>    approved conf budget, minus GST and amounts paid/received in FY 2023-24. @Alex
>>>>>>>>    Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com> are there any updates to these
>>>>>>>>    projected amounts? Do we have a sense yet of which scenario is most likely,
>>>>>>>>    or is it too early to say? I think this is our biggest variable.
>>>>>>>>    - Community investments: we need to decide on our approach. Do
>>>>>>>>    we take a conservative approach and increase this amount as we gain
>>>>>>>>    confidence in a Hobart surplus, or do we "go big" and hope for the best?
>>>>>>>>    - Our operational expenses are relatively fixed, but we could
>>>>>>>>    find ways to save here, if we put some effort in.
>>>>>>>>    -
>>>>>>>>    - We could get a bit more interest income by using a term
>>>>>>>>    deposit, if we know how much we can lock away and for how long.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Also, a fairly big one... there's still the question of FOSS4G
>>>>>>>> 2025 Auckland, and what impact that would have on our budget. Right now
>>>>>>>> it's in there as an expense, with no revenue, I'm not sure if this is
>>>>>>>> right. We should be finding out any day now whether this is happening, so
>>>>>>>> maybe we stand by until we know?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The bottom line is distinctly in the red but the FOSS4G 2025 amount
>>>>>>>> is effectively a loan that will be repaid in future, without this amount
>>>>>>>> we're at a surplus (assuming Hobart projections are reasonable).
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Thoughts?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Sat, 4 May 2024 at 17:53, Dorothy D.Pion <ddpion at mra.gov.pg>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi Alex,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Sorry for the delay in getting back to you all.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It's unfortunate that we won't be receiving funding from TGP this
>>>>>>>>> year. We'll need to cover expenses ourselves for now. Considering this, we
>>>>>>>>> may need to reassess our budget and possibly reduce the number of TGP
>>>>>>>>> grants we can offer this year?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Eli, Let me know your thoughts on this.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>>>>>> Dorothy
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> *Dorothy D.Pion*Senior Cartographer
>>>>>>>>> Mineral Resources Authority | PO Box 1906, Port Moresby 121, Papua
>>>>>>>>> New Guinea | *P: *(675) 2072250 |* F: * | *E: *ddpion at mra.gov.pg
>>>>>>>>> | *W: *www.mra.gov.pg
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> [image: e banner_v3.JPG] [image: GEE24 Banner 4.jpg]
>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>>>>>> *From:* Oceania-Board <oceania-board-bounces at lists.osgeo.org> on
>>>>>>>>> behalf of Alex Leith via Oceania-Board <
>>>>>>>>> oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org>
>>>>>>>>> *Sent:* Saturday, May 4, 2024 9:01 AM
>>>>>>>>> *To:* John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> *Cc:* OSGeo Oceania Board <oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org>
>>>>>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Oceania-Board] 2024-2025 budget
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> HEre's what Angelos said:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Unfortunately the TGP budget is out for this year :(
>>>>>>>>> The financial year starts Jan 1st.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Amending the budget is a possibility if we get funding during the
>>>>>>>>> year.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So, I guess we won't get cash from them this time, unfortunately.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Thu, 2 May 2024 at 13:04, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Yeah, ok. I guess we'll need to cover it ourselves then... will
>>>>>>>>> need to re-assess.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'll let you all know if I hear anything different from Angelos.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Thu, 2 May 2024 at 08:01, John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm not 100% sure but I think it's Apr-Mar.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> This was approved in February
>>>>>>>>> <https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_Meeting_2024-02-06#OSGeo_Budget_2024> (amounts
>>>>>>>>> in USD):
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - Travel Grant Program: 10k $ to be approved. The direction is
>>>>>>>>>    to use 7k for global FOSS4G and 3k for local events.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So our request was for their entire local event TGP budget,
>>>>>>>>> probably we're asking for far too much.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Thu, 2 May 2024 at 05:54, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What is their financial year?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'll ask Angelos if we can request again for the next FY.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Thu, 2 May 2024 at 07:18, eli via Oceania-Board <
>>>>>>>>> oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> oh that's not nice. I suppose the lesson is learned, we need to
>>>>>>>>> apply for the TGP as soon as OSGeo plan their budget next time.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Il giorno gio 2 mag 2024 alle ore 09:15 John Bryant via
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board <oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org> ha scritto:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi all, FYI:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Unfortunately our request for TGP funding from OSGeo was not
>>>>>>>>> approved, see meeting minutes
>>>>>>>>> <https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_Meeting_2024-04-30#FOSS4G_SotM_Oceania_TGP_Request>.
