The Special Interest Group Program is one of the benefits of ISTE membership, providing knowledge-building communities and knowledge-sharing opportunities. The program is operated under the umbrella of and is funded as part of ISTE’s Membership Development Department. Monies allocated for the program support the SIGs in providing year-round professional development and thought leadership for their members.

Funds allotted to the SIG program are tied to the rate of growth of SIG enrollment within general membership. As overall general membership numbers grow or shrink and as SIG membership numbers grow or shrink, the entire budget for the SIG program, as well as funding for a specific SIG, will change accordingly.

ISTE’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. The annual budget is proposed in April and reviewed by the ISTE Board at their June meeting and aproved at their September meeting. Funding for the SIG program, as with any of the organization’s programs or projects, is at the discretion of the board and executive leadership, and changes as needed. While input is often sought from the various stakeholders, including ISTE staff, SIG Council and the SIG Board, the final decision-making for the budget resides with organizational leadership.

At the beginning of the fiscal year, ISTE will share the SIG’s budget with the Chair/President/Treasurer via a Google document. This will be maintained throughout the year, giving officers easy and instant access to the SIG’s financial information.

Funding for each SIG is determined by two factors: the size and level of the SIG.

• Level: As seen in the Resources section of the SIG Handbook, Topic, Forum and Division Level SIGs receive different levels of financial and administrative support from ISTE. Topic Level SIGs are not allocated a budget. Forum and Division Levels SIGs are given an annual budget, with the latter receiving additional funding commensurate with the additional activities they undertake.
• Size: As outlined above, the funding for the SIG Program is tied to the enrollment of members in SIGs. The program is allocated funding based on the percentage of ISTE members that sign up for SIGs. That money is then divided among the SIGs based on their enrollment numbers. Up-to-date enrollment numbers can be found on the SIG Council wiki.

For the 2008-09 fiscal year, each Division Level SIG has been allocated a base budget of $1500. This money is designated for specific expenses:

• Up to $1000 – support to ensure one officer can travel to NECC to lead the business meeting and participate in the SIG leadership event; this is typically the president or chair. (see the NECC section of the SIG Handbook for more details)
• Up to $300 – refreshments for the Annual Meeting at NECC
• Up to $200 – quarterly conference calls ($50/quarter)

In addition to the base budget, SIGs receive funding according to their enrollment figures. Unlike the base budget, this money is currently not tied to specific expenditures. While this funding falls under the “miscellaneous” category for budgetary purposes, it is intended to be used to help the SIGs provide year-round activities and opportunities for their members. As this funding comes from member dollars, it is expected that SIGs spend this money to provide programming available to benefit their entire memberships.
SIGs do not retain funds that remain unspent at the end of a fiscal year. However, some SIGs do have “carry-forward” funds that do, as the term suggests, carry forward from year to year. These funds are accrued from part of the profits their SIG-sponsored workshops may generate. Like the money in the “miscellaneous” category, carry-forward funds are meant to help the SIGs provide benefits for their members.

While most of a SIG’s expenditures will occur around NECC, ISTE staff will keep the SIG Officers informed of the state of their finances via a Google doc, updated monthly. This will help the SIGs gauge their income and expenditures and plan for both NECC and non-NECC activities. As the SIGs plan events and activities, they must notify ISTE staff of any expenses they expect to incur on behalf of the organization prior to making any expenditures or formal commitments on behalf of the organization. In some cases, pre-approval must be obtained from ISTE executive leadership. Expenses that require reimbursement must be accompanied with a receipt. As per ISTE policy, any services that require remuneration – such as speakers for NECC or for webinars – will require a contract.

“MISCELLANEOUS” EXPENDITURES

Historically, many SIGs have opted to spend a small part of their “miscellaneous” line item on giveaways for their Annual Meetings. As with other expenditures, ISTE staff must be informed of a SIG’s plans for giveaways prior to purchase. When ISTE branding is involved, any design will need to be approved by ISTE’s Marketing Department.

CONTRACTS

Any arrangements that SIGs make with speakers – whether for NECC or for non-NECC activities – that involve payment or reimbursement will require a contract being drawn up between ISTE and the speaker. Please contact Audrey with the name and contact information for the speaker, as well as the work to be performed and the remuneration to be given.

NECC TRAVEL

For most SIGs, NECC is the one time a year when officers and members can meet face-to-face to discuss the SIGs’ plans and direction. It is expected, therefore, that one officer from each SIG – no matter the SIG’s level -- attend the conference in order to run the Annual Meeting. For Forum and Division Level SIGs, this is a requirement, and in order to make sure this is possible, SIGs at these levels will receive a budget for officer travel to the conference. Currently, support for one officer is budgeted; beginning in Fiscal Year 2010, for Division Level, we hope to be able to provide support for two. As it is the responsibility of the Chair or the Chair-Elect to facilitate a SIG’s Annual Meeting, typically this funding will pay for that individual’s travel.

Up to $1000 is budgeted for each SIG in order to support this officer’s travel, to be reimbursed following the conference. As per ISTE policy, there are certain restrictions and maximums dictating how this money can be spent. Up to $40 per day can be reimbursed for meals.

Itemized receipts must be submitted for anything requiring reimbursement. This is particularly important for meals as ISTE does not reimburse for alcohol.

The Membership Development Department’s budget also contains an additional allotment to pay for officer travel to the SIG Leadership Meeting, held on the Saturday prior to NECC. This money is designed to help cover the cost of additional nights’ stay in hotels for two officers from each Division Level SIG who attend the meeting. For NECC 2009, this is up to $450 per person.

APPROPRIATE EXPENDITURES

As the SIG Program is funded through membership dollars, all expenditures by the SIGs should be made to provide member benefit. While some money can be allocated for projects that benefit only a few members – such as a scholarship program for university students to attend NECC – the purpose of the SIGs’ funding is to make programming available to as many members as possible. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances for which a SIG might request funding. In such cases, as with all planned expenditures, SIGs are expected to seek approval from staff prior to making commitments on behalf of the organization.

When planning projects, the SIGs should be mindful of how much they are spending, how the SIG will earn dollars (NECC workshops are currently the only revenue-generating opportunity for a SIG), and how expenditures might impact the SIG’s ability to fund future events and provide future opportunities.

SPONSORSHIPS

While SIGs are sometimes approached by potential sponsors and while some projects might warrant additional funding beyond that provided by ISTE, SIG Officers cannot enter into financial arrangements on behalf of the organization. All sponsorships must be approved by ISTE Deputy CEO Leslie Conery. If you’re interested in seeking sponsorship for your SIG, have been approached by a company with a sponsorship offer, or have a question about sponsorships, please contact the SIG Program Manager (Audrey Watters, awatters@iste.org ).