[Grants] OSGeo Oceania - grant application decision

[John Bryant]

Thanks Jonathan. It's unfortunate that I didn't have an opportunity to
address these concerns before a decision was made, but I acknowledge they
are valid.

I very much appreciate the time taken by the Council to consider the
application, and the time you've spent sharing this feedback.

Cheers
John

On Thu, 12 Sep 2019 at 02:29, Jonathan Woithe <jwoithe at just42.net> wrote:

> OSGeo Oceania - John Bryant
>
> The Linux Australia Council considered this grant application at its
> meeting
> on Tuesday 10 September 2019.  After much discussion council voted against
> funding the grant.  The vote was not unanimous.
>
> The stated aim of OSGeo Oceania to build the open data geospatial community
> in Oceania is certainly within Linux Australia's remit.  Concern was raised
> about the legal framework under which this is being carried out.  It was
> pointed out that a company - even a not-for-profit one - costs a lot more
> money to maintain than does an incorporated body or organisation.  The
> question was asked why it was necessary to establish a company to support
> the open geospatial community, rather than something closer to the US
> 501(c)
> model used by the parent OSGeo Foundation.  Was this a requirement of the
> parent OSGeo organisation?
>
> As written, the grant application seems to be for the funding of company
> expenses rather than activities directly linked to the community itself.
> It
> was acknowledged that overseeing conferences across the Oceania region will
> create financial complexities, but it wasn't clear why these complexities
> needed to be addressed before any events were planned outside of Australia
> and New Zealand.
>
> Ultimately, the Linux Australia council did not feel that the funding of
> company expenses would bring a tangible benefit to the community and this
> was the primary reason why the grant was declined.  On the other hand, a
> grant application which requested assistance for an activity or event - the
> running of a conference such as FOSS4G SotM Oceania for example - would
> have
> a clear connection with the community and therefore would be more likely to
> garner support.
>
> You are more than welcome to contact myself or the Linux Australia Council
> if you have any questions or would like further clarification.
>
> Regards
>
> Jonathan
>
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