Talk:Wikimedia budget/2005/Q1

Commentary from Wikimedia budget in January 2005:

• Actual 2004 budget : [1]
• Last quarter provisional budget : Wikimedia budget/Q4
• List of already planned or expected expenses for year 2005
• List of already planned or expected expenses for first quarter 2005.

Thoughts on Planned/expected expenses

Please consider creating a separate trust that is never dipped into; and additionally setting aside enough cash to a) handle a catastrophe and b) take on a full-time employee on short notice.

Thoughts on potential expenses from before the budget meeting (These are just personal thoughts and ideas, and do not reflect the official budget in any way. +sj+):

Contingencies

• 3 months' operations [ BW/hosting/maintenance/employees ].

$15k (but see office expenses, below)

• A separate WM Trust - consider setting aside 5-10% of incoming funds in a separate trust, to work towards self-sustenance [not only is this a good idea, many grant orgs look for signs of this].

(~$10k to date)

total: $25k set aside

Office expenses

• Equivalent funds for 1 FTE (with all that entails, ~$5k/mo) for 3 months, should there be a sudden need / a short-term opportunity to snag the perfect person.
  • Budget for the initial costs of drawing up legal docs / other paperwork for foundation employees : $5k?

total: $20k available for this (including contingency fund?  not all of it, surely...)

Hardware / BW

• At least 3xQ1 Hardware costs, even if we get lots of external hosting. Consider buying 20% more machines than we 'need'. Q1: $70k ($72k with the extra 20%)
• At least 3xQ1 Bandwidth/Hosting costs, " " -- consider covering 100% of these expenses. Q1: $8k/mo avg. (currently 70-80 Mbps @ $75/Mbps/mo)

total: $95k in Q1

Travel

• At least a handful of scholarships for Wikimania, + perhaps more people w/travel budgets in the fall : 50-100%? more for Q3,Q4 than for Q4 last year

total: ~$5k for Q1

Outreach

• University gatherings; houseparties/libraryparties for editing/fact-checking -- flyers, prizes, food: $50-$100/event * ~60 events this spring: $5k, 40% in Q1
• Funds to start chapters : $300 * 3 chapters: $1k
• Event booths: 5 events @ $0-$300/event : $1k

total: $4k for Q1

Other

• Insurance - legal (libel, other liability), catastrophic? (server farms), other?
• Accountant - $nk [find separate international accountant?]
• Interns - Chad, et al. $.5k/mo
• [Dev contract - $8k]
• Collateral - Business cards, leaflets, buttons, poster stands, misc. $300/mo

total: $10k?  (insurance varies widely, perhaps nothing this Q) 

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Total: includes $115k in expenses + $25-$45k set aside.

Some line items from the Q4 budget have not been listed above (Domain names, trademarks, bank/CC expenses); which add to quarterly expenses.