[ adding a Cc: to debconf-team ] Lucas Nussbaum dijo [Fri, Mar 21, 2014 at 04:15:02PM +0100]: > I think I already answered this at least partially in > https://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2014/03/msg00192.html, so I will > give some more details, specifically for the DebConf case. > > Ideally, I think that: > 1) we should have a "partners" program that would allow us to track our > recurring sponsors, and ask them to do their yearly donation to > *Debian* (not DebConf). > 2) the funding for events such as DebConf or Mini-DebConfs would come > from a mix of Debian funding (thus, indirectly, from the recurring > partners), and from local sponsors. > 3) we would have a better understanding of the yearly annual Debian > budget (including DebConf's), which would make all money-related > decisions easier. Right. I agree with your vision, and I think that most of the conf organizers also will (but cannot speak for them). Just to convert this to what *we* need to do, I think we should shift from requesting sponsors to fund DebConf, we should be requesting to fund Debian, with specific focus on DebConf, right? That would better match reality. It would also, probably, allow/require us to alter our sponsorship benefits: As the sponsors are giving money for the *project* and not just the *conference*, we could have a "thank you" page in Debian, probably linked from https://www.debian.org/donations or something like that, and the sponsors (of a certain level?) can be offered to appear there. Similarly, there could be some synergy leading to the (now not really notorious) donors to Debian-per-se to be credited somehow in DebConf, even if their donations are not "earmarked" to it. Of course, DC14 sponsor acquisition campaign has started, and we cannot change the rules of the game for this time, but it could be evaluated for DC15. > That's where I hope we will be in one or two years, which doesn't really > help with DC14. > > For DC14, it seems that the DebConf team has more problems finding > sponsors than expected (especially the smaller, often local sponsors -- > for DC13, 60% of the funding came from 30 organizations given 6kCHF or > less). I think we are quite far from a panic state. You'd have to compare the funding status now and at this time of the previous year for DCn for every 0 ≤ n ≤ 13 ;-) > A successful DebConf is very important to Debian, and a successful > DebConf requires enough funding to gather many Debian contributors (many > of them, with sponsored accomodation and travel). Given the importance > of DebConf for Debian, I've told Steve that I would be willing to > extend Debian's funding of DebConf beyond what was originally planned. > However, if that ends up being required, I would expect the DebConf team > to seek as many cost reductions as possible, to limit the impact on > Debian's future ability to fund other things, such as infrastructure. Of course, and I thank you for publicly stating this. I know I have a mail pending with the proposed budget to be presented for your approval, I'll do my best to review it today!
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