Board Meeting 2010-01-14

Special Fundraising Meeting
This board meeting is scheduled for the 14th of January 2010 at 16:00 UTC, on a voice call.

Agenda

 * Appoint meeting secretary
 * Review agenda

Brainstorming:
 * Key industry areas in 2010
 * Types of funding organisations - sponsors, grant makers
 * Role of FOSS4G
 * Events to present at
 * Engaging community as fundraisers, donors
 * Licensing OSGeo brand - events, certification
 * Relationships with sponsors, project, foundation, FOSS4G
 * Budget related

Minutes
This was a special fundraising discussion meeting done via a voice call.

Attendees
Directors:
 * Arnulf Christl (co-chair)
 * Christopher Schmit
 * Jeff McKenna
 * Geoff Zeiss
 * Ari Jolma
 * Others?

Staff:
 * Tyler Mitchell (co-chair)

Action Summary

 * 1) Each director identify 2 contacts for each month and report to board.
 * 2) Tyler to set up wiki for capturing contacts, etc.  Setup templates for capturing info.  (**DONE**)
 * 3) Compile list of large governments moving to FOSS.  (Tyler emailed OSGeo discuss list and got a few pointers)
 * 4) Consider event package idea.

Detailed Minutes

 * Agenda review
 * 1) Arnulf: More formal Fundraising Committee needed?
 * 2) Agreed that a regular meeting of this style was more suitable.  Best to have special board meetings rather than make new committee.
 * 3) Arnulf: Hoping to get board more actively involved in fundraising.  Proposed: each director contact 2 sponsorship opportunities per month.
 * 4) Jeff: Key job for board members, perhaps clarify the key responsibility for the board
 * 5) Need face to face for finalising some bigger ones
 * 6) How can we define a product?  To what extent is it necessary?
 * 7) Some specific examples given, e.g. corps depending on our libraries and need help using them.  Others using geodata and have licensing issues we could help with.  Leads to the question: what can we 'do' for them to leverage funding?
 * 8) General approach discussed: 
 * 9) Identify key large sponsors, several follow ups for larger amount
 * 10) Several small ones with a more general approach
 * 11) Tyler to set up private wiki for collecting contacts and sensitive notes
 * 12) capture contacts, potential, history
 * 13) template for following up, keeping history
 * 14) FOSS4G / Conference is a key product
 * 15) Marketing budgets are more accessible than sponsorship budgets in corps. FOSS4G helps to access these funds.
 * 16) More events could help raise funding
 * 17) What kind of overlaps/opportunities are there with local chapters?  Some ways to encourage/help them start events that raise funding.
 * 18) This could be done by creating a virtual product package that local groups/companies/members could take and use - e.g. a proactive approach that others can 'buy into' - with requirements for branding, costs/benefit, content ideas.  So local folks can take the package and deliver a successful event.
 * 19) Key benefits - income, but also coverage/promotion
 * 20) Other product ideas, high level meetings or training sessions, maybe following other events
 * 21) OSGeo could provide a public list of potential speakers. Promoted as "have OSGeo at your event!  contact us... get a speaker, develop a training sessions, host a roundtable", etc.
 * 22) e.g. organised by partners, invite people in a region for shorter or longer events
 * 23) need a training event for a particular product?  we can help provide a presenter or team
 * 24) Coupling a board/director meeting with an event, e.g. experts meeting in India.  face-to-face but with potential to making money by hosting an event, or meeting with potential sponsors.
 * 25) More money available for 'training' than esoteric reasons
 * 26) Some increased 'virtual' attendance at events, Autodesk University had 20k attendees at $99/ea
 * 27) Various aspects to fundraising opportunities: geographic, industry sectors and corporation/orgs that fund/sponsor via grants.  Geoff give several updates.
 * 28) US government  - 5 key sectors, one is geo and one is open source
 * 29) Open source for america - geo is there, is energy/trans?
 * 30) Energy/transportation - foss penetration = zero.  URISA presentation good place to connect.
 * 31) Municipal gov needs - smaller budgets but don't have $ for proprietary stuff.  Their own revenue is getting smaller with tax crunch/stretch.  Utilities in particular.
 * 32) Rural coops? local govs that could use help  (NRECA)
 * 33) Which other vertical areas?  miltary, utilities, gov, each with their own industry association
 * 34) Geo perspective - easy to have smaller event in big cities, draw folks from 2-3 hour driving (no flying!)
 * 35) What about different regions/countries - where is the biggest need/market
 * 36) e.g. some gov't officially moving to FOSS.  How can we help them by giving them sponsorship opportunities along with guidance.  likely need help implementing their vision (Indonesia: IGOS eg)
 * 37) Coupling events along with other foss training/events