IRC office hours/Office hours 2013-05-29

KatyLove: Hi everyone, welcome to the Funds Dissemination Committee support team's office hours!
[5:00pm] KatyLove: I am Katy Love and am the Senior Program Officer for the FDC. And I'm joined by several others here who are on the FDC support team.
[5:01pm] wolliff: Hello, everyone! I'm Winifred, the Grants Administrator.
[5:01pm] Anasuya: Hi folks, I'm the Senior Director of Grantmaking; I head the grants team.
[5:01pm] KatyLove: Do we have any FDC members in the room?
[5:01pm] KatyLove: If so--please go ahead and introduce yourselves.
[5:02pm] KatyLove: We are here today to talk a little bit more about the letter of intent process as part of the FDC application.
[5:02pm] Prodego: woo, the money wasting fund disseminating committee
[5:03pm] KatyLove: We hope to be able to answer questions (if there are any).
[5:03pm] Prodego: I kid, I kid
[5:03pm] KatyLove:
[5:03pm] Anasuya: Hey, the Fun Dissemination Committee...
[5:03pm] KatyLove: So, the Letter of Intent will be referred to as the LOI
[5:03pm] KatyLove: Lots of acronyms here, sorry about that!
[5:03pm] KatyLove: The LOI is the first step to applying to funds from the FDC.
[5:04pm] KatyLove: We are introducing it this year for Round 1 of 2013-2014.
[5:04pm] KatyLove: It is a very short letter in which any Wikimedia entity expresses their interest in applying to the FDC.
[5:04pm] Jamesofur: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/FDC_portal/Sample_letter_of_intent
[5:04pm] KatyLove: The FDC uses it as a planning tool to anticipate who will be applying and when.
[5:05pm] KatyLove: The FDC portal is where you would go to create an LOI.
[5:05pm] KatyLove: For Round 1, the LOI will be due on June 8.
[5:05pm] wolliff: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/FDC_portal
[5:05pm] KatyLove: It is a required step in the process.
[5:06pm] KatyLove: Thanks @wolliff !
[5:06pm] Anasuya: The steps to the proposal: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/FDC_portal/Proposal_process#Proposal_steps
[5:07pm] KatyLove: To be clear--it's the first step to applying for funds to the FDC, and if an LOI is not submitted, it would not be possible to apply to the FDC in the current round.
[5:07pm] KatyLove: In the LOI is some basic information.
[5:07pm] KatyLove: Do check out the link above to see the details
[5:08pm] KatyLove: It includes the name of the entity, the confirmation that the entity is seeking funds for a particular round, and an approximate amount that will be sought in the application.
[5:08pm] KatyLove: Note that the LOI is not binding - we will not hold anyone to the amounts that are listed on the LOI.
[5:09pm] KatyLove: Again, it's used as a planning tool so that the FDC will know who they can expect to see submitting proposals in round 1 and round 2.
[5:10pm] KatyLove: You can see the LOIs that have already been submitted
[5:10pm] KatyLove: Here they are: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:FDC_2013-2014_Round_1
[5:10pm] Anasuya: We also think it will be helpful for anyone applying, because then it gives us all a period of a few months before the proposals are due, to support the process.
[5:10pm] KatyLove: It looks like we have six that have been submitted so far.
[5:10pm] KatyLove: So, do folks have any questions about the LOI?
[5:12pm] Steven_Zhang: Hey Katy
[5:12pm] KatyLove: Hi Steven!
[5:13pm] Steven_Zhang: I thought the office hours were tomorrow...
[5:13pm] KatyLove: Well, they are right now and again at 15:00 on Wednesday (for us in the US, this is tomorrow).
[5:13pm] Steven_Zhang: was there one this morning earlier?
[5:13pm] KatyLove: Nope, this is the first one.
[5:13pm] Steven_Zhang: ah, so there's one in around 15hrs?
[5:13pm] KatyLove: Yes, at 15:00 UTC time.
[5:14pm] KatyLove: Did you have any questions?
[5:14pm] Jamesofur: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Office_hours
[5:14pm] KatyLove: Anyone, questions?
[5:14pm] Steven_Zhang: Nah, I'm at work, but i do have some
[5:14pm] Steven_Zhang: Well
[5:14pm] Steven_Zhang: since it's quiet
[5:14pm] KatyLove: OK--well, we are here!
[5:14pm] Steven_Zhang: how come we have to provide our ID?
[5:14pm] Steven_Zhang: i understand, but the question I am sure will be asked
[5:14pm] Steven_Zhang: and was asked on wikimedia-l
[5:15pm] Anasuya: The only folks who will be asked to provide ID will be those from the entities deemed 'eligible' by the Finance team. This is done because it's needed as grantmakers for us to be in compliance as a 501(c)(3) org - i.e. a public foundation
[5:16pm] Anasuya: The Finance team does this securely, so privacy controls are maintained.
[5:17pm] Steven_Zhang: has it been asked for before?
[5:17pm] Anasuya: Yes it has, for every round.
[5:17pm] Steven_Zhang: hmm, OK.
[5:17pm] KatyLove: (WMF Finance team that is--in case that's not clear).
[5:17pm] Anasuya: Just FYI again, the eligibility criteria: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/FDC_portal/Eligibility_criteria
[5:17pm] Steven_Zhang: We were deemed eligible in Round 2
[5:18pm] Steven_Zhang: But i was never asked for my ID...
[5:18pm] Steven_Zhang: (even though we didn't submit a proposal in the end)
[5:18pm] Anasuya: Because you weren't a Board member at the time
[5:19pm] Steven_Zhang: gtg
[5:19pm] Steven_Zhang: i'll be back at 1am session
[5:19pm] Steven_Zhang left the chat room.
[5:19pm] wolliff: Ok. See you later.
[5:19pm] Anasuya: Also, I think Finance reached out after the eligibility status was confirmed *and* the proposals were submitted. AU didn't submit finally.
[5:19pm] KatyLove: Anyone else have any questions about the LOI?
[5:22pm] • Jamesofur whistles
[5:34pm] Anasuya: Welcome Jan!
[5:35pm] Jan_telco: Anasuya
[5:54pm] KatyLove: Hi folks--just a few more minutes left in this session now.
[5:54pm] KatyLove: We'll be back again in a few hours
[5:55pm] KatyLove: That is at 15:00 UTC time on Wednesday May 29. (That's tomorrow for some of us)
[5:59pm] KatyLove: And as a final reminder, the LOI (letter of intent) is due on June 8 for Round 1 of 2013-2014.
[6:00pm] KatyLove: It is the first step in applying for funding from the FDC.
[6:00pm] KatyLove: Thank you all for joining our office hours!
[6:00pm] KatyLove: We didn't get many questions, but maybe they'll all come in at our next office hours.
[6:00pm] KatyLove: Or maybe it is all very clear.
[6:00pm] KatyLove:
[6:01pm] KatyLove: Alrighty, good bye everyone, until we meet again at 15:00 UTC on Wednesday May 29.