Fundraising Strategy - Revision history

Neteler: + Category:Strategy

2011-05-09T08:57:34Z

+ Category:Strategy

Tmitchell: /* Other Events */

2010-02-01T23:45:03Z

Other Events

Tmitchell: /* Event Related */

2010-02-01T23:43:10Z

Event Related

Tmitchell: adding more content

2010-02-01T23:41:42Z

adding more content

Wiki-Milovanderlinden at 17:25, 16 June 2008

2008-06-16T17:25:52Z

Tmitchell: PART 1 - intro and purpose

2008-02-20T17:31:28Z

PART 1 - intro and purpose

New page

'''For discussion purposes only -- a work in progress''' -- Contact [[User:Tmitchell]]
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== Introduction ==

At its simplest level the purpose of fundraising within OSGeo can be described as: securing funding to maintain, support and expand operational goals. This may happen by asking for money directly, writing grant proposals, holding events, selling merchandise and more. The process and delivery of a fundraising program can be very broad and include many seemingly unrelated tasks. The tasks may overlap strongly with other programs or initiatives, especially those that build relationships outside of the organization. This document seeks to help describe the current purpose and potential methods of fundraising for OSGeo, while at the same time helping to set targets for fundraising and hone the inward and outward-facing messages.

=== Terminology ===
Here are some of the terms and concepts that embody fundraising concepts common to OSGeo.
* Fundraising – securing funds for OSGeo purposes
* Donor – anyone who donates funding at any level and for any purpose
* Sponsor – a donor that gives according to a sponsorship program
* Community – the individuals who are members of OSGeo; the organizations that are represented by these individuals; sponsors; officers
* Targets – levels of funding being sought after within a certain time period

== Purpose of Fundraising ==
When discussing the topic of raising funding it helps to have an agreed upon purpose for fundraising. If the stated purpose is simply “get money” it will be less meaningful than funding something in particular or providing a purpose to would-be fundraisers. Changing historic patterns of giving may be the ultimate objective, but a clearer purpose inspires the process.

With OSGeo through its first full year of having substantial finances to manage, it is a good time to review the purpose of pursuing further fundraising. This essentially comes down to two questions: what do you ''need'' money for and what do you ''want'' more for?

=== Cover Ongoing Costs ===
Perhaps the most obvious need is to continue to cover ongoing operational costs. This includes systems, staff, financial management, conference commitments, etc. Often this is the purpose of fundraising in the earliest years of an organization. When pursuing fundraising in a given year it is important to identify the minimal level of funding required to maintain operational costs.

In 2007 the approximate ongoing operational costs were $150,000. This was mainly staff salary, benefits, travel and offices expenses, marketing/promotion, payroll costs and system hosting. [Note that FOSS4G 2007 covered its costs through its own sponsorship program, so funding was not required from general OSGeo accounts.]

=== Expanding Programs ===
As time progresses there is usually a desire to deliver more programs or reach more areas. In the case of OSGeo this will likely mean increased budgets for committees or special projects. Some of these expanded program areas may become ongoing, recurring, operational costs eventually, or remain optional depending on how much funding is available.

For 2008, the main expanded areas identified in the budget are primarily around Promotion – Web Development and Marketing. The increase will cost about $25,000. For the purposes of this document it will be assumed that additional funds will help further supplement budgets for these committees.

Developing targets for 2009 and beyond would help for giving fundraising efforts a goal to reach and a sense of purpose.

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'''...more coming'''

[[Category:Fundraising]]

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 ==== Other Events ====
   * training, round tables, high level meetings
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	The conference events that OSGeo puts on feed directly into its fundraising strategy. '''Any effort spent on helping to find sponsors or to publicise the event can be viewed as part of fundraising.''' If there was to be a commitment to increasing the financial contributions from FOSS4G as primary revenue, then it would be logical to have staff and the board help increase their focus on raising funds this way.		The conference events that OSGeo puts on feed directly into its fundraising strategy. '''Any effort spent on helping to find sponsors or to publicise the event can be viewed as part of fundraising.''' If there was to be a commitment to increasing the financial contributions from FOSS4G as primary revenue, then it would be logical to have staff and the board help increase their focus on raising funds this way.

