[Oceania-Board] 2024-2025 budget

Alex Leith alexgleith at gmail.com
Fri May 3 16:01:19 PDT 2024


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
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