[Conlangs-Conf] Funding update, request for help

Hello, all.

I just concluded my meeting with the ASUC financial committee (am
still in senate chambers even).

I was expecting to get $200 (the normal cap for a 1st year group),
asked for $2500, and got $450.

The catch: funds cannot be used for food/drinks, tech, or honoraria
(which are $1745 of the $2535 budget). Those will need to be covered
by grants or other funding. (It does cover goods like plates and such
though, oddly.) I'll also need to come back next week for a fee waiver
on the Tilden room, but that should be automatic and is assumed in the
budget already.

Offered donations so far total $385 above door fees. I have gotten one
$300 grant, and am waiting on decision on the second. Assuming >30
people attending paying the low door fee of $5, that makes for another
$150 - for a total of $1285 funded so far.

That means we have $1250 to make up, or $590 without food. Part of
that should be covered by the second grant, but it's still a
significant gap.

It's possible that SLUgS could duplicate my efforts and request both
ASUC sponsorship and grants, but they seem to be inactive this
semester - I've not heard anything from them, nor any response to
emails. (I wonder if I could just take over the group? It's just an
organizational skeleton without members, and should be possible to
simply sign up as its signatories and thus gain control of it...)

Lastly, the budget is intended to be a conservative one. Some line
items may turn out costing less than budgeted for. (Honoraria, if
speakers can get outside funding for their travel expenses or if the
$200 honoraria contingency turns out to not be needed; and food, if
donated or gotten for <$600 food & drink for all.) Some might go over
though - printing costs, etc. I've not budgeted for T-shirts, but
hopefully that will be a profit item or at least break even. I also
forgot to budget for advertising (flyers and the like), so that comes
out of contingency fund.

So, the rest needs to come from other sources... businesses,
departmental funding, maybe (?) something from Ethnic Studies, higher
attendance / door fee committments (a more optimistic projection of 45
people x $15 would increase funds by $500), other donors, etc.


What this means for you:
1. Please email Chairs / Professors Kihlstrom (CogSci) and Inkelas
(Linguistics) and ask them to help sponsor this event. They will
probably be more responsive to academic "pitches", especially ones
that show how it would benefit the standing of the department, the
university, or if it would argue for an increase/decrease in undergrad
/ graduate major enrollment (which directly hits their pocketbook).
"Sharon Inkelas" <inkelas@...>,
"John F. Kihlstrom" <jfkihlstrom@...>,

2. If you know any businesses or individuals willing to donate money
or supplies - please pitch them on my behalf and CC me. Perhaps
another university (or student group?) would be willing to help fund
this? Obviously, sponsorship is exchangeable for advertising space /
acknowledgements in the program / flyers / etc or similar
considerations.

Stuff that could be donated:
* food
* drinks
* copy costs
* tech (see below for needs - highest costs are digital projector,
camcorder, and spare laptop)

I've copied the budget below, in case it is of interest. It should be
tab & CRLF delimited - just paste into a table / spreadsheet for
prettiness.

Ask me if you have questions.

 - Sai



Conlangs Conference - Budget		ONE-DAY
Category	Specific	Projected
LCS long-term gear & advertising	Conlang flag	$80
	Collapsable table	$40
	Butcher paper	$30
	Markers	$10

Event tech - $385/day	2 wireless mic kits (receiver, 2 lav, 2 stick)	$40
	1 MiniDV camcorder + tripod	$75
	8 MiniDV tapes	$25
	1 projector	$100
	1 laptop	$50
	1 audio mixer	$20
	2 laser pointers	$10
	1 wireless powerpoint remote	$5
	3 extension cords, 2 ethernet cables, 1 vga cable, 2 carts	$0
	2 small portable PA speakers	$40
	3 portable tables	$10
	2 table microphone stands	$10

Event food	food ($5 * 100 /day)	$500
	drinks ($1 * 100 /day)	$100
	plates, napkins, forks, etc ($.60 * 100 /day)	$60

Other event supplies	programs (20p * 100 * $.03/p)	$60
	name tags ($.50 * 100)	$50
	name tag stickers	$20
	Conlang lapel pins? / tshirts?	

Honoraria	David Peterson (UCSD)	$70
	Sarah Higley (UR)	$200
	Matt Pearson (Reed)	$180
	Others (TBD)	$200
	Bus service / phone calls / misc	$50

Contingency fund		$300

Event housing	April 22nd room; April 23rd building managers fees	$200

	TOTAL:	$2,535
	TOTAL MINUS FOOD:	$1,875

Funding		
ASUC	ASUC Sponsorship	$450
	Leadership Development Fund	$300
	Intellectual Community Fund	$300
Departmental	Linguistics	$0
	CogSci	$0
Business donations		$0
Private donations	[7 people]	$350	
Door fees	30 x $5	$150
Auction	Signed copy of Laadan - Book & Tape	
	Conlang Flag (1)	
	TOTAL	$1,585