Hi, I totally share the vision of Robert and I think there are some web pages making this[1] a bit easier. I have no experience with them but I think the main idea is that they don't charge the user unless the critical amount is reached and, therefore, the project started. I think it may encourage people to fund.
In [1], it seems projects has to be accepted, so having such a system dedicated for osgeo projects would make sense I guess. Please, don't take me too seriously, I'm just brainstorming... Regards. [1] I guess there are plenty of them, but the only one I know in english is http://www.kickstarter.com/ On Sat, Jun 4, 2011 at 6:28 PM, Robert Hollingsworth <r...@prodigy.net> wrote: > > I've been discussing variations on an idea for a while with various people: > > Form pools of users around specific application functionality that the users > share > a need for. They team up with developers to collaboratively specify and > develop > software. The users in the pool contribute a fraction of the total cost of > the project. > > It's not a radically different model from what happens in open source > development all the time, but the user sees a more direct benefit resulting > from > their financial contribution: "I'm spending US$1000.00 as my share of > extending > so-and-so project with the such-and-such capability I need right now." This > seems like a stronger funding recruitment than "I'm contributing US$1000.00 to > project so-and-so, and I hope the such-and-such capability I need shows up > soon." And definitely more attractive than "I'm footing the entire cost of > US$22,000.00 to hire consultants to extend project so-and-so with the > such-and-such capability I need." > > From a developer's perspective, this also seems like a natural progression on > the > continuum that begins with the traditional closed-source, license-driven > "develop- > once-sell-many" model. From my own perspective, I'd certainly enjoy > repeatedly > being paid to create essentially the same $22,000.00 product for multiple > users, > but realize it's better to have them collectively pay me $22,000.00 ONCE for > something they all use, than to have NONE of them pay me anything because > they cannot afford to individually finance the entire project. > > Having said all that, I can think of many reasons why this type of funding > structure would be difficult to set up and maintain. I may elaborate on > these in a > followup message, but in the meantime I'd like to hear what others think about > this kind of approach. > > Robert H. > > ******* TOTALLY IGNORE this test paragraph to see if my web mail editor > generates ridiculously long auto line wraps when I post to OSGeo mail lists, > which is what I think I have observed before when I don't manually insert > line breaks. If this does NOT generate a ridiculously long message which > requires horizontal scroll to be able to read each line, then I apologize for > this ridiculously long test paragraph! ******* > > Duarte, > > I agree with you and have similar ideas. I just recently sent an email > similar (cites National Public Radio and Wikipedia examples) to these ideas > to the Board. http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/board/2011-June/003816.html > The premise of my idea is that there are numerous agencies and companies that > have employees with minor budgetary authority to spend ~$500 on software and > these individuals are often using OSGeo projects and getting assistance using > these OSGeo projects on the email lists and IRC. It makes sense that these > people might be involved in sponsorship. What do others think? > > Although not heavily promoted, OSGeo and some projects can accept money > through OSGeo here, http://www.osgeo.org/sponsorship/opportunities Some have > $500 minimums. > > Here is the content of that email: > > Board, > > I started this email about six months ago and wanted to keep refining it and > adding bits, but, it seems to be the opportune time to send it since it is a > current topic for the Board (and it is already far too long - perhaps I > should have spend more time removing not adding). > > I have some ideas pertaining to fundraising that I did not find previously > discussed on the board or fundraising email lists. Searching the wiki and > board minutes didn't turn up this discussion either. Perhaps these ideas > have already been discussed and discarded in other venues. I think that > OSGEO projects could get substantial funds from many corporate and agency > users in $500-$2,000 increments on an annual basis. > > I am thinking of a fundraiser very similar to the National Public Radio style > in the States. That is that for one week instead of providing high quality, > commercial free, respected news and music, they focus at least 50% of the > time on fundraising. In addition to changing the focus to fundraising they > use all methods possible to fundraise. The methods seem almost extreme. It > verges on berating, guilt, coercion, and other less dignified methods. Here > are some clips that highlight some of these methods although mixed with > humor, http://www.vpr.net/episode/49677/ If you have never listened to a NPR > style fundraiser, I would suggest listening to one (although I also suggest > listening to the station for a week without fundraiser to experience some of > the more positive aspects of NPR). There should be one on internet radio > currently, perhaps someone can send out a link when their local station is > fundraising. In all the fundraising the focus is that NPR provides unique, > high quality, commercial free, respected news and music and that you, yes > you, can help provide that unique, high quality, commercial free, respected > news and music that you and others value so much. This is impressed upon you > in that familiar authoritative NPR voice which you have come to trust and > respect over the years. > > NPR has the benefit that people listen to the radio for extended periods of > time at home, at work, and in the car going places. To adopt that approach > to OSGeo, would