Thread: Call for Donations
Hello, You can read a lot of stuff below, or you can just donate: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate As some of you know (most of you won't) I am the PostgreSQL SPI Liason. What does that mean? Well you can read more about that here: http://fundraising.postgresql.org/ I am writing today because we need to start a fund raising drive for a few upcoming expenses. This is not an exhaustive list. It is just what is on *my* immediate radar. This email is *not* about fund raising ideas. If you wish to present those, please start a new thread. Ideas are welcome. Here are some specific expenses I would like to see us raise some money for: 8.2 CD . When 8.2 hits, I want to make sure that we have a new batch for all upcoming shows. Talks: We have many people starting to do PostgreSQL specific talks. I would like to sponsor these talks as we are able. One of the conditions of being sponsored for a talk, is that your presentation material be made available to the community. Advocacy material: currently we dont have any dedicated advocacy material for postgresql booths, which leaves us at the mercy of donors for every show. while some of these items have been quite good, we are not able to present a consistent, high level of quality for our handouts. I would like to have some of this material created and printed specifically for the community (without corporate advertisements) Signs: We need a new banner for the shows. The one that CMD printed up might make it through USENIX LISA but isn't going to make it much farther. The one that JoshB has has begun to yellow. Shirts: I would like to start printing shirts for shows. The idea would be to take initial donations to print the shirt (high quality) and then give the shirts to people who donate more than -x- money at a show. Pins. We need to run a batch of pins. So if you would like to help PostgreSQL financially in it's further Advocacy efforts please donate: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate Recent Successes: The PostgreSQL Anniversary Summit. Robert Treat at PHP/Works Chris Browne at LinuxFest Ohio 8.1 CDs Upcoming Successes: USENIX Lisa David Fetter, Conisli, São Paulo, Brazil (keynote) David Fetter, FOSS.IN/2006, Bangalore, India Linux.Conf.Au/PostgreSQL (Still working on this with Gavin Sherry) OSBC 07 OSCON 07 LinuxWorld West 07 Sincerely, Joshua D. Drake -- === The PostgreSQL Company: Command Prompt, Inc. === Sales/Support: +1.503.667.4564 || 24x7/Emergency: +1.800.492.2240 Providing the most comprehensive PostgreSQL solutions since 1997 http://www.commandprompt.com/ Donate to the PostgreSQL Project: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate
Community, Please note that we are also planning on having a donor listing somewhere on the postgresql.org web site Real Soon Now. We're just being held up at this point by the necessity of developing the technology and donor accounting. -- --Josh Josh Berkus PostgreSQL @ Sun San Francisco
Josh Berkus wrote:
> Community,
>
> Please note that we are also planning on having a donor listing somewhere
> on the postgresql.org web site Real Soon Now. We're just being held up at
> this point by the necessity of developing the technology and donor
> accounting.
Good point Josh! :). Yes we will be making all appropriate public thanks
as soon as we are able.
Sincerely,
Joshua D. Drake
--
=== The PostgreSQL Company: Command Prompt, Inc. ===
Sales/Support: +1.503.667.4564 || 24x7/Emergency: +1.800.492.2240
Providing the most comprehensive PostgreSQL solutions since 1997
http://www.commandprompt.com/
Donate to the PostgreSQL Project: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate
Joshua D. Drake wrote: > http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate Why are France and Germany "regional projects" when it seems that the SPI operation is regionally limited Canada and USA? (Actually, it is my understanding that the "France" group is more of a Francophonie group.) Not that I really care about those spelling-level details, but would that mean that regionally donated funds are only used regionally, and nonregional funds are used anywhere? Or what is the difference? -- Peter Eisentraut http://developer.postgresql.org/~petere/