>>>>>>>>> The OSGeo TGP budget has already been spent for this year.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Wed, 24 Apr 2024 at 10:16, John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I think it's a good idea to model a pessimistic scenario, but the
>>>>>>>>> $4k surplus isn't that pessimistic - it's based on a conference surplus
>>>>>>>>> that's more than double Auckland's surplus.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> A moderately pessimistic scenario would have to contain the
>>>>>>>>> possibility the 2024 conference surplus is similar to 2023, ie ~13k. I'm
>>>>>>>>> optimistic too, but given that Auckland is a much bigger market than
>>>>>>>>> Hobart, and cost of living pressures are making people very cautious about
>>>>>>>>> discretionary spending, I think we have to consider it within the realm of
>>>>>>>>> possibility.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I've done a moderately pessimistic "scenario 2" in the simplified
>>>>>>>>> sheet that includes this contingency. It puts the TGP at $15k, reduces
>>>>>>>>> other community investment (grants, sponsorship, WGs) by $5k, and it puts
>>>>>>>>> us at a loss of ~$12k. Hopefully very unlikely, but at this stage we just
>>>>>>>>> don't know - our most recent experience indicates that it's possible.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I don't think we're in a financial position right now to allocate
>>>>>>>>> more than we've ever spent on TGP, at a point when we're at maximum
>>>>>>>>> uncertainty about conference income. Our past experience has shown us we
>>>>>>>>> can approach it progressively - allocate a modest amount now, and increase
>>>>>>>>> it when we become more confident we have the surplus to support it.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I guess what I'm saying is that I think we should start small, and
>>>>>>>>> grow it when we hit sponsorship and registration targets, otherwise we run
>>>>>>>>> the risk we 1) make a large loss again next year and/or 2) have to cut
>>>>>>>>> other community investments.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Wed, 24 Apr 2024 at 07:24, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I think targeting a $4 k surplus is ok in the pessimistic scenario.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I really hope that we can deliver something like a $60 k surplus
>>>>>>>>> from the conference, like we did in Melbourne and Wellington. I'm always
>>>>>>>>> fairly optimistic, but I have had a lot of people say that they're excited
>>>>>>>>> to come to Hobart, and we can handle a pretty big crowd... so maybe we'll
>>>>>>>>> exceed expectations.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm ok with starting the budget with a modest TGP allocation of
>>>>>>>>> $15 k including the OSGeo cash and increasing if we can.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Tue, 23 Apr 2024 at 19:32, John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks Elisa, that's really helpful input. I had a rough idea of
>>>>>>>>> what had happened, but I didn't know we hadn't actually planned to do PGRSC
>>>>>>>>> as part of the program. So this year, should we proactively include other
>>>>>>>>> events in our TGP budget?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Let me ask everyone... what if we zoom out for a moment, simplify,
>>>>>>>>> and think of the budget as having 3 major components:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - *Conference surplus*: Virtually all of our income is derived
>>>>>>>>>    from this one source, and needs to pay for everything else, so this is
>>>>>>>>>    crucial; but it's handled in detail by another budget - we can provide
>>>>>>>>>    oversight using that budget.
>>>>>>>>>    - *Operational expenses*: These are relatively predictable and
>>>>>>>>>    fixed; we can fiddle with them a bit, but it looks like they'll be
>>>>>>>>>    somewhere in the range of $6000-10000.
>>>>>>>>>    - *Community Investment expenses*: This is where we have the
>>>>>>>>>    most discretion. For the current financial year we're on target to spend
>>>>>>>>>    around $20k.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> *So.... what if we figure out the total amount we can afford to
>>>>>>>>> spend in the Community Investment category, and then allocate that into
>>>>>>>>> TGP, Grants, Sponsorship, and Committees/WGs?* The benefit of
>>>>>>>>> this approach is 1) we spend what we can afford and 2) we consider the
>>>>>>>>> relative impact where we invest. We have a finite amount of money - if we
>>>>>>>>> spend $10k on X, we can't spend it on Y or Z, even if Y or Z might actually
>>>>>>>>> have a bigger impact.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It forces us to contend with the question: If our total community
>>>>>>>>> investment spend is $25k, and we spend $15k on the TGP, do we cut back on
>>>>>>>>> other grants and sponsorship?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I've added a "simple" version to this tab of the budget sheet
>>>>>>>>> <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gRWZXt1bZqTqNMf5sr7Ff5dH4Sp_Nabe4QoZHPPPpmw/edit#gid=1487652216>
>>>>>>>>> to make it a little easier to reason with, and I've adjusted a couple of
>>>>>>>>> numbers based on Alex's suggestions. Even with ops costs cut right back,
>>>>>>>>> and "only" 10k allocated to TGP, it leaves us with a relatively modest
>>>>>>>>> surplus of $4300. Increase the TGP to 15k and we're in the red - would need
>>>>>>>>> to cut it from somewhere else (or ensure we have a bigger conference
>>>>>>>>> surplus).
