Re: GNOME Corporate Sponsor Brainstorming

[Brian Cameron <brian cameron oracle com>]

Jason:

On 01/29/11 12:22 PM, Jason D. Clinton wrote:
> +1 to most of the ideas thrown out here but the above back-and-forth
> got me thinking about how we could articulate (or narrate) to a donor
> what it is that they are doing with their money. It's great to say
> "you get X, Y and Z for your contribution," and another to say that
> you get "X, Y and Z for your contribution because of what you help us
> create." I'm thinking specifically of companies that have donated
> their office space for our hackfests. True, some of these have been
> Advisory Board members but even when they've already given us money,
> they went an extra step and allowed us to interfere with their
> company's day-to-day operations in a material way. Why?

I think many organizations, including ones that are GNOME Advisory
Board members, help out The GNOME Foundation in many ways.  I think
we do a a good job to recognize such organizations in blog posts and
hackfest Wiki pages, etc.  However, I do think that we could probably
generate more help in this way if we did a better job recognizing
organizations who help.

Perhaps if such organizations could be recognized in some way on the
FoG website, it might be an additional way to thank such organizations
and to open involvement so new organizations may consider contributing
in this way.

I think many Advisory Board members are often eager to contribute
office space because it is a real benefit to them to have GNOME hackers
come visit them.  Having access to these GNOME experts can be helpful
to them in ways that go beyond the focus of the hackfest.

> The only over-arching idea that I guess is "a better seat at the
> table" which is, ostensibly, what the Advisory Board and the proposed
> one-on-one with the ED get them. But I'm thinking that if we agree
> that this is some kind of unifying donor pathos, then we can start to
> ask questions like, "Should donors be encouraged to participate
> in/table at hack-fests?"

I think we do want to encourage more types of organizations to
consider cooperating with The GNOME Foundation to make hackfests
happen.  The could be real value in finding out what types of GNOME
related hackfests might be of interest or value to potential donors
and to try and organize them with the understanding that the funding
is available.

However, in terms of planning hackfests, I think this will always
be handled in a bit of a case-by-case basis.  The GNOME Foundation
is likely only interested in participating in hackfests that do have
some reasonable relation to GNOME, for example.  Also, if the
organization wanted to contribute by sending experts to participate
in the hackfest, then discussion about extending invitations would
likely be necessary.  However, I would see little problem in making it
easier for additional organizations or people to be aware of and
consider contributing funds to already planned hackfests.

So, there could be a real benefit in Friends of GNOME allowing people
or organizations to earmark funds for funds to be spent on making an
upcoming hackfest possible, or larger in scope.  To contribute in other
ways (such as making resources like office space available or wanting
to send experts to a hackfest), it would be good if the FoG website
made it clear that people should to contact the board to discuss and
make plans.

Brian