[LUAU] Another Bylaw to Chew On

[Ronald Fox]

I agree with George about the need for a source of funds.  This implies
that we need a Treasurer and accounting.  I also agree with Zach in his
desire to keep LUAU "dues-free" if at all possible.  While the dues
might be a nonimal sum, I don't think the funds raised would be worth
the loss in "the feeling of freedom" [Quotes are my emphasis, not Zach's].
I think John is on the right track with suggestions of alternate funding
including Corporate Sponsership.  This will require active effort on
someone's part to seek such sponsership but I think that it can be an
important part of our revenue stream if sponsers are chosen carefully.
A couple of other ideas that would be essentially self-maintaining
(once set up):

o  Join the Amazon.com Associates program with a LUAU bookstore page
   on the Web site.  Any books purchased by anyone who clicks on a
   link on the Bookstore page will result in a percentage going to
   LUAU directly (I recall that Amazon sends out checks quarterly).
   For an example of this, see the North Texas Linux Users Group's
   Bookstore page at http://www.ntlug.org/books/index.html
   We could have a much longer listing of books (including all of
   the relevant O'Reilly books, grouped in categories, or searchable)
   since Amazon pays a higher percentage for books purchased through
   a direct link than through a pass-through.  See Amazon's Associates
   page for details at http://www.amazon.com/associates

o  Web banner ads.  I haven't had any experience setting them up,
   just been annoyed by them, and don't know if they can be restricted
   to non-annoying, totally on-topic (Linux related) ads but it might
   be worth considering.  Does anyone know if the revenue derived
   would be worth the annoyance factor (especially for a relatively
   low volume web site)?

On Thu, 17 Jun 1999 jwchris at juno.com wrote:
> On Thu, 17 Jun 1999 05:37:53 -1000 George Toft <LinuxAdvocate at iname.com>
> writes:
> >Zachary P. Taylor wrote:
> >> 
> >> I agree with most of it, except dues. It was started as a free group,
> and
> >> should always remain so.
> >
> >I think the time has come to consider dues.  For example,
> >let us suppose we decide to have a presence at a show or 
> >convention (we were going to have one at the Networking Expo
> >last December).  How are we going to decorate the booth?
> >By using a banner, or sign.  These cost about $200.  
> >
> snip
> >
> >If we have 50 members and collect $12 per year ($1/month) per
> >member, that gives us $600 per year to work with.  We can get 
> >a sign, and buy anything else we may need to support promoting 
> >Linux.
> >
> snip
> >George Toft    http://gtoft.dynip.com/LinuxAdvocate/
> >
> Before this goes any further, dues were discussed;  but not agreed upon.
> Whether [or not] they are placed in the by-laws have yet TBD...
> 
> I still feel "Coporate Sponsorship" can be effectively used; and
> especially 
> in areas of special needs, like banners and the like....
> 
> my contention is still that until the group is about 400 - 500 [and at
> that time 
> corporate sponsorship is lagging] that the members may need to consider 
> dues [please NOTE THE WORD MAY {not shall}].  And even then [at least to 
> my knowledge] there should still be enough corporate sponsorship for 1500
> 
> LUAU members.
> 
> Corporations [even in Hawaii] are eager to have their name listed as a
> sponsor 
> to some 'technical organization'.  And only if they require some sort of
> receipt by 
> an organization should we then consider obtaining a non-profit status
> [which 
> shows we have some type of organization and by-laws {only here we may
> have 
> to change our by-laws to state that 'we are a not-profit organization';
> not too 
> difficult I hope} ].
> 
> But in the interim,  we should
> 1) see how other groups have done so [MAC users group, PC users group,
> NUG]
>     {I know Zach you'd love that idea...  ;-)  ;  but there can be some
> good in talking 
>       to non-Linux users....} 
> 2) determine [at that time] whether to collect donations, dues, fees for
> use, etc. 
>      for that particular project
> 3) remember there are many other possibilities than to having set dues
> for worthy 
>      needs.  WE JUST HAVE TO BE CREATIVE; and I think [anyone correct me
> if I am
>      wrong] that Linux users are creative....
> 
> john
> 

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