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Tue, 23 Apr 2024 at 15:47, eli <elipuccioni at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Actually I have an input re:TGP:
>>>>>>>>> The higher budget we had for Auckland and (hopefully) we will have
>>>>>>>>> for Hobart is aiming to enable more participation from the pacific. We have
>>>>>>>>> noticed that smaller grants cut the majority of the pacific applicants off,
>>>>>>>>> due to the cost of traveling. So I’m in full support of this higher
>>>>>>>>> spending on TGP (no surprises here!).
>>>>>>>>> Moreover, because of the problems with NZ immigration last year,
>>>>>>>>> we “moved” people from Auckland to Suva, so PGRSC grantees were actually
>>>>>>>>> FOSS4G winners, we didn’t have a separate budget and program for that
>>>>>>>>> conference. That said, one of my personal goals would be extending the TGP
>>>>>>>>> to relevant conferences in the Pacific, especially the PGRSC, but I
>>>>>>>>> understand that might not be possible to implement every year and will
>>>>>>>>> depend on our finances.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>>> Elisa
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Potrebbe andar peggio...potrebbe piovere!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Il giorno mar 23 apr 2024 alle 19:36 eli <elipuccioni at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> ha scritto:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks both Alex and John for this and support of I’m not adding
>>>>>>>>> much input in this. As Jonah said, I am too learning from your expertise
>>>>>>>>> and feel I still have a bit of learning to do before contributing more
>>>>>>>>> actively!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>>> Elisa
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Potrebbe andar peggio...potrebbe piovere!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Il giorno mar 23 apr 2024 alle 18:40 John Bryant via Oceania-Board
>>>>>>>>> <oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org> ha scritto:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks Alex, I've made a few modifications to the sheet based on
>>>>>>>>> your suggestions:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - split event income & expenses (I used the Hobart budget
>>>>>>>>>    middle scenario for these amounts, ex GST)
>>>>>>>>>    - split the single conference line into separate lines for
>>>>>>>>>    each event
>>>>>>>>>    - put OSGeo TGP grant into 2024 projected rather than 2025
>>>>>>>>>    budgeted
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Having the conference items separated out like that is a bit more
>>>>>>>>> complex, but I like the extra detail. The big thing that jumps out at me,
>>>>>>>>> though, is the need to refine the conference estimates as early as we can.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Re: TGP, I'm certainly open to the suggestion of increasing it (if
>>>>>>>>> we have good reason), I think it's an important part of what we do.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It would be great to have more insight into how much money we
>>>>>>>>> actually need, and what we're aiming for. By my calculations, this is what
>>>>>>>>> we've spent over the years:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - Melbourne 2018: $4650 for 7 people
>>>>>>>>>    - Wellington 2019: $9000 for 14 people
>>>>>>>>>    - Auckland 2023: $6400 for 5 people
>>>>>>>>>    - PGRSC 2023: $5100 for 3 people
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Would the Hobart TGP be significantly different from Auckland?
>>>>>>>>> Should we include other events this year (eg PGRSC) in our budget?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> One other thought - in 2018 and 2019, we started off with a modest
>>>>>>>>> budget for the TGP and increased it as we became more confident we had the
>>>>>>>>> funds. Could this approach work for us this year as well?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> By the way, everyone, Alex and I are engaging in this, but he's
>>>>>>>>> right, all board members should be thinking about our finances and
>>>>>>>>> providing their input (please).
