Growing FSFE Re: [Fsfe-uk] BBC's DRM Iplayer windows only

[Ciaran O'Riordan]

> [...]gpl-violations.org[...]or the FSFE's Freedom Task Force they're
> unfortunately too undermanned to respond or inform the public of their
> progress.

You're right, but I'd also add that sometimes longterm enforcement is best
achieved quietly.

As for having insufficient resources to work on awareness of our work, the
solution, like the solution to why FSFE can't do more on the iPlayer issue,
is to make FSFE much, much bigger.

FSFE had income/expenditure of ~£180k in 2006.  That's for it's European/EU
work, it's global work in WIPO/WSIS, and it's national work for 710 million
people.  The annual budget has grown consistently by about 50% each year,
which is very good for a non-profit, but it's not going to give FSFE surplus
resources in the short or medium term.

What we need is:

1. Large drives to increase Fellowship subscriptions:
   http://fsfe.org/

2. People to solicit businesses to donate lump sums:
   http://fsfeurope.org/help/donate.en.html
   (as well as individuals and philanthropists)

3. People to purchase FTF training courses:
   http://fsfeurope.org/projects/ftf/trainingcourse.en.html

If we want FSFE to be in a position to work on all the important issues of
software freedom, we have to increase the organisation's rate of growth.

Would anyone like to work on a mass effort to increase one of these funding
channels?  ...such as a membership drive or other campaign?

And, please consider each of these ideas individually.

-- 
Ciarán O'Riordan __________________ \ Support Free Software and GNU/Linux
http://ciaran.compsoc.com/ _________ \     Join FSFE's Fellowship:
http://fsfe.org/fellows/ciaran/weblog \      http://www.fsfe.org