2003 Budget

PROPOSAL:
USGP BUDGET 2003

PURPOSE:
To provide a financial plan for administering and growing the Green Party of
the United States in 2003.

PRESENTER:
Steering Committee – Ad Hoc Budget Committee

CONTACT:
Jo Chamberlain, California, joc@pobox.com, 650-726-1949

TIMELINE:
Vote: January 6 – 12

BACKGROUND:

Committees of the Green Party of the United States are presenting their best efforts for
2003 here in the form of requests for money and in many cases a description of how the
monies will be spend. A spread sheet is available at
http://www.gp.org/committees/fundraising/financials

Some committees want to do their own fundraising in addition to what is submitted here.
We passed a resolution on how committees fund raise within the existing party structure.
That resolution is posted at the end of this document to refresh your memory. The
Fundraising Committee will be posting rules and procedures for committees to follow
based on that resolution.

Committees are instructed to spend monies only after approval of the Treasurer.
Please specify which committee the monies are from and which line item of their budget.

Contracted services and supplies will receive first priority in funding. With employee
salaries and benefits first followed by office rent and utilities.

There is a Reserve Fund that has $30,000 in it now and it will receive an additional
$50,000 in 2003. The $50,000 will be paid to a separate checking account at the rate of
$4,167 per month in 2003. This $80,000 is held in reserve for operating expenses in the
unlikely event that we experience cash flow limitations.

Discretionary Funds for the Steering Committee will be presented in proposal form in
January. While the funds are in this budget, if the proposal does not pass the budgeted
funds will return to the general funds of the Party.

This budget’s Tier 1 is in balance the $1 surplus is a rounding up of the spread sheet
because of percentages in fundraising formulas.

Clarification of employee, contact employee and proposed stipends is as follows:

1. Employees receive monthly or bimonthly checks, health benefits and paid leave time.
We currently employee three people; a Political Coordinator, a Finance Director, and
an Office Manager.
New to this budget will be the Coordinated Campaign Committee’s Campaign Manager.
Withholding is done for these employees.

2. Contract employees provide services each month for a payment based on industry
standards.
We currently have contracts with two people: a Bookkeeper and a Web Master.
New to this budget is the Web Designer, Green Pages Layout, Media and Campaign
Consultant.
1099 forms are filed for these folks or we can do regular withholding.

3. Stipends for Steering Committee members are new to this budget. This category will
be voted on separately in a proposal that will be presented in January. While the funds
are in this budget, if the proposal does not pass the budgeted funds will return to the
general funds of the Party.To be determined in the proposal is if these are employees
with withholding or consultants receiving 1099’s. This is now a separate section at the
end of this budget.

We are in the process of developing policies for cover travel, food and personnel. There
are folks working on these policies but we need more help. Please volunteer to help
make our party work well and fairly by helping draft and propose these policies.

A *Conflict of Interest* policy is being developed by the BRPP Committee.

The Party needs to develop short term and long term goals and strategies. The Steering
Committee will be facilitating an on line survey form, scheduling goals and strategy
meetings and consulting with committees. Your participation in all these activities is
crucial to the success of the Party.

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PROPOSAL: