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

[David Vyorst]

+1

On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 1:18 AM, Dave Burstein <daveb at dslprime.com> wrote:

> 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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