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 22 Apr 2024 at 18:32, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Ok, so here's the notes from the march minutes
>>>>>>>>> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LMz-7ENIqbuE-QGhqB6ryO9bDRYFS0E4bxZMgjJQb2w/edit>:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - Intent to allocate 10k to TGP (pending FY24/25 budget
>>>>>>>>>    discussion and approval)
>>>>>>>>>    - Planning to request USD5k from OSGeo (Dorothy will write it
>>>>>>>>>    up)
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It's a little ambiguous, but I'd like to request that we allocate
>>>>>>>>> $10 k from the OO budget plus the $5 k (AUD) from OSGeo.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> We've kicked off the TGP early, and I'm hoping we can spend our
>>>>>>>>> allocation and bring as many people as we can along to the event in Hobart,
>>>>>>>>> so if we're as successful as we have been in past years, I'd love to
>>>>>>>>> increase the amount that's available too.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> If we have a starting point of $15 k, that will set Dorothy up
>>>>>>>>> nicely to start planning.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 22 Apr 2024 at 19:44, John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thinking a bit more about TGP...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I suggest this:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - we allocate $10k to TGP (including OSGeo $5000)
>>>>>>>>>    - if the OSGeo request is declined, we reconsider our
>>>>>>>>>    allocation
>>>>>>>>>    - if/when conference sponsors provide extra TGP funds, we
>>>>>>>>>    increase the amount accordingly
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> In total, this would be roughly in line with how much we spent
>>>>>>>>> last year, and should be enough for the 10 TGP registrations allocated in
>>>>>>>>> the conference budget, potentially with money left over for other events.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 22 Apr 2024 at 15:28, John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I wasn't at the March meeting, but it sounded like the outcome was
>>>>>>>>> that the discussion would happen later when we talked about the budget. I
>>>>>>>>> don't think we've had any other discussions about it?
>>>>>>>>> So I reckon this is the budget discussion where we should make
>>>>>>>>> that decision.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> These seem like relevant points:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - the Hobart conf budget accounts for 10 TGP regos
>>>>>>>>>    - this year we spent ~12k including the OSGeo $5k
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I haven't seen an accounting of last year's TGP (number and amount
>>>>>>>>> of grants) but it would be useful, if anyone knows about it?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 22 Apr 2024 at 15:12, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Oh, I thought we agreed on $20 k like last year?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Apologies if I remembered wrong.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Was the $10 k you thought we agreed including the OSGeo money?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 22 Apr 2024 at 5:11 PM, John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks everyone, great comments so far.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Alex, one question, you said "We have earmarked $20 k for the TGP
>>>>>>>>> for the Hobart conference"... all I'm aware of is a discussion at the March
>>>>>>>>> board meeting where the outcome was: "Intent to allocate 10k to TGP
>>>>>>>>> (pending FY24/25 budget discussion and approval)"
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Where does the $20k figure come from?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 22 Apr 2024 at 09:04, Jonah Sullivan <
>>>>>>>>> jonahsullivan79 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm really glad to see Alex and John engaging on the very
>>>>>>>>> important topic of financial probity. I probably shouldn't have raised my
>>>>>>>>> hand as treasurer, considering my lack of experience and annoying work
>>>>>>>>> commitments, but I'm glad to be more involved in the process - I'm learning
>>>>>>>>> a lot already.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 22 Apr 2024, 08:53 Alex Leith via Oceania-Board, <
>>>>>>>>> oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> For this FY, here's some comments:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - I requested travel grant funding from OSGeo a week ago for
>>>>>>>>>    $3,500 USD. That should be received this FY, I expect.
>>>>>>>>>    - The other hard to forecast difference is sponsorship and
>>>>>>>>>    ticket sales for the conference, which should start happening this FY. I'm
>>>>>>>>>    hoping to start reaching out to potential sponsors, and some organisations
>>>>>>>>>    like spending money in the current FY. I expect to have some money flowing
>>>>>>>>>    in soon.
>>>>>>>>>    - I want to note that since our term deposits matured in
>>>>>>>>>    December, and we received ~$1,800, we haven't now got any cash earning
>>>>>>>>>    interest. I think it would be a good idea to put money away in a 12 month
>>>>>>>>>    term deposit, as we can now achieve 4.75% interest, so on $50 k, that's
>>>>>>>>>    over $2,000 of free money!
>>>>>>>>>    - We perhaps need a budget line for conference 2024, since we
>>>>>>>>>    have paid the deposit for the venue at $14 k.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> For the 2025 budget:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - The $25 k surplus is quite conservative. I think we'll do
>>>>>>>>>    better than that for the conference, but it's nice to be conservative in
>>>>>>>>>    budgeting!
>>>>>>>>>    - We have earmarked $20 k for the TGP for the Hobart
>>>>>>>>>    conference. With $5 k coming from OSGeo, that leaves a worst case of $15 k
>>>>>>>>>    from OO. (This will be topped up by the conference with a portion of
>>>>>>>>>    sponsorship going to TGP.)