		+	==== Other Events ====
		+	* training, round tables, high level meetings

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← Older revision		Revision as of 17:25, 16 June 2008
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−	[[Category:~~Fundraising~~]]	+	[[Category:Finance Committee]]

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 == Introduction ==
-At its simplest level the purpose of fundraising within OSGeo can be described as: securing funding to maintain, support and expand operational goals.  This may happen by asking for money directly, writing grant proposals, holding events, selling merchandise and more.  The process and delivery of a fundraising program can be very broad and include many seemingly unrelated tasks.  The tasks may overlap strongly with other programs or initiatives, especially those that build relationships outside of the organization.  This document seeks to help describe the current purpose and potential methods of fundraising for OSGeo, while at the same time helping to set targets for fundraising and hone the inward and outward-facing messages.
+When discussing the topic of Fundraising it is easy to think with too narrow a definition.  At its simplest level the purpose of fundraising within OSGeo can be described as: securing funding to maintain, support and expand operational goals.  This may happen by asking for money directly, writing grant proposals, holding events, selling merchandise and more.  The process and delivery of a fundraising program can be very broad and include many seemingly unrelated tasks.  The tasks may overlap strongly with other programs or initiatives, especially those that build relationships outside of the organization.  This document seeks to help describe the current purpose and potential methods of fundraising for OSGeo, while at the same time helping to set targets and hone the inward and outward-facing messages.
 === Terminology ===
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 == Purpose of Fundraising ==
-When discussing the topic of raising funding it helps to have an agreed upon purpose for fundraising.  If the stated purpose is simply “get money” it will be less meaningful than funding something in particular or providing a purpose to would-be fundraisers.  Changing historic patterns of giving may be the ultimate objective, but a clearer purpose inspires the process.
+For OSGeo, the purpose is for ''securing funding to maintain, support and expand operational goals''.  When discussing the topic of raising funding it helps to have an agreed upon purpose for fundraising.  If the stated purpose is simply “get money” it will be less meaningful than funding something in particular or providing a purpose to would-be fundraisers.  Changing historic patterns of giving may be the ultimate objective, but a clearer purpose inspires the process.
-With OSGeo through its first full year of having substantial finances to manage, it is a good time to review the purpose of pursuing further fundraising.  This essentially comes down to two questions: what do you ''need'' money for and what do you ''want'' more for?
+A new year is always good time to review the purpose of further fundraising.  This review starts with two questions: what do you ''need'' money for and what do you ''want'' more for?  After these questions are considered, then the various funding possibilities and targets will be discussed.
 === Cover Ongoing Costs ===
 Perhaps the most obvious need is to continue to cover ongoing operational costs.  This includes systems, staff, financial management, conference commitments, etc.  Often this is the purpose of fundraising in the earliest years of an organization.  When pursuing fundraising in a given year it is important to identify the minimal level of funding required to maintain operational costs.
-In 2007 the approximate ongoing operational costs were $150,000.  This was mainly staff salary, benefits, travel and offices expenses, marketing/promotion, payroll costs and system hosting.  [Note that FOSS4G 2007 covered its costs through its own sponsorship program, so funding was not required from general OSGeo accounts.]
+In 2007 [[*update to 2010*]] the approximate ongoing operational costs were $150,000.  This was mainly staff salary, benefits, travel and offices expenses, marketing/promotion, payroll costs and system hosting.  FOSS4G 2007 and 2008 covered their costs through their own sponsorship programs, so funding was not required from general OSGeo accounts.  FOSS4G 2009 required over $40,000 in seed funding which used about 25% of cash reserves.  The 2010 event is not predicting needing any advance.
 === Expanding Programs ===
-As time progresses there is usually a desire to deliver more programs or reach more areas.  In the case of OSGeo this will likely mean increased budgets for committees or special projects.  Some of these expanded program areas may become ongoing, recurring, operational costs eventually, or remain optional depending on how much funding is available.
+As time progresses there is usually a desire to deliver more programs or reach more areas.  In the case of OSGeo this has meant increased budgets for committees or special projects.  Some of these expanded program areas may become ongoing, recurring, operational costs eventually, or remain optional depending on how much funding is available.
-For 2008, the main expanded areas identified in the budget are primarily around Promotion – Web Development and Marketing.  The increase will cost about $25,000.  For the purposes of this document it will be assumed that additional funds will help further supplement budgets for these committees.
+The conference events that OSGeo puts on feed directly into its fundraising strategy.  '''Any effort spent on helping to find sponsors or to publicise the event can be viewed as part of fundraising.'''  If there was to be a commitment to increasing the financial contributions from FOSS4G as primary revenue, then it would be logical to have staff and the board help increase their focus on raising funds this way.
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