March 20th, 2014 IRC Meeting

Decisions

1. Plan for 5/9 Fundraiser
   1. Goals
      1. How much? Does it go up at the door?
      2. How much do we aim to raise?
      3. Schedule & Performer Slots
      4. How much should we compensate the acts?
   2. Finances
      1. What other ways can we fundraise at it?
   3. pad

Upcoming Event List

1. 3/22 - 3/23, LibrePlanet 2014 Conference, MIT, Cambridge, MA
2. 3/25, Tues., Net Neutrality and the Future of Internet Access, 7-9pm, at Tufts University.
3. 4/26, noon, Jobs Not Jails: Rally to End Mass Incarceration and Fund Job Creation, Boston Common

Participants

• jokeefe (James O'Keefe, Somerville)
• srevilak (Steve Revilak, Arlington, MA)
• Kendra
• JCF
• Bluestreak

Observers:

• ageis
• davidd

Summary

Fundraiser.

Donation page: http://do.nr/g08B

Goal: to raise $1000--$2000 after expenses.

Seems to be a consensus on asking for $20 in advance, $40 at the door (activists ball had $40 @ door). For students, ask for $10 in advance, $20 at the door.

Food: perhaps budget $5/head.

Budget $200 for entertainment, but leaving discretion to person hiring the entertainment.

Tentative schedule

• 7pm people arrive and mingle. Possibly with DJ in the background
• 8pm. Political portion of the schedule. Panel discussion or candidate Q&A
• 9-11pm. Entertainment. One or two acts.

We can use the fundraiser to recruit candidate volunteers.

