[Chapter-delegates] 2% for Stronger Chapters: Making real the board goal

[Elver Loho]

Hi all,

This is a solid and well-reasoned proposition from Dave. Based on the
information and arguments he provided, I wholeheartedly support it and
would like to hear the board's take on it.

Best,
Elver


elver.loho at gmail.com
+372 5661 6933
skype: elver.loho


On 24 April 2013 05:22, Dave Burstein <daveb at dslprime.com> wrote:

> Folks
>
> Great to see the board wants stronger chapters
> "Board re-affirmed that the Internet Society is a mission-driven
> organization, and addressed the strategic role of Chapters in the
> achievement of the ISOC mission.  As a follow-up to this meeting, the Board
> agreed that Chapters are vital to advancing the mission, principles, and
> values of ISOC at the local and regional levels and they contribute to
> ensuring the organization is globally and locally engaged. The Board was
> sympathetic to requests by Chapters for support in their essential
> operations,"
>
> Let's make this real by shifting 2% of the budget ($500,000) to the
> chapters immediately, enough to give each chapter that applies $5-10,000
> over the next 12 months. It won't transform the chapters, but is enough for
> 20-40 hr/month admin and/or several events with $1,000 budget and/or
> economy travle for 1 or 2 members to a major meeting.
>
>      It's almost certainly a more efficient use of funds than hiring
> expensive people in DC or Geneva and flying them around the world.
>
>     This is a "just do it" proposal to reinforce the bottom-up,
> multistakeholder model in the Internet Society itself.
>
>      We have professional management that certainly can rearrange 2% of
> the budget. There's an obvious source in not filling two positions
> currently open on the website: one's for an economist with strong
> experience in fundraising
> http://www.internetsociety.org/jobs/senior-economist  and the second a
> newly created position for a marketing communications manager.
> http://www.internetsociety.org/jobs/marketing-communications-manager .
> There's presumably ~$400-500K in the budget for those postions and related
> expenses.  There are several other open positions with six figure salaries
> and expenses where the money could be more effectively spent on local
> programs.
>
>     We all know that most funds that can be raised in our field come with
> serious strings attached; the last thing an ISOC economist or any policy
> person should be doing is begging interested parties for money. That job
> should never have been created because of the obvious influence on the
> policy proposed. ISOC is already fighting back against claims we're unduly
> influenced by multinational corporations and positions; tying policy so
> closely to fundraising just provides ammunition to such attacks.
>
>    And while it might be valuable "to develop, manage, edit and review
> existing collateral for marketing effectiveness and adherence to brand
> guidelines" we already have some hard-working professionals doing that. The
> money would be much better spent bythe chapters working directly in the
> field, I believe.
>
>      Going forward,  I'd bet shifting 10-20% of the ISOC budget to local
> efforts will result in far more impact than spending the money as we now
> do, but that will take time to organize.
>
>     I hope chapter leaders will rise up with proposals how to make this
> happen and that the center can see the wisdom of being a less "top-down"
> group.
>
> Dave Burstein
>
>
> We've got experienced senior managers who
>
> --
> Editor, DSL Prime, Fast Net News, Net Policy News and A Wireless Cloud
> Author with Jennie Bourne  DSL (Wiley, 2002) and Web Video: Making It
> Great, Getting It Noticed (Peachpit, 2008)
>
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