Internet Society (ISOC) - Event and Workshop Funding

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Event Funding

Summary

Funding Chapter-organised events targeting Membership re-invigoration

Active and vibrant Chapters are an important strategic asset to ISOC. Well run local activities with member engagement are critical in realising ISOC’s goals and mission. One of the the keys to sustainability for a Chapter lies in its ability to recruit and attract volunteers. The objective of this programme is to provide Chapters with a means to reaching out to their existing or new members and to increase their profile in their local community.

Introduction

Organising events is an important part of the overall activity and development of a Chapter. They enable Chapters to provide opportunities for learning, social networking and to raise their profile, increase their influence and to promote ISOC among their membership and in the wider local community.

While Chapters are expected to establish their own source of funding as outlined in the Policies and Procedures for Establishing New Chapters, they often lack the financial resources and the events collateral do so. Where membership and sponsorship dues are not sufficient to cover event costs, a funding ‘shortfall’ occurs. This shortfall is often real, despite best efforts to secure funding, resulting in Chapter members either using personal money to make up the shortfall, or simply not running events at all.

This programme is intended to assist Chapters on an annual basis (per calendar year) with a small amount of money to initiate an events programme (as opposed to regular membership meetings) and in so doing strengthen the presence and profile of ISOC and the Chapter in their local community by reaching out to existing or new members.

Programme Objectives

The goals of this programme are as follows:

To provide Chapters with a means to obtain funding to conduct ‘events’ with the explicit purpose of membership recruitment and/or retention;
To strengthen the impact of ISOC’s initiatives and activities globally by stimulating complementary local action. This promotes greater synergy and alignment with ISOC activities at HQ level, thereby strengthening the impact of ISOC as a whole as we work towards our collective mission;
To motivate members and the delegates of a Chapter around a common activity and in so doing revitalise energy within the Chapter;
To help identify new leaders who can take on the organization of the event;
To provide an opportunity for revenue raising for the Chapter;
To assist in developing new or strengthening existing relationships and partnerships at the local level;
To act as a catalyst to enable Chapters to undertake other activities;
To help Chapters maintain their visibility in the community.

Funding obtained through this process will assist Chapters in holding (at a minimum) a single event in a calendar year.

Proposed events must meet the needs of the Chapter and be consistent with ISOC’s principles and goals. Events must also compatible with one (or more) of ISOC’s strategic initiatives or fall within current activities in the Policy and Education areas as outlined at www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/ and www.isoc.org/educpillar

Background

Typically Chapters hold two types of meeting. One type is the periodic membership meeting that provides for member networking and information exchange and allows for the conduct of regular Chapter business (elections, activity reports, introduction of new members, etc.). A second type of meeting, referred to as “events” (conferences, seminars, workshops) is typically held infrequently, often annually. These events tend to be open (and marketed) to the membership and a larger community or the public at large and designed to advance the organization’s mission in the areas of policy and/or education and often, significantly, to raise funds for Chapter operations.

This programme is aimed at funding “events” (as defined above) as opposed to regular Chapter meetings. However, it is recognised that the distinction may not always be clear and often meetings are held as “events.” As a consequence, the distinction is offered as a guideline and will be assessed by the programme managers in consultation with the Chapter. A breakdown of what the money can be used for is clarified in the section headed “Funding”.

Funds for Chapters come from a variety of sources within the Chapters and may include sources such as in-kind donations, Chapter membership dues (if charged), and sponsorships raised from local companies, government, and institutions. A draft document A Guide to raising funds for Events through Sponsorhip (PDF) prepared by Kevin Craemer from ISOC maybe be helpful information to Event planners. The document is a draft from the Chapter Handbook.

Eligibility Criteria

The programme is open to all Chapters who meet the following criteria:

The event must be aligned with ISOC’s goals and mission;
The event should be open to the public, where possible;
The Chapter must not have already received funding under this programme as per the requirements below;
Applicants must not have received funding for the same event under the Community Grants Programme.

Funding

A maximum amount of $2,000 USD is available per eligible Chapter per calendar year

Chapters may apply for more than one event in a calendar year as long as they do not exceed the maximum of $2,000 USD.

Allocated funds may be used for:

Speaker accommodation and travel;
Event space;
Event supplies and incidentals;
Media and marketing;
Food and beverages.

Process

Chapters wishing to apply for funding are required to agree to the following:

Sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). See Word format (DOC) or Open office format (ODS)
Completion of the application form
- Completed application forms should be submitted no less than 4 months before the date of the planned event
- Completion of an Event Budget (as part of the application form). See Excel format (XLS) or Open office format (ODS)
Submission of a post event report within 30 days of the event. This should include the following:
- Financial report, including all receipts
- Written Event report, including a short article for the ISOC members newsletter

Important Note: Applicants will be contacted after submission of their application to discuss the planned event and post Event for follow up.

Please review the written and financial reporting guidelines prior to submitting your post-event report.

Note: Several high resolution photographs of the event(s) if available are welcome and should be sent to chapter-suppport@isoc.org with consent to allow the Communications Department to include photo(s) of the event in ISOC media.

The Membership department is responsible for the administration of the funding including responsibility for reviewal and approval of applications, and Chapter pre- and post-event submission requirements.

Resources available for Chapters

To assist Chapters in running events, ISOC has made available templates and documents that the Chapter can customize for running an event. These include:

Templates