DebConf/DebConf/Accounting

Accounting and Budgeting is the basis of any organization's or any commercial activity. For Debconf follows the classical a simplified version of Double-entry book-keeping .

Debconf organizes uses ledger which is a command-line tool to do budgeting. There are only two things that are needed to be tracked of and shared publicly , Receipts and Expenses.

While in ledger you need to add each transaction using the principles and rules of double-entry book-keeping as and when it happens and confirmation is there of Receipts ( Sponsorship Funding, Corporate Attendee fees, funds from selling Debian merchandising etc. )

and authorized expenses. Travel, Accommodation, Catering expenses 3 times meals for partial or fully sponsored attendees and any other expenses mutually agreed between the local Debconf Organising team and Debconf committee ,

At the time of Bid an initial assessment of potential sponsors and limit of attendees who will be attending the conference is drawn. These could be thought of as baseline figures. The methodology is a rough estimation of what the budget would be like. Having too low or high baseline figures may get you bid outbidded depending upon if there are more than one bids. Finances are the not the only concern on which Debconfs are awarded but is one of the important reasons on which bids are graded.

At the time of bid submission, the only details you would only have an estimation of potential expenses that you will have to make per 100 people depending upon number of core and non-core local contributors.

As you start communicating with Potential Sponsors you are more clear of your funding goals to be met as well as potential number of attendees that you can take care of without having major organizational headaches. Ideally, you should be able to able to have a final estimation of Receipts and Expenses couple of months before Debconf occurs, giving the current DPL ample time to respond to any queries and helping in shaping Debconf to be sustainable for later years as well. If the event is able to pay for itself or even able to have a surplus the DPL may not say anything but if it Debian funds are to deployed (in case of shortfall) he is obligated by his responsibilities of being a DPL to save money for future projects, events etc.

While Debconf does serve both to show the technical prowess of the various volunteers as well as also serve as a vehicle for public outreach apart for GSOC and other ways it still has to play within the boundaries to serve the goals of Debian project as a whole.