[Ncdxf-bod-sub] Navassa Island DXpedtion revised budget and letter of explanation...

[Don Greenbaum]

As I wrote earlier this month, the budget spreadsheet either totally 
misrepresents the income they can expect from this expedition or it 
reflects that it is not rare enough in North America to generate the 
QSL/donation responses one would expect from a top 5 needed entity.   As 
our studies have shown, expeditions today get the bulk of their income from 
North America.   This is based on both club and foundation funding (NCDXF 
is a major part of this portion of  fundraising) and US hams typically give 
more donation $ with their OQRS requests.   The demand in Asia and Europe 
far outstrips the demand in the US.   Why must the US finance the bulk of 
this operation if the entity is not as rare here?  Even so, this group of 
15 should make a minimum of 150,000 QSOs given the proximity to NA and EU.

 From your Treasurer's point of view, so far this year we have taken in 
around $70,000 in donations (95% North America).  We have given out so far 
$30,500.  In the next year, we have expeditions to the South Atlantic, 
Heard, Bouvet, and several more rumored in the Pacific.  If we finance a 
Caribbean expedition to the tune of $40,000 or more what should the hard to 
get to places expect next year?  What can we afford to give the hard to 
reach destination DXpeditions.

This is a DXpedition in our back yard.   Fish and Wildlife specified a 
Helicopter must be kept on emergency standby, not that a Helicopter must 
make all the trips to the Island.  The helicopter transportation is not the 
cheapest route, but the fastest and easiest.  I am happy to see the team is 
putting up a bigger chunk of money than originally stated and raised their 
contributions to $10,000 each.   By the way, even at $10,000 their share of 
the total costs is less than the total budget % than other 
mega-expeditions.  It scares me that KP1 is a mega-expedition.   Just last 
week a member of the team to KP1 who is also a board member here mentioned 
the 2.5X rule for funding.   That would make our contribution on that 
formula $25,000.

While we can also expect that if there is a surplus (as almost all of 
K4UEEs trips generate) KP1 will probably see a refund.   However, we have 
never gotten a full accounting of past K4UEE finances and we have no idea 
if the refunds Bob makes are based on a formula.  Does our Foundation get 
back the same percentage as other Foundations, team members, etc.  This 
lack of transparency has always bothered some of the Board.

I would like to suggest a grant of $30,000 and if we are wrong in our 
analysis, they can always ask for more when they return.

Don
N1DG


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