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> And just a note that we should be doing budgeting with the balance
>>>>>>>>> sheet in mind too. We currently have $60 k in the bank, which is unusually
>>>>>>>>> low, mostly because we have started paying expenses for the 2024
>>>>>>>>> conference, but haven't got any income yet.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Now it's a fairly minor thing, but I would prefer to have a
>>>>>>>>> separate line for conference income and conference expenses. We sometimes
>>>>>>>>> have smaller regional events, and it's good to see the difference in
>>>>>>>>> expense/income per event.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> And one of those boring reminders too that as Board Directors, we
>>>>>>>>> need to remember that we are all individually accountable for the financial
>>>>>>>>> health of the organisation, we can't delegate that responsibility to
>>>>>>>>> others, so please engage with this important work and make sure you
>>>>>>>>> understand it!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Alex
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> [image: image.png]
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Sun, 21 Apr 2024 at 12:58, John Bryant via Oceania-Board <
>>>>>>>>> oceania-board at lists.osgeo.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi board,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> The 2024-2025 financial year (FY25) begins on 1 July.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It would be good to move the FY25 budget forward, ideally we can
>>>>>>>>> approve it in May but I'm sure there will be some discussion required.
>>>>>>>>> Perhaps we can discuss in this thread over the next couple of weeks and put
>>>>>>>>> it on the agenda for further discussion at the May board meeting?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> My ambition with this is to:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - come up with a realistic set of numbers we can use to guide
>>>>>>>>>    spending decisions in the upcoming financial year
>>>>>>>>>    - set targets for income, community investment, and
>>>>>>>>>    ultimately, a surplus to help keep us solvent
>>>>>>>>>    - provide clear and visible financial targets and priorities
>>>>>>>>>    to the community
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Can you please review the attached PDF and/or the Google Sheet
>>>>>>>>> <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gRWZXt1bZqTqNMf5sr7Ff5dH4Sp_Nabe4QoZHPPPpmw/edit#gid=61568483>?
>>>>>>>>> I've listed several questions that I hope will help us move it forward.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Your comments and questions please!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 at 16:15, John Bryant <johnwbryant at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> We discussed at the February board meeting that we should get
>>>>>>>>> moving on a budget for next year. I want to kick off a discussion towards
>>>>>>>>> hopefully having a first draft within the next few weeks, and a final draft
>>>>>>>>> for approval in May.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I have a sheet here
>>>>>>>>> <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gRWZXt1bZqTqNMf5sr7Ff5dH4Sp_Nabe4QoZHPPPpmw/edit#gid=0> with
>>>>>>>>> the current year projected and actual amounts for context.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> For now, do you have any specific items on your wish list for next
>>>>>>>>> year?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I have a few suggestions and questions:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    - *Distinct "Operational" & "Community Investment" expense
>>>>>>>>>    categories*. By doing this, we make sure we allocate enough to
>>>>>>>>>    keep the lights on, and then we have better sight of what we can afford to
>>>>>>>>>    invest in community programs.
>>>>>>>>>    - *Separate grants and sponsorship*. They're accounted for
>>>>>>>>>    separately in Xero and I think it caused some confusion this year when we
>>>>>>>>>    overspent on the combined item. We ultimately increased the budget amount
>>>>>>>>>    but for a time the Grants committee was unsure if they should hit pause. By
>>>>>>>>>    separating these, I think we add clarity.
>>>>>>>>>    - *Remove "Special Interest Groups"?* We don't really have any
>>>>>>>>>    SIGs (OSM SIG has never been active, QGIS SIG wound up in June 2022). I
>>>>>>>>>    still think we should make these kinds of investments in OSM and QGIS
>>>>>>>>>    community groups of course, but maybe we do it under sponsorship and grants
>>>>>>>>>    line items?
>>>>>>>>>    - *TGP:* At the last board meeting there was talk of ~10k for
>>>>>>>>>    the Travel Grant Program, is this the right amount? It sounds like the
>>>>>>>>>    Hobart conference may have about $5000 to add to this, depending on
>>>>>>>>>    sponsorship (Alex correct me if I've got this wrong!).
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Also I think we'll need to make a projection on the conference
>>>>>>>>> surplus, perhaps this is an item for discussion at the next board meeting
>>>>>>>>> on the 3rd.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Your thoughts?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania-board
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania-board
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania-board
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania-board
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Potrebbe andar peggio...potrebbe piovere!
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania-board
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board mailing list
>>>>>>>> Oceania-Board at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania-board
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> *Alex Leith*
>>>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Oceania-Board mailing list
>>>> Oceania-Board at lists.osgeo.org
>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania-board
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *Alex Leith*
>>> m: +61 419 189 050
>>> https://auspatious.com
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Oceania-Board mailing list
>> Oceania-Board at lists.osgeo.org
>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania-board
>>
>
>
> --
> Warm Regards
>
> Ewen Hill
>
>

-- 
*Alex Leith*
m: +61 419 189 050
https://auspatious.com
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