[Oceania-Board] 2024-2025 budget

Ewen Hill ewen.hill at gmail.com
Thu Jun 6 18:28:54 PDT 2024


Thanks Alex,


On Fri, 7 Jun 2024 at 11:22, Alex Leith <alexgleith at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>


-- 
Warm Regards

Ewen Hill
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