Re: What do you think of the foundation?

["Jaap A. Haitsma" <jaap haitsma org>]

On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 18:02, Andreas Nilsson <nisses mail home se> wrote:
> Dave Neary wrote:
>>
>> I have said that the foundation has a role to enable people to attend
>> conferences. In the special case of GUADEC, we are very generous in that
>> role. But I think we've been too generous - just because we are enabling
>> someone to attend a conference doesn't mean we should pay 100% of their
>> travel costs. Paying 80% of their travel costs is not a punishment, but it
>> might indeed test their committment to attend the conference - if it's not
>> worth covering 20% of the costs from their own pocket, how committed are
>> they to travelling, really?
>
> Hi Dave!
> From a personal experience I wouldn't have been able to go to Vilanova
> unless I had been covered by the Foundation for the trip. I was terribly low
> on cash during that period, so I am grateful to the organization for helping
> me in this matter. I therefore feel good to pay back in terms of design for
> foundation related materials and through the Friends of GNOME Program.
>
> Do we have a bad record of people who we have sponsored for conferences that
> later have disappeared from the community?
> - Andreas

Hi,

I understand the point of Dave that people could show some financial
commitment themselves. However I also understand that some people can
simple not afford to put in any of the money for the travel cost.

Couldn't we simply ask people to apply for different percentages for
travel costs reimbursement
1) 50%
2) 75%
3) 100%

The story for the 50% should be that by contributing yourself 50%
somebody else who asked 50% can also go .

I agree with Dave that it should be public information who received
the travel grants. Maybe even the whole process of applying should be
public.

Regards,

Jaap