Talk:Wikimedia Chapters Association/Budget committee

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Members that volunteered on the WCA session should be added. Unfortunately, not everyone was identified by their names in the WCA minutes, so I won't try to do the original research. --Oop (talk) 23:16, 14 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Minutes of WCABC[edit]

Costs[edit]

Tax levels are not equal in all countries, so this might also be an item we should consider in selecting the place WCA is going to be registered in.

  • Salaries
    • SG
    • Deputy SG
    • Hired consultants: legal advice, accountant, etc
  • Travel costs
  • Office?
    • If there will be just two people (SG and DSG) who don't necessarily have to work in the country WCA will be registrated, we might get by without an office initially. If we decide to have an office, it will be a major budget item.
  • WCA Council and committees? If there would be some need to arrange a physical meeting if a committee or Council, currently, individual chapters would have to pay the costs of Council members, and this might be problem for some chapters.
  • Translation.

What information do we need?[edit]

  • Where will WCA be actually registered?
  • Will there be an office?
    • If yes, the costs will depend on the general levels of office rent in that country. We'll have to check those.
    • If not, will the hired officials have to move into that country?
      • If yes, the actual pay should depend on the general pay levels in that country. We'll have to check those.
  • Which one of two possible approaches to hiring SG shall we choose? (This might also influence the pay level.)
    • Using HR companies to hire an experienced professional who will work as a hired official to establish the organization using the best possible practices, although they might come from outside the Wikimedia community.
    • Looking basically for someone with extensive knowledge about Wikimedia movement and having had international experience inside it.

What might be the initial tasks?[edit]

  • Creating guidelines for good governance practices for the chapters.
    • These guidelines should support the international accounting standards.
  • Establishing an opportunity for the chapters to get help in following these guidelines.
  • Mapping the opportunities for additional financial sources.

Funding[edit]

  • Chapters might be willing to finance WCA if it will be clear we'll be using that money responsibly and sparingly.
  • European Union's programs and funds for international cooperation.
  • Grants from international organizations.
  • Applying for money from FDC would not be our first choice, but FDC is not against it.

Background data[edit]

There is a collection of background data for the budget here: User:Oop/Some budget data. Please, take a look, enhance and comment. --Oop (talk) 11:08, 21 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Place of registration[edit]

This committee was expected to provide a recommendation on the place of registration. Is that happening? John Vandenberg (talk) 16:52, 12 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunatley, the budget committee has not made any considerable progress, neither on the budget nor on a recommendation on the place of registration based on financial aspects. This is one of the reasons why I support Fae's suggestion to find an SG first. It will then be one of his or her first tasks to propose a budget and place. The budget committee's task will be to examine the proposal and prepare a resolution for the council to decide on. --Mglaser (talk) 22:39, 15 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
The cost of incorporating are not going to be a huge expense. The main purposes for doing that are for the ability to enter into contracts, and to have bank accounts. Until the incorporation is in place WCA is not even in a legal position to enter into an employment contract with an SG. Eclecticology (talk) 07:51, 16 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
How can you hire somebody to work for an organization that has not been legally established? And worst, make that somebody suggest where the organization should be? The organization should not be tailored to the personnel's needs, it should be the other way around. --Maor X (talk) 13:36, 29 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]