Meeting Minutes

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[9:02pm] JCF: Hi Jason Fiero West NY, NJ. [9:02pm] srevilak: hi all [9:03pm] Bluestreak: Ahoy srevilak! [9:04pm] jokeefe: ids - James O'Keefe, Somerville [9:04pm] jokeefe: hi all [9:04pm] Kendra joined the chat room. [9:04pm] Bluestreak: Lucia Fiero, Medway, MA [9:04pm] Bluestreak: KENDRA! [9:05pm] Kendra: Hi, Kendra Moyer, Highland Park, MI [9:05pm] Bluestreak: Kissy kissy love love [9:05pm] srevilak: jokeefe: are you working on meeting wiki page? [9:05pm] JCF: Hi Kendra! [9:05pm] jokeefe: aye, srevilak [9:05pm] Kendra: How's it going? saw the parade pics on the blog. [9:05pm] srevilak: jokeefe: will wait for you [9:07pm] jokeefe: agenda at http://masspirates.org/wiki/March_20th,_2014_IRC_Meeting [9:08pm] jokeefe: Any objections to settling as much of the Fundraiser details as we can? [9:08pm] Bluestreak: What do you want to discuss, sir? [9:08pm] srevilak: jokeefe: no objections [9:09pm] jokeefe: going once [9:09pm] jokeefe: going twice [9:09pm] Bluestreak: Dude, it's your show. [9:10pm] Kendra: What is left to be settled? [9:10pm] Bluestreak: LOL [9:10pm] jokeefe: k, How much to charge? Does it go up at the door? [9:10pm] Bluestreak: yes [9:10pm] srevilak: Kendra: items listed on http://masspirates.org/wiki/March_20th,_2014_IRC_Meeting [9:10pm] Bluestreak: up at the door encourages pre-reg [9:10pm] jokeefe: yes [9:11pm] jokeefe: $10/$20? [9:11pm] srevilak: If we're doing a range of donation levels, how does "up at the door" work? [9:12pm] srevilak: Perhaps minimum suggested donation goes up at the door? [9:12pm] Bluestreak: 10/15 better [9:12pm] Bluestreak: IMO [9:13pm] srevilak: I like 10/20 as minimum. Round numbers [9:13pm] Kendra: Pay more at the door thatn in advance. Maybe a sliding scale of no less than $10 but ask for $30-50 recommended donation. With no one turned away for lack of funds. It is a fundraiser, might as well aim high. [9:14pm] srevilak: Agree with Kendra. If someone wants to give 50, or $100, I'd like to give them that opportunity [9:14pm] JCF: Dont think anyone can give more than $50 cash due to the wierd donation regulations.. [9:14pm] Bluestreak: I am in negotiations with another entertainer. Kendra, remember this guy? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Light-Painting-Portraits/269077289774224 [9:14pm] jokeefe: The web page looks like: http://do.nr/g08B [9:14pm] srevilak: JCF: will check MGL ch 55 [9:15pm] JCF: >50 has to be check or CC or something "trackable"...Steve am I right about that? [9:15pm] JCF: thanks [9:15pm] jokeefe: yes, JCF [9:15pm] JCF: we might want to get a CC thing that we can use thru a smart phone at some point... [9:16pm] srevilak: jokeefe: donor page looks good to me [9:16pm] JCF: yea... if they can donate thru the site that would rock.. [9:16pm] jokeefe: should the tiers mean anything? [9:17pm] jokeefe: Gunner gets you a T-shirt, Navigator gets you a signed t-shirt? [9:17pm] srevilak: jokeefe: we could say what we'd do with $x dollars [9:18pm] srevilak: IMO, no T-shirts for under $100 [9:18pm] jokeefe: So folks are happy with $10 as the starting price. but we aren't sure if it is $15 or $20 at the door [9:18pm] srevilak: make them special [9:18pm] JCF: we can make some badges/buttons.. for smaller donations [9:18pm] srevilak: jokeefe: $20 at door. [9:19pm] jokeefe: like the idea, JCF [9:19pm] JCF: Make it so [9:19pm] jokeefe: aye, do [9:19pm] srevilak: if we've decided not to turn people away for lack of funds, no harm in asking for 20. If they can only give 10 or 15, then fine [9:19pm] Kendra: So maybe how about $20 at the door $15 in advance? [9:19pm] jokeefe: Get a flag for the Sailing Master Ticket ticket? [9:20pm] jokeefe: lets think about it this way. [9:20pm] jokeefe: How much do we want to raise? [9:20pm] jokeefe: The space holds 100-150 [9:20pm] Bluestreak: Doh [9:21pm] srevilak: I'd like to raise $1000 (ie. 100 @ $10) [9:22pm] jokeefe: right, srevilak, but what does it cost us to raise the $1000 [9:22pm] jokeefe: ? [9:22pm] srevilak: and spend no more than $400, preferably $300 [9:23pm] srevilak: so, $1000 gross receipts, $400 expenses = net $600 [9:23pm] srevilak: but hopefully we take in more and spend less [9:23pm] JCF: we clear ~1500 we raise 1K... yea that would be a decent goal. [9:24pm] jokeefe: net of $600 seems small. [9:25pm] Bluestreak: OK [9:25pm] JCF: try 1K + expenses... thinking a little bigger... [9:25pm] Kendra: To break even and get about $1000-$2000 after expenses it needs to be promoted. This weekend would be a good time to show that it will be a fun event. It's hard to guage who will attend, but if enough people know and it seems like a fun event, you can probably at least clear $1000. If the right people show up, more. Is there a limit on the one time donation? [9:25pm] Bluestreak: We CAN ask for donations there like they did at the Cammy Dee fundraiser. [9:25pm] Bluestreak: And we can "sell" swag [9:25pm] Kendra: sorry i said "fun event" so many times, but it is a butts in seats issue. [9:26pm] jokeefe: agreed. [9:26pm] jokeefe: on all points [9:26pm] Bluestreak: agreed to what? [9:26pm] Bluestreak: lol [9:26pm] JCF: Limit on annual donations is $500/person/yr.. can be all at once.. [9:26pm] srevilak: sounds like we're getting some consensus around $1000 net as a goal [9:27pm] srevilak: I'm fine with that [9:27pm] jokeefe: what to shoot for. If we can go higher, all the better. [9:28pm] jokeefe: so, in terms of expenses, we have $100 for the space. How much for food and performers? [9:28pm] Bluestreak: Capiora group is asking 300 min! [9:28pm] Bluestreak: Nope [9:28pm] Bluestreak: Nogotiating with https://www.facebook.com/pages/Light-Painting-Portraits/269077289774224 [9:29pm] srevilak: For food, do we want a total budget, or budget it per head? [9:29pm] Bluestreak: He did Dance Friday 100% for exposure. [9:29pm] Bluestreak: English muffins are already paid for! LOL [9:29pm] Bluestreak: 100% free that is [9:29pm] jokeefe: probably budget per head, though some of the expenses could be in-kind [9:30pm] Bluestreak: Going to work on him do work for donations at our thing. [9:30pm] Bluestreak: expense in kind... send me the memo... [9:30pm] Bluestreak: (Don't know what that means!) [9:31pm] JCF: sounds like it will be hard to hold costs below 500 unless we really limit our range of entertainment and food.. need to find entertainers who will work for exposure.. [9:31pm] srevilak: re food: I'm thinking, if we get 75 people and spend $5 each, that's $375 [9:32pm] srevilak: that's like 2 slices of pizza and a glass of soda [9:32pm] srevilak: thoughts on per/person food budget? [9:33pm] Bluestreak: My thoughts: That sounds like abysmal fare [9:33pm] JCF: well... what if we get Andy LuLu?... those stuffed breads.. awesome [9:33pm] Bluestreak: Will he work for free? [9:33pm] Kendra: If you do $250 on food (cheese, crackers, veggies, hummus, pita bread, soda, and a dessert like cookies), it would be nicer given the door price. You can get most of that at Market Basket cheap. [9:33pm] jokeefe: well if that is the case then $10 at the door is way too little, Bluestreak [9:34pm] JCF: 15/20? [9:34pm] Bluestreak: I think is my least favorite job since joing the MPP [9:34pm] JCF: I know Steve likes whole numbers but.. [9:35pm] Bluestreak: Activists' Ball was 40 at door [9:35pm] jokeefe: $15/$20 doesn't give as much of an incentive to register early [9:35pm] srevilak: how about 20 advance, 40 @ door? [9:35pm] Bluestreak: (They just keep printing money til what we have's not worth nuthin'!) [9:35pm] Bluestreak: There you go! [9:35pm] Kendra: More of a party atmosphere tohave a nice range of food. The recommended door should be $20-50 with emphasis that the event is a fund-raiser. [9:35pm] Bluestreak: Massive savings fgor pre-reg [9:35pm] Kendra: It's a range but you could start high. [9:35pm] JCF: yea food is going up and natural gas even more... [9:36pm] JCF: yea 20/40 .. me likey [9:36pm] Kendra: I like the 20/4 split as well. [9:36pm] Bluestreak: 2nd [9:36pm] jokeefe: srevilak? [9:37pm] srevilak: ok w/ 20/40 [9:37pm] Bluestreak: Don't even need to vote! [9:38pm] Kendra: Also, get a carbon copy receipt book with the address stub and # to keep track of who donated what. It's a lot easier. [9:38pm] jokeefe: aye [9:38pm] Kendra: aye on 20/40 [9:38pm] Bluestreak: aye [9:39pm] srevilak: Kendra, jokeefe: I'd be in favor of having a laptop (or two) where people could type in their information [9:39pm] jokeefe: what about 10/20/40 with 10 before March, 20 before the door, 40 at the door? [9:39pm] jokeefe: whatever way works srevilak, though I think multiply paper works well [9:39pm] jokeefe: 10 before April that it [9:39pm] jokeefe: is [9:40pm] srevilak: jokeefe: I like 20/40 more than 10/20/40 [9:40pm] Kendra: I think $10 is too low, but a good student price. [9:40pm] Bluestreak: Genius! [9:40pm] Bluestreak: Student pricing [9:40pm] jokeefe: are we 18+? [9:41pm] Kendra: No alcohol at DC, so I would say all ages [9:41pm] srevilak: I don't recall the democracy center having an 18+ restriction. Kendra, do you remember? [9:41pm] JCF: hmmm can discourage budding Pirates so we sould welcome all ages [9:41pm] jokeefe: including younger than 18, Kendra? [9:41pm] jokeefe: all ages [9:41pm] JCF: can = can't [9:41pm] jokeefe: maybe $10/$20 with student id? [9:41pm] Kendra: I don't think they do, but you should check. It is a sober space. [9:42pm] srevilak: jokeefe: I'm in favor of 10/20 w student id [9:42pm] Bluestreak: 2nd [9:42pm] srevilak: of even if they claim to be a student [9:42pm] Kendra: aye [9:42pm] jokeefe: id if they look too old [9:42pm] JCF: ok [9:43pm] jokeefe: great [9:43pm] jokeefe: seems settled [9:43pm] jokeefe: schedule [9:43pm] jokeefe: 7-11? [9:43pm] srevilak: 7-11 seems good [9:43pm] srevilak: request that part of the evening be dedicated to politics [9:44pm] srevilak: e.g., panel discussion, or candidate Q&A [9:44pm] JCF: what kind of forum Steve? [9:44pm] JCF: ok.. [9:44pm] JCF: I like both [9:44pm] jokeefe: how about panel 6-7pm [9:44pm] srevilak: rationale: if people donate to political party, they probably have an interest in politics [9:44pm] Kendra: Candidate speeches and upcoming campaigns. state of the union, surveillance state update, etc [9:45pm] srevilak: jokeefe: if we're starting at 7, how about panel from 7-8 [9:45pm] jokeefe: so, panel 7-8, three sets 8-11? [9:45pm] JCF: too early to have it immediately .. late arrivers will be disruptive .. possibly.. [9:45pm] Kendra: Maybe mix and mingle 7-8, then panel 8-9 and then partay. [9:46pm] JCF: yea.. agree with Kendra' [9:46pm] srevilak: Kendra: I like that idea [9:46pm] Bluestreak: I have no opionion [9:46pm] Kendra: It will also shorten the time to pay the performers and save some $$ [9:46pm] Bluestreak: I defer to y'all [9:47pm] Bluestreak: YES! Kendra good point [9:47pm] jokeefe: true, but 2 hours for performers seems small [9:47pm] srevilak: jokeefe: If we pick one act, two hours is a good time period [9:47pm] Kendra: There can be a set during the mix and mingle part too, even just a dj [9:47pm] Bluestreak left the chat room. (Quit: Web client closed) [9:47pm] srevilak: Kendra: true [9:48pm] jokeefe: true, but then we need to rely on the act being very good [9:48pm] JCF: hmmm didnt pay our fios bill>? [9:48pm] Bluestreak joined the chat room. [9:48pm] Bluestreak: OOPS [9:48pm] JCF: heh [9:48pm] Kendra: Not to jump ahead, but have we chosen the acts yet?