be project mailing lists, IRC channels, websites, and other > communication methods. From the mailing lists, it is clear that most users > regard OSGeo developers very highly. If these respected developers asked for > $500 support from users once a year, I think that many would respond. > Developers routinely add new formats, functions, fix bugs, answer 10 of > thousands of questions through email and IRC, and otherwise are very > responsive to the users. If these developers spent one week a year asking > for support and boasting their project's accomplishments, users would > respond. Following in the NPR style, some large donor could offer a limited > time match. Company X will match your donation, thus doubling it, up to > $1,500 if you donate in the next 24 hours. We need you to donate to help us > get that $1,500. http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Help websites, > planet.osgeo.org, personal blogs, developer signatures used on the email list > and everything else would need to be temporarily changed to focus on > fundraising. Just as NPR focuses on "unique, high quality, commercial free, > respected news and music and that you, yes you, can help provide that unique, > high quality, commercial free, respected news and music that you and others > value so much" I think that OSGEO and Projects can focus on the same thing > just replacing "news and music" with "Geospatial software and support" > > I think that this would only work if it were really supported and done by > developers. A developer who has helped you individually, answered 10's of > 1,000's of questions, fixed bugs for you, added new functionality, etc is far > more persuasive than someone who might volunteer just for fundraiser (me) or > even Tyler. > > This could be an opportunity to have people sign themselves up as OSGeo > members too. Perhaps donations could include 'premiums' like a shirt and > coffee mug. > > I think that for the States, a good time of year is the spring (April/May). > > I think that the board is looking into lowering the $500 minimum. While that > could make supporting even more accessible to some users, agencies, and > companies, others that would give $500 may take a $250 option if it is > available. It seems fair to have no minimum level for individuals but a > higher level for agencies and companies. > > Benefits: more funds, broad support from many sources, contributors planned > for it as an annual expense, people sign up as members, shirts and coffee > mugs everywhere is good advertising, more and greater involvement. > > Drawbacks: Developers may not want to fundraise for a week (they are already > busy doing a ton of work), developers may feel that fundraising is demeaning > to them, OSGeo may appear less 'dignified', not all OSGeo projects allow for > support through OSGeo, this could generate a lot of paperwork and mailing for > Tyler who may be busy with other OSGeo tasks (paperwork that raises money may > be considered a benefit also), this really focuses on projects not OSGeo > itself (so this may only be 25% as effective as it could be for OSGeo), > focusing OSGeo, OSGeo projects, and OSGeo developers on fundraising for a > week takes the focus away from the projects, development, email list support, > and other tasks that are usually the focus, these are all ideas for the > people that already contribute the most to OSGeo to do more, it seems that > OSGeo's approach has been to get large sponsors which has been working and > this is different than that and could offend large sponsors, changing email > signatures, IRC topics, websites, and everything else is a lot of work. > > I have listed more drawbacks than benefits but that is because it is easy to > criticize. Also, some of the drawbacks are probably not really drawbacks and > may be positives. > > I think that any non-profit can have a fundraiser 1-2 times a year without > losing prestige. For instance, here is the wikipedia one currently: > http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/WMFJA6/en/US?utm_medium=sitenotice&utm_campaign=Saturday1113&utm_source=2010_JA1_Banner3_US&country_code=US > > The second funding idea I have is to contact contractors and businesses that > use OSGeo software and encourage them to ask clients to contribute to the > OSGeo projects that they use. So if you do a project for a client that uses > OpenLayers, ask them to consider a tax-deductible contribution to OpenLayers > that allowed you to do that project for them for substantial savings. Also > explain that supporting the projects will help implement new features which > will keep the software very useful for them continuing into the future as new > formats and technologies emerge. This would essentially be encouraging > contractors and consultants using OSGeo to offer their clients the option of > adding $200-500 to support OSGeo projects which made the whole thing possible > and to help further the projects for their future needs. Perhaps this idea > is an idea for a different thread and discussion. > > Perhaps these ideas can find a place in the overall fundraising outlined > here, http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Fundraising_Strategy I see that some of > these are already included in the 2010 page, > http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Fundraising_2010 > > Bests, Eli > > >>> On 6/3/2011 at 2:55 AM, in message > <58c383b0a191e747be79503f3eea22bf8960b4a...@beja012.edia.pt>, Duarte Carreira > <dcarre...@edia.pt> wrote: > > Have there been any discussions about ways of raising funds for projects > > under the OSGeo umbrella? > > > > For instance, annual fund raising campaigns like Wikipedia does? Or > > letters/emails asking for donations to known "significant" users as > > associations sometimes do? Or using sites specialized in linking users > > requests to developers? I suppose this is to be done by each project > > individually... > > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lists.osgeo.org > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
