National Capital FreeNet 1997 Budget Overview 1. 1997 Budget - Key Assumptions 2. 1997 Budget - Highlights 3. NCF 1997 Strategy/Budget Cross-Reference 1997 Budget - Key Assumptions 1. Institution of mandatory membership renewal to improve donation revenue - donation estimates detailed in budget financial data. 2. Four, full-time staff: - Executive Director - Senior System Administrator - Junior System Administrator - Office Administrator 3. No change in telecommunications facilities planned. 4. No new service initiatives, unless funded by a specific grant. 5. Budget is very conservative - it does not project revenue from government or corporate donations, although several proposals have been submitted to both governments and corporations. 6. Development Officer to be considered if a suitable candidate can be found - must raise 3 or more times cost to NCF. 1997 Budget - Highlights 1997 Budget 1996 Actual Opening Cash Balance $4.6K $96K Total Revenue $348K $230K (est) Total Expenses $341K $363K (est) Capital Acquisitions $14.8K $15K Closing Cash Balance $34.5K $4.6K Lowest Cash Balance $4.9K (Jan '97) $5K (Dec '96) (forecast) NCF 1997 Strategy/Budget Cross-Reference (Budget Responses to Strategy in italics) NCF MISSION "The National Capital FreeNet (NCF) is a free, computer-based information sharing network. It links the people and organizations of this region, provides useful information, and enables an open exchange of ideas with the world. Community involvement makes FreeNet an important and accessible meeting place, and prepares people for full participation in a rapidly changing communications environment." CURRENT SITUATION The National Capital FreeNet's greatest strength continues to be a growing base of active members who are our most important source of content and do most of the work. Our biggest worries are to: - ensure sustainable and reliable revenues. - remain widely relevant when a growing number of our current and potential members have access to commercial Internet accounts. Continuing challenges: - maintaining a friendly and participative atmosphere despite our growing size and sophistication - continuing to reach out to members of the community who are not yet on line. - simplifying running of the organization and maintenance of our systems and services The following specific goals assume stable, but modest, revenues and maintenance of existing services. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Committees or task forces are in place to focus on francophones, those lacking equipment (public access stations, St. Laurent outreach centre), and those having trouble getting started (Speakers' Bureau, OutReach Task Force). The Public Relations Task Force is working at keeping NCF a household word in the region. We need to continue to support these efforts and ensure that they accomplish their goals. These are large investments of volunteer effort, but require only minimal funds. Of the other groups listed as needing special focus since they were not well served, children, teachers, elected officials, and the media seem to be coming on-line rapidly and are now being served outside of NCF in many cases. We can access their content and communicate with them on their turf without necessarily enlisting them as members. Specific Public Participation Goals: - Increase the number of active members by 10%. This will be accomplished in part by organizing or providing speakers to at least 40 events reaching over 700 people, regular public service announcements, media events, and training sessions. - To be achieved through volunteer support. - Double the number of members whose language preference is French, especially through the removal of barriers to participation. - To be achieved through volunteer support. - Double the amount of information provided in French. - To be achieved through volunteer support. - Develop a visible presence of the self-employed/small businesses. - To be achieved through volunteer support. ORGANIZATION Our first priority is to stabilize revenues so that we can be confidant in our continued ability to serve. We need to build on the organization already built by continuing to encourage volunteers, nurture community spirit through off-line events, improve succession planning for key positions and simplify operations. Specific Organizational Goals: - Implement Development Strategy to produce revenues shown in the budget. - Development strategy is to focus on obtaining sustainable revenue from member donations, through the implementation of the mandatory account renewal program. Supplementary revenue for new initiatives is to be raised through government and corporate grants, if possible. - Obtain donated office space where all staff can work and key volunteers congregate. - Staff are currently working out of Carleton University donated office space - no change anticipated, although a move could be considered if suitable space were donated. - Actively work within the local community to build partnerships with other community organizations that have information networking needs and roles. Particular targets for 1997 are the media, local governments, organizations based in Quebec. - To be achieved through volunteer support. - Consider alternative funding models. - Done. Board is pursuing mandatory membership renewals. CONTENT We will continue to implement and refine World Wide Web tools, emphasizing information content and presentation. We need to have one of the busiest local web sites to keep the public's attention. We also need to strengthen our role as the best place to find information about this region. Specific Content Goals: - Track the number of and volume of traffic to personal and Information Provider Web pages. - To be achieved through volunteer support. - Develop search facilities to make NCF the preferred starting point for finding local information. - To be achieved through volunteer support. SERVICES FreePlan should take us giant strides forward. Our priority is to consolidate and refine its elements. Training members to create their own Web pages will be a major activity. Specific service goals: - Make it easy to find people and resources within the community. - To be achieved through volunteer support. NETWORK ACCESS We expect to maintain access services without major changes, unless multi-year funding is donated by sponsors. Specific Access Goals: - Decrease problems/ delays for members telnetting in. - Two full-time system administrators retained - Develop a less labour-intensive approach to public access stations. - To be achieved through volunteer support. -- Jeff Bossert (bossert@freenet.carleton.ca) : Treasurer and Director, National Capital FreeNet Senior Engineer, Comgate Engineering