Sponsoring organizations criteria

This is a page concerning a policy or procedure in development.
Once fleshed out, we'll consider it for adoption as official policy at Free Geek.

This policy could apply to the situation where we are asking for sponsorships for an outreach type event or perhaps we could apply something like this more broadly.

One approach

There are three types of organizations from a sponsorship point of view:

Non-competitors

This would include organizations that don't operate in the same general market that Free Geek does. For example if PGE wants a booth about its green energy options at an outreach event, we would consider PGE a non-competitor since they're an electric utility and not a reuse and recycling center.

Friendly competitors

This would include organizations that do business with us and also operate in the same market as we do. Next Step, Total Reclaim, and Bear might fall into this category.

Direct competitors

This would include organizations that operate in the same market as we do but we don't do direct business with. An example might be a used computer store.

We could draft a policy around those definitions. For example we could say that events coordinators can allow non-competitors and friendly competitors to sponsor an event and get a mention in our brochures and on a banner for the event, and that competitors are not allowed to have a table or do outreach at our event.

At this point the definitions are open to change and the policy is just a draft. Please post comments.

Another approach

(This could be independent of or in addition to the above.)

We could set up a procedure for deciding these types of questions and then decide everything on a case by case basis.

For instance we could require that all sponsors (or any exceptions to the above rule) go through a staff meeting (or a PR meeting, etc.) and that the decision be made there.

Also note

This policy is intended to address issues around competing organizations that may want to do outreach at our outreach events. It is not intended to address other issues that could come up in regard to sponsors and tabling at events. For example, this policy is not intended to address what we would do if (for example) the Ku Klux Klan wanted to sponsor an event and if someone in the community objected. That would be something separate, I think.