BOF Finances

[Clive Coles]

Admin,Marketing & Finance is one of the largest slices in the pie chart that tells us where members money goes. Are we getting what we need ?

Actually I need less !

Being a local member I receive Local Focus through the post together with advertising flyers etc.

I skim read Focus and quickly establish it is telling me no more than I have already read on the web site. It then gets dumped into my recycling bin.

I am not arguing we should not edit a newsletter but does it need to be a glossy ?
Do we all need it to be mailed to us ? If there is something I want to check on I can always retrieve the Focus pdf from the web site.

Why don't we save on printing and distribution costs by providing a facility on the membership record that allows us to record that a printed Focus is unnecessary ?

Some will choose to have paper copies; some will be quite content to read electronic copies. The money saved could be redirected to improving the current web site facilities.

As more and more information gets added into the web site it is already becoming difficult to find things. The original bespoke search facilities have been withdrawn and replaced by an interim Google driven engine. It is possible that work is in progress on the development of better data indexing and retrieval mechanisms. This cost, I presume, is covered within the Membership services budget.

[graeme]

So you reckon Focus is hidden in Marketing do you? I'd have guessed it was in Membership. But as Scott showed the US equivalent (ONA, costing $27000) isn't in either category.

Is Focus a waste of money? I read it, and I principle I would like to support BOF and make a decent argument for it here. But since I've no idea what it costs, I can't and wont do that.

Looks like nobody out of the know wants to guess where the various items I listed appear in the budget. Maybe now our present and future councillors would like to enlighten us?

[Clive Coles]

Not actually saying FOCUS is not worth producing. All I am suggesting is not all of us need it to be mailed to us.

I get information from the BOF website news pages as and when the info is newsworthy. Local Focus only seems to reproduce what has already been posted. Then, once mailed, the pdf gets posted to the web site.

But local members who are not internet fans need some form of newsleter. I argue therefore let's make Focus a selectable optional membership benefit and save some money.

[andypat]

Agree - that might be a way to avoid the fees increase.But as you say since we dont know what it costs.....

[Spookster]

Agree - that might be a way to avoid the fees increase.But as you say since we dont know what it costs.....

We've discussed the cost and benefits of Focus magazine at least once previously on Nopesport. Just use the search.

[Spookster]

Looks like nobody out of the know wants to guess where the various items I listed appear in the budget. Maybe now our present and future councillors would like to enlighten us?

Councillors?! It's a while since we had any of those.

Website hosting and management
Software developing the ranking list
The website, which includes the ranking list, is part of Membership Services.

Mike Hamilton's salary, Gareth Candy salary, Laura Martin salary
Salaries are in the appropriate functional area, e.g. International, Admin, Leadership. But remember that overall BOF is funded approximately 80% by grants and 20% by members (membership + levies). Some areas like Development and International are almost entirely funded by grants. Of course Mike works across all areas of the business, and hence his costs are also apportioned accordingly.

Profit/loss on JK and BOC
As described in the Annual Report, those items are part of Income.

Hosting International, World Ranking and PWT events
Such events would currently need to be self-financing - there is no BOF budget provision. Typically events would need additional grants and sponsors, for example Perth PWT.

Costs of preparing bids for funding
Bids for funding (e.g. the Whole Sport Plan) are prepared by Mike and other professional staff, with appropriate input from volunteers (committees, groups, etc). Hence the costs are within the salaries.

Rental/rates and cleaning the BOF office
Admin.

Event insurance
Not sure on this one. But either Event Ops, or Admin.

Hope that helps to clarify things. If people want more information on specific items before being able to vote at the AGM, then please ask! There'll be a BOF tent as usual at the JK, so it should be easy to find a BOF director. But also, we'll be wandering around club tents in assembly looking for people to talk to...