[Eg-oversight-board] Fwd: issues re: sponsorship of the Evergreen "birthday party"

[Chris Sharp]

Please see below.  I'm actually not directly involved with the planning of this event, but I can direct questions as necessary.

----- Forwarded Message -----
> From: "Tony Sebro" <tony at sfconservancy.org>
> To: evergreen at sfconservancy.org, evergreen-2016 at sfconservancy.org
> Sent: Friday, February 19, 2016 4:45:42 PM
> Subject: issues re: sponsorship of the Evergreen "birthday party"
> 
> Hi, all.
> 
> I've noticed some unusual activity surrounding the sponsorship of the
> Evergreen "birthday party," aka the main reception @ this year's
> upcoming Evergreen Conference.  Specifically, it's my understanding that
> GPLS has offered to cover specific reception-related expenses, totaling
> $2850.  I've received some emails that indicate that GPLS may expect a
> sponsorship-like acknowledgment as co-reception sponsor.  However,
> Emerald Data Systems has already claimed the only available "reception
> sponsor" slot on the sponsorship menu (at $3500).
> 
> GPLS is where Evergreen was first created, of course, so their desire to
> contribute to the 10th anniversary reception is understandable and
> appreciated.  However, if we provide sponsorship-like benefits to GPLS,
> it complicates things, since Conservancy/Evergreen has an obligation to
> provide specific sponsorship benefits to Emerald -- and giving GPLS a
> "parallel" sponsorship dilutes those benefits.
> 
> As a threshold matter:  the conference committee needs to have the
> flexibility to treat their revenue line items (e.g., specific
> sponsorship levels) as decoupled from specific expense line items.
> Otherwise, all sponsors would only want to cover the expenses associated
> with the event they're sponsoring -- and the committee couldn't use any
> sponsorship-related surplus to cover other conference-related expenses.
> Emerald Data's $3500 reception sponsorship doesn't mean that the
> reception needs to have a $3500 budget:  the committee is free to spend
> more or less, depending on how they structure their expense budget.  But
> because the expense and revenue line items are decoupled, it's awkward
> for GPLS' payment of specific expenses to correlate to any form of
> sponsorship benefit.
> 
> As such, I think we need to find another solution.  A few options:
> 1) GPLS applies their allocated funds to sign up for available
> sponsorships. For example, GPLS could claim the two (currently
> available) $1000 breakfast sponsorships and one $800 snack break
> sponsorship -- thereby contributing $2800 towards the conference budget.
> 
> 2) With Emerald Data's permission, the committee creates the opportunity
> for other would-be sponsors to make contributions that would be
> acknowledged in some way at the reception.  In a sense, we'd be creating
> a new class of sponsorship (we could call it "Birthday Friends," or some
> such).  This is doable, but not ideal, in that other current sponsors
> may complain that they weren't presented with this new option before
> committing to a different sponsorship level from the original menu.  But
> the new sponsorship level needs to be available to all; we can't just
> only offer it GPLS, or any other one entity, since that wouldn't be fair
> to the other sponsors and would-be sponsors.  And, we would still need
> to find a way to make it clear that Emerald Data is *the* reception
> sponsor, and not just one of many.
> 
> If any of you have other ideas, let's hear it.
> 
> Regardless of what we decide, we appreciate GPLS' generosity.  And, of
> course, any birthday celebration for Evergreen would be incomplete
> without an acknowledgment of GPLS' seminal role in the project's
> origins.  So, let's see if we can find a solution to the sponsorship
> issue that works for all sides, and that doesn't create exposures for
> Conservancy/Evergreen with the IRS.
> 
> Thanks!  Best, -Tony
> 
> PS:  Chris: I know you're a GPLS employee -- and as such, you might be
> in an awkward position to weigh in on this.  Still, in the interests of
> transparency, I'd like to have the brainstorming portion of the
> conversation out in the open.
> 
> --
> Tony Sebro, General Counsel, Software Freedom Conservancy
> +1-212-461-3245 x11
> tony at sfconservancy.org
> www.sfconservancy.org
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Chris Sharp
PINES System Administrator
Georgia Public Library Service
1800 Century Place, Suite 150
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
(404) 235-7147
csharp at georgialibraries.org
http://pines.georgialibraries.org/
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