- Joined
- 6 Nov 2023
- Posts
- 4,709
- Likes
- 8,356
- Location
- Santa Barbara, California
- Name
- Sam
- Image Editing
- No
Dear members,
This is the inaugural report on the state of finances for the FoP forum. Moving forward, we will attempt to provide a monthly update on the FoP forum balance sheet.
The initial setup of the forum was performed in early November 2023. The table below shows the expenses for the initial setup. These expenses were paid out of pocket by the founding members of the forum.
On April 7, a Paypal account for the forum was set up to enable members to make voluntary contributions to support the forum. The response has been overwhelming. In 3 days, we have accumulated the sum of USD 1017.20 with another USD 193.48 expected to clear before the end of the month for a total of USD 1210.68 to date as of April 10, 2024.
Forum Balance Sheet (accurate as of 0000 Pacific Time on April 10, 2024):
Estimate of Expenditures for the rest of 2024:
These funds in the forum account (shown above) will likely be used for the following:
a) XenForo cloud dues: The forum is set up on Xenforo Cloud's starter tier which costs about $650 per year. However, we need to bump this up soon to the next higher tier (intermediate) due to increases in the number of page views and to secure more storage space for images, etc. The intermediate tier will cost $1080 per year. We will then need to renew the Xenforo license for another year starting on December 2, 2024 at the appropriate tier.
b) Domain name registration renewal: In December 2024, we will need to renew the .com forum address for at least another year (cost of about $25).
c) Add-on purchases: The Xenforo software is designed to accommodate add-on features that enhanced the functionality of the forum. A good example is the EXIF add-on that was purchased earlier this year and enabled the display of EXIF information below photos. We are always on the lookout for new capabilities that can make the site better.
d) Finally, we hope to use some of the funds to reimburse a reasonable amount of money to the founders who made the initial out of pocket expenditures to bootstrap the forum.
Estimate of upcoming 2024 expenses in tabular form:
Thanks to the generous contributions of our members, we are well on our way to having all the funds needed to pay for the forum through the end of 2025.
This is the inaugural report on the state of finances for the FoP forum. Moving forward, we will attempt to provide a monthly update on the FoP forum balance sheet.
The initial setup of the forum was performed in early November 2023. The table below shows the expenses for the initial setup. These expenses were paid out of pocket by the founding members of the forum.
| Purpose | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| XenForo Cloud 1 month Starter | 60 |
| Forum domain .net license for 3 years | 82.74 |
| Forum domain .com license for 1 year | 12.99 |
| Xenforo Cloud extension to Dec 2024 | 594.27 |
| EXIF Add-on | 100 |
| Total Forum Startup cost | 850 |
On April 7, a Paypal account for the forum was set up to enable members to make voluntary contributions to support the forum. The response has been overwhelming. In 3 days, we have accumulated the sum of USD 1017.20 with another USD 193.48 expected to clear before the end of the month for a total of USD 1210.68 to date as of April 10, 2024.
Forum Balance Sheet (accurate as of 0000 Pacific Time on April 10, 2024):
| Item | Income (USD) | Expenditure (USD) | Account Balance (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial contributions by founding members | 850 | 850 | |
| Initial forum startup costs | 850 | 0 | |
| Member contributions starting April 7, 2024 | 1210.68 | 1210.68 |
Estimate of Expenditures for the rest of 2024:
These funds in the forum account (shown above) will likely be used for the following:
a) XenForo cloud dues: The forum is set up on Xenforo Cloud's starter tier which costs about $650 per year. However, we need to bump this up soon to the next higher tier (intermediate) due to increases in the number of page views and to secure more storage space for images, etc. The intermediate tier will cost $1080 per year. We will then need to renew the Xenforo license for another year starting on December 2, 2024 at the appropriate tier.
b) Domain name registration renewal: In December 2024, we will need to renew the .com forum address for at least another year (cost of about $25).
c) Add-on purchases: The Xenforo software is designed to accommodate add-on features that enhanced the functionality of the forum. A good example is the EXIF add-on that was purchased earlier this year and enabled the display of EXIF information below photos. We are always on the lookout for new capabilities that can make the site better.
d) Finally, we hope to use some of the funds to reimburse a reasonable amount of money to the founders who made the initial out of pocket expenditures to bootstrap the forum.
Estimate of upcoming 2024 expenses in tabular form:
| Item | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Prorated cost of moving forum to intermediate tier for bandwidth and storage from May '24 to Dec '24 | 285 |
| XenForo cloud annual cost for Dec '24 to Dec '25 (assuming intermediate tier) | 1080 |
| Domain name renewal for 1 more year | 25 |
| Forum enhancements (add-ons, etc.) | TBD |
| Partial reimbursement of founders' initial out of pocket expenses | TBD |
| Total | 1390 (plus any TBD) |
Thanks to the generous contributions of our members, we are well on our way to having all the funds needed to pay for the forum through the end of 2025.
