[PLUG] What PLUG needs (benifits of 501c3)

[J Henshaw]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter W" <shark at sharky.dyndns.org>
To: <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 8:50 AM
Subject: RE: [PLUG] What PLUG needs (benifits of 501c3)


> On Tue, 2002-06-11 at 08:27, Mark Wills wrote:
>
>  [snip]
>
> > What I'm getting at, is unless you anticipate significant grants, the
> > overhead isn't worth all the effort.
> >
> > Mark
> >

Mark, Peter - Check over on www.col-ed.org for the grants currently
available.

I was looking last year for just such grants and there were two rather large
ones that had just closed for bidding,  but it may be that there are some
new ones open.

You ideas make sense to me.

jH

>
> I wonder how much $ we could get in donations?  It could definitely be
> worth it if we ended up with some money. ;)
>
>
> It seems to me that PLUG does a great job of supporting PLUG (current
> Linux/Unix users).  What PLUG doesn't seem to do as good a job of is
> converting lots of M$ users to Linux (please forgive me if I'm wrong).
>
> Two benefits I see of having an "official" organization:
>
> 1) $$*.  With this, we can buy hardware (including projector) and
> (possibly) speakers from afar; with those two things might come more
> people to meetings.  From this, we have more $.  And eventually, with
> more $$ we can also do a variaty of advocacy (we can do it now, but not
> certain types).  We could help schools buy huge Xeon systems so they
> could convert old labs to K12LTSP Linux Labs.  We could buy Linux or
> Linux-related books to put in both public libraries and school
> libraries.  We could buy ads in the paper, or cool posters (placed in
> college campuses or any other place lots of possible converts hang
> out).  We could buy flags for rallys and protests ... (ok, you get the
> picture.) ;)
>
> 2) (better?) Public relations.  Currently, we all know (or can figure
> out) who to go to if we want to talk w/ the "main guy" begind the group
> or the server or ...  But the media doesn't.  If KGW wanted to do a
> Linux-related story, they might have better luck getting our perspective
> if there were an "official" PR person listed on the website or
> something.  If PLUG decides it has issues with current bills, we could
> have the "PLUG President" call up the senator and say "I represent PLUG
> which has 1000 members and we don't like House Bill 10032".  This is
> also more possible if we have "official members" (or a count of how many
> there are on the PLUG website).
>
>
> So it seems to that if we care about advancing the state of Linux
> related things and increasing the number of people using it then having
> plug be an "official" .ORG would be helpful.  If we can do these things
> without bothering with "official" .ORG hassles (and we want to do these
> things) then thats fine w/ me. :)
>
>
> *: Eventually, after everyone in portland is member and we have lots of
> $$, we can pay our unemployed members to write us some nifty software.
> ;)
>
>
> ~Peter
>
> p.s.- one LUG i know of that acts this way is LUGOD.  See:
> http://www.lugod.org (esp. Services>Documents>Objectives).  I've emailed
> one of there members about advantages/disadvantages of 501c3 and will
> forward the response here.
>
>
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