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Money Things

Money! It's so fun! Or not, depending. Workshops can require dealing with some of it, so here's how we roll. (We try to avoid dealing with money by having sponsors order food directly, but that's not always possible. Such is life.)

ClojureBridge has two types of money managements; short term and long term. The short term is for an individual workshop and completes in just one workshop. While, the long term may be for a single chapter/area or multiple chapters in more broad area, and the management continues over years.

Short term management

This is for the individual workshop, the advice for the organizer.

Plan as early as possible

Ideally, when a workshop is scheduled and announced, the organizer should have at least one sponsor who will pay food. A hosting company may or may not pay. Make sure the hosting company can do something for the workshop.

Sometimes, finding sponsors other than the hosting company is very hard. In such a case, please contact the ClojureBridge board or mentor. We will help finding sponsors. Also, it is a good idea to post to the ClojureBridge Workshops mailing list for suggestions and advices from past organizers.

However, remember, money won't move fast. Especially, asking companies to pay money often takes more than two weeks; their decision to process won't go forward instantly. Planning as early as possible is a key to get sponsors.

What if the organizer is unable to find a sponsor?

Despite the organizer's intensive efforts, funding may not go well. For such an emergency situation, ClojureBridge is able to pay a small amount from ClojureBridge General Fund. At the same time, please consider the following 3 options:

Here are suggestions:

  1. Lunch only

    Don't forget, cutting down to lunch only is totally agreeable. So far, most ClojureBridge workshops have successfully provided Friday evening pizza, Saturday breakfast/lunch and drinks. But, ClojureBridge workshop is not necessarily so fancy.

  2. Potluck style

    This depends on the location. Sometime works well but sometime not. If the potluck is possible, this has another good side effect - communication between attendees.

  3. No food at all

    Either encouraging attendees to bring food or eat out, no food at all is among choices. However, providing food, at least lunch, is good for this kind of workshop. No food style would be the very last choice.

Sample Budget

How much money should the organizer raise? Here're some figures in typical US cities based on previous workshops.

The main expense is catering for lunch. Other than food, organizer may also need a few supplies (pens, nametags). This menu totals about $1,000 to $1,200 (currency US$).

Catering for 60

  • $200 for Installfest pizza + drinks.
  • $150 for coffee + bagels for workshop morning
  • $500-700 for Saturday lunch from a catering service/restaurant
  • $300 for workshop after-party with drinks and tip for 25 volunteers
  • If you have extra money, it's nice to get some appetizers to share.

Other Expenses

  • Name tags and pens shouldn't cost you more than $30.
  • The Installfest instructions tell students to get a sticker from a volunteer when their install has been checked. Star stickers work just fine.
  • It's helpful to find a space that has the necessary tables/chairs so that you don't have to worry about renting those.

Upgrade expenses

  • Childcare: Depending on the need and if the chapter wants to offer it, around $150.
  • Travel assistance e.g. for female coaches to come over to your city.
  • ClojureBridge-Stickers, T-Shirts, notebooks etc. Prices vary.

Long term management

Organizing ClojureBridge workshops on the longterm may lead organizers to upgrade their workshops. If they are doing well on funding they may want to offer a variety on food, childcare or travel assistance. Nevertheless, sometimes a shortage happens. E.g. one major sponsor drops out last minute or doesn't pay the bill. Therefore, the organizers may want to manage money for a long term. The Berlin chapter for example tries to find sponsors for the after next workshop.

If the team is located in the US, there's a choice to become non-profit organization under Bridge Foundry. If the team is located in Germany, Travis foundation will help. Minneapolis and Berlin teams have experiences, so let us know if your team is interested.

As of November 2016, Bridge Foundry is planning (still early stage) to have a similar funding system in UK, London base. Let's see how it will go.