[Chapter-delegates] Funding and a modest proposal for chapters and events

[Dave Burstein]

Folks

    What would happen if ISOC shifted 10% of its current budget to low cost
local initiatives (as suggested) and modest transportation reimbursements
to members for international events?

    I bet the result would be far more bang for the buck than the same
money spent on staff  and the current travel expenses.  Think how much the
chapters could achieve with a few hundred thousand, much less 10% of the
$30M ISOC budget.

    Currently, ISOC is spending several million dollars each year
supporting the chapters. It's in the budget as "internal communications"
and dozens of other titles, as well as those specifically assigned to
regional/chapter work. Folks like Paul Brigner and Sally Wentworth are
knocking themselves out to help the chapters. This isn't a criticism of
their efforts.

    The current system has a place, but is brutally expensive. It appears a
few hundred people are "active volunteers" in ISOC, although overall events
pull more. That means we're currently spending several thousand per active
volunteer. I think if some of that centrally spent money went directly to
chapter expenses, the results could be extraordinary.

     How can we make this happen? One possibility is not to hire for the
senior economics advocate currently listed as an open job, which is
budgeted at several hundred thousand dollars. There is no shortage of
economic analysis from ISOC's allies in policy and one more economist will
add little to the discussion.

    Think how much more that money could do build the chapters and the
direct international work of ISOC members.

    Let's find a way.

Dave Burstein

p.s. *How I calculate that ISOC is spending several million on member and
chapter support. *The work of supporting them is shared among a few dozen
people. When you think of the percent of the time of regional directors,
more senior people, communications people, and their support and
supervisory staff, it's easily 10-15 "full-time equivalents," some paid in
the six figures. Alternately, if you assume that 20% of ISOC's effort is
aimed at the chapters, that's $6M/year.

    I'm not disagreeing with spending the money on chapter support;
instead, I'm suggesting some be spent by the chapters locally, efficiently
and in small amounts.

     Much better results per dollar if done well, I think.


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