WITH UCB:
2day cost: $3300 revenue: $3400
2.5day cost: $3880 revenue: $3600
WITHOUT UCB:
2day cost: $4260 revenue: $2200
2.5day cost: $5057 revenue: $2400
(I also have $900 in carry over from last year that could be used.) A large part of that is the venue fees - taking the Tilden Room as an example, it'd cost on average $700/day without fee waivers. Second is food, at ~$450/day for 40 people. And tech is ~$235/day - at discount rates (don't know what full rate would be; probably at least double, and that's not factored in above).
I don't know how these prices compare if we were e.g. renting a conference room at a hotel etc and expecting all this stuff to be taken care of by them (since if that's the case, and it's e.g. in New York, I can't really make sure it gets done myself...).
We might get an alternate sponsor - then it'd be a question of balancing their desires/agenda with ours, and a purely financial question of whether it could still be viable. There's a $2-3k funding gap in any case.
2. Since I'm no longer at UCB and the LCC is basically... well, me, it seems that we'd need to consider incorporating as a nonprofit. I'm not sure how much of a hassle or requirement this would be, or whether it'd be possible to route funds through other nonprofit-status organizations in the meantime. (So people can make donations.) Hm, complications.
It'd also probably mean at least having an LCC-specific checking account somewhere; not sure how hard it is to open an account in the name of an organization that has no legal existance.
The flip side to incoporation is that the nonprofit could be used as an umbrella organization for anything conlang-promoting - which could mean bringing in some other projects, websites, etc and possibly cost-sharing on startup fees.
3. Content
Actually I think this is the least worrisome aspect at the moment, but it will be a concern for the long-term health of the conference. Can we sustain a yearly 2-2.5 day event, or even a 1-day? I don't honestly know. The topic matter would probably need to diversify some; I'd like to ensure that it's still focused on conlanging so that it promotes the craft, but on the other hand the Esperanto, Lojban, Klingon, and Quenya communites are fairly strong also. So hm.
I believe there's enough for next year at least, from my early queries. A bunch of talks, some workshops, some minitalks, an extra break or two (last year was rather rushed), ... it can be done, anyhow.
I would also like to expand it into becoming a real, printed, academic journal publisher. I'm not sure how to go about doing so. Presumably it could be done just by arranging subscribers, and at the beginning running printings just like I did for the conference program - and then mailing those out to subscribers. And, of course, soliciting articles. There's one that I'm aware of currently, at conlanger.com, and there are a couple defunct ones. Perhaps having a more formal structure (e.g. subscribers and publication, and a NPO behind it) would help improve its stability.
Anyhow, that's the state of affairs at this point. It boils down to four major questions:
1. should we try to stick with academia sponsorship, or try to pick up a corporate/private sponsor? If yes to the latter, on what terms / who?
2. is it worthwhile and/or financially feasible to do an alternating-coasts strategy (or for that matter for it to go outside of US)?
3. should we formally incorporate as a nonprofit? If yes, how should that be structured?
4. (how) can we sustain a major annual conference? how can it be put to use to further community goals, reach out more, become more fully international, become a host for a publication, etc?
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Comments
(The following is true in most states, not entirely sure about CA, and pertains to running the operation "above board")
1) You cannot open a bank account under its name, it has to be under yours. Similarly, checks and the like should be made out to you, as there is no organization other than you to be paid. This won't usually be an issue in most cases, unless there is another organization anywhere with the same name. (Which could then legally argue that the checks belonged to them)
2) You have to register it as income, and follow the appropriate laws for your state in doing so. If the expenses are deductable, you can deduct them as standard for your state. Most states (again, not sure about CA) require a business to be registered if it makes over a certain amount in a year. If there is no profit, that makes things simpler.
3) You are considered the sole source of liability, without even the protective shielding granted a sole proprietorship.
All in all, you might want to consider forming a non-profit enterprise around it. It would make things easier, add legitimacy, and grant you a little protection against liability concerns. Plus, if you do at any point go for sponsorship, it makes things easier when the group actually exists legally: people know they aren't getting scammed.
* ability to accept tax-deductible donations
* existence as a separate entity from me
* qualification for grants
I believe I could open an account as DBA whatever, but that's not different from sole proprietoship per your comments.
It's just a pain to incorporate, and will require ~9 board members (to avoid self-dealing when/if some of us get compensated for flights out to the conference), and possibly a mail chain to sign the founding documents given that we're not going to be all in the same place. Meh.