Peter Eisentraut wrote: > Joshua D. Drake wrote: >> http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate > > Why are France and Germany "regional projects" when it seems that the > SPI operation is regionally limited Canada and USA? (Actually, it is > my understanding that the "France" group is more of a Francophonie > group.) Not that I really care about those spelling-level details, but > would that mean that regionally donated funds are only used regionally, > and nonregional funds are used anywhere? Or what is the difference? > I am the one that wrote up that page. It was the only sane delineation that I came up with. It would probably be better to have: Donate Regionally: North America/Other Germany France Japan (Once I get the info) Does that seem reasonable? Sincerely, Joshua D. Drake -- === The PostgreSQL Company: Command Prompt, Inc. === Sales/Support: +1.503.667.4564 || 24x7/Emergency: +1.800.492.2240 Providing the most comprehensive PostgreSQL solutions since 1997 http://www.commandprompt.com/ Donate to the PostgreSQL Project: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate
On Tuesday 24 October 2006 19:02, Peter Eisentraut wrote: > Joshua D. Drake wrote: > > http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate > > Why are France and Germany "regional projects" when it seems that the > SPI operation is regionally limited Canada and USA? (Actually, it is > my understanding that the "France" group is more of a Francophonie > group.) Not that I really care about those spelling-level details, but > would that mean that regionally donated funds are only used regionally, > and nonregional funds are used anywhere? Or what is the difference? My personal view is that the SPI group actually casts the widest net, not because it is "american" but because SPI is a much larger organization with many international ties, and falling under that just makes it take on a wider significance; certainly SPI is no stranger to receiving international support. This is not to slight the German or French groups, who have had pretty good success aiui, but I don't think either of those groups have high priority plans to reach out internationally, where as the SPI group does (imho). -- Robert Treat Build A Brighter LAMP :: Linux Apache {middleware} PostgreSQL
Robert Treat wrote: > On Tuesday 24 October 2006 19:02, Peter Eisentraut wrote: >> Joshua D. Drake wrote: >>> http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate >> Why are France and Germany "regional projects" when it seems that the >> SPI operation is regionally limited Canada and USA? As a side note to this... It is not Canada and USA. Anyone can Donate to SPI. Joshua D. Drake -- === The PostgreSQL Company: Command Prompt, Inc. === Sales/Support: +1.503.667.4564 || 24x7/Emergency: +1.800.492.2240 Providing the most comprehensive PostgreSQL solutions since 1997 http://www.commandprompt.com/ Donate to the PostgreSQL Project: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate
Joshua D. Drake wrote: > Robert Treat wrote: > > On Tuesday 24 October 2006 19:02, Peter Eisentraut wrote: > >> Joshua D. Drake wrote: > >>> http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate > >> > >> Why are France and Germany "regional projects" when it seems that > >> the SPI operation is regionally limited Canada and USA? > > As a side note to this... It is not Canada and USA. Anyone can Donate > to SPI. I see. I was thrown off by the "American or Canadian check" thing, but I see there is a credit card option. AFAICT, the payment options for the France and Germany groups are also open internationally. Of course random guests from around the world will be less likely to even read their web sites that far ... ;-) -- Peter Eisentraut http://developer.postgresql.org/~petere/
On Tue, Oct 24, 2006 at 11:20:18PM -0400, Robert Treat wrote:
> because it is "american" but because SPI is a much larger organization with
But, uh, SPI _is_ USian. You can write off donations to it in the
US. Not in Canada, last I checked. And financial details are all
that is pertinent to us, since all SPI does is collect our funds. We
didn't join SPI to be part of their club; we joined them because they
offered a service that we needed, and that we couldn't provide
ourselves, relatively cheaply. That service was "US tax deductable
foundation status".
A
--
Andrew Sullivan | ajs@crankycanuck.ca
The whole tendency of modern prose is away from concreteness.
--George Orwell
Peter Eisentraut wrote: > Joshua D. Drake wrote: >> Robert Treat wrote: >>> On Tuesday 24 October 2006 19:02, Peter Eisentraut wrote: >>>> Joshua D. Drake wrote: >>>>> http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate >>>> Why are France and Germany "regional projects" when it seems that >>>> the SPI operation is regionally limited Canada and USA? >> As a side note to this... It is not Canada and USA. Anyone can Donate >> to SPI. > > I see. I was thrown off by the "American or Canadian check" thing, but > I see there is a credit card option. Also I believe SPI can also take international check but it takes quite a hit on transaction fees. I would have to check with Berkus though. > > AFAICT, the payment options for the France and Germany groups are also > open internationally. Of course random guests from around the world > will be less likely to even read their web sites that far ... ;-) > True :). Sincerely, Joshua D. Drake -- === The PostgreSQL Company: Command Prompt, Inc. === Sales/Support: +1.503.667.4564 || 24x7/Emergency: +1.800.492.2240 Providing the most comprehensive PostgreSQL solutions since 1997 http://www.commandprompt.com/ Donate to the PostgreSQL Project: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate
Josh, > Also I believe SPI can also take international check but it takes quite > a hit on transaction fees. I would have to check with Berkus though. Not with our existing bank. I'm planning on changing banks anyway, but as the *last* step in the current accounting/treasurer overhaul. > > AFAICT, the payment options for the France and Germany groups are also > > open internationally. Of course random guests from around the world > > will be less likely to even read their web sites that far ... ;-) > > True :). I think it would be a better idea to represent them as co-equals anyway. Especially when we link JPUG; given that they are the largest PostgreSQL NPO (membership, revenue) it would be very strange to represent them as an "alternative" to SPI. -- Josh Berkus PostgreSQL @ Sun San Francisco
On Wednesday 25 October 2006 08:34, Andrew Sullivan wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 24, 2006 at 11:20:18PM -0400, Robert Treat wrote:
> > because it is "american" but because SPI is a much larger organization
> > with
>
> But, uh, SPI _is_ USian. You can write off donations to it in the
> US. Not in Canada, last I checked. And financial details are all
> that is pertinent to us, since all SPI does is collect our funds. We
> didn't join SPI to be part of their club; we joined them because they
> offered a service that we needed, and that we couldn't provide
> ourselves, relatively cheaply. That service was "US tax deductable
> foundation status".
>
So you're saying you would like to see less participation internationally
within the SPI group ??
--
Robert Treat
Build A Brighter LAMP :: Linux Apache {middleware} PostgreSQL
Robert Treat wrote:
> On Wednesday 25 October 2006 08:34, Andrew Sullivan wrote:
>> On Tue, Oct 24, 2006 at 11:20:18PM -0400, Robert Treat wrote:
>>> because it is "american" but because SPI is a much larger organization
>>> with
>> But, uh, SPI _is_ USian. You can write off donations to it in the
>> US. Not in Canada, last I checked.
You can if you are a company, but not an individual (I think). I am not
exactly sure how Canada does it but in the US CMD can write off
donations to SPI regardless of the 501c3 status.
>>
>
> So you're saying you would like to see less participation internationally
> within the SPI group ??
>
I do not believe that is what he is saying.
Sincerely,
Joshua D. Drake
--
=== The PostgreSQL Company: Command Prompt, Inc. ===
Sales/Support: +1.503.667.4564 || 24x7/Emergency: +1.800.492.2240
Providing the most comprehensive PostgreSQL solutions since 1997
http://www.commandprompt.com/
Donate to the PostgreSQL Project: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate
On Wed, Oct 25, 2006 at 03:57:38PM -0400, Robert Treat wrote:
>
> So you're saying you would like to see less participation internationally
> within the SPI group ??
I haven't the faintest idea how you could interpret anything I said
as suggesting that. But no, what I was saying is that claims for
some sort of more-international character for SPI are both irrelevant
and false.
A
--
Andrew Sullivan | ajs@crankycanuck.ca
This work was visionary and imaginative, and goes to show that visionary
and imaginative work need not end up well.
--Dennis Ritchie
On Wed, Oct 25, 2006 at 01:37:34PM -0700, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> You can if you are a company, but not an individual (I think). I am not
> exactly sure how Canada does it but in the US CMD can write off
> donations to SPI regardless of the 501c3 status.
Well, a company here could write it off as some sort of business
expense (for, e.g. community advertising or something). But IANAA
("accountant").
A
--
Andrew Sullivan | ajs@crankycanuck.ca
The plural of anecdote is not data.
--Roger Brinner
Folks, Just so everyone knows, the fundraising campaign is off to a great start. We've raised over $3000 in the last 48 hours, mostly due to one donor (whom I will name as soon as I know that he wants me to). Mind you, the requests Drake has already recieved I think exceed $20,000, so we still have a ways to go ... -- --Josh Josh Berkus PostgreSQL @ Sun San Francisco