Assessing Section Award Funding

1. Assessing Section Award Funding Darin Haudrich / L. Jane Hansen / Chris Jesse January 2013

2. Background – Current Awards and Funding Levels • Membership (through RSAC) needs to find a way to reduce spending – Section Awards may provide a way. • 7 awards with prize money and 1 without: • With 5 categories of winners • Very Small, Small, Medium, Large, Very Large • Providing 3 places of prize money • 1st - $500 / 2nd - $200 / 3rd - $100 • Outstanding Section, • Career and Workforce Development • Communication • Membership • Harry Staubs Pre-College Outreach • Public Policy • Young Professional Activity • Outstanding Activity (NO Financial Reward) There is $28,000 allocated (5 * 7 * $800)

3. Recent Award Submissions Statistics 2011-2012Award/submissions received 2010-2011Award/submissions received Communications – 17 Public Policy – 15 STEM K-12 – 19 Membership – 17 Young Professional – 17 Career & Workforce Dev - 14 Outstanding Section – 23 Annual Reports – 42 (Approximate received by June 30) • Communications – 18 • Public Policy - 17 • STEM K-12 – 19 • Membership – 17 • Young Professional - 14 • Career & Workforce Dev - 12 • Outstanding Section – 31 • Annual Reports – 39 (Received by June 30) All Categories have reasonable participation

4. Award / Cat I by Region (2011 – 2012) From Region to Region, the amount of award money versus Cat I rebate is relatively consistent

5. Award / Cat I by Section Size (2011 – 2012) Across section sizes, the number of awards given is relatively consistent BUT From Very Small to Very Large the “value” of the award is greatly reduced

6. Section Outstanding Activities Award Smaller sections have nearly the same number of attendees as larger sections but it represents a much larger percentage of their membership

7. Our Thoughts and Observations • Smaller sections (that make an effort) can double their budgets by winning prize money • Prize money is relatively insignificant to the larger section • More larger sections win awards but they have more resources • Attendance at events held by smaller sections is often equivalent to that at events held by larger sections – BUT, the percentage of the members that are attending is significantly larger • Many sections win awards based on producing the “same” events over and over • The events are excellent and they know how to produce them well • Often sections “plan” for award money which does provide an incentive to produce quality events and submit proper paper work Smaller sections need award funding and make good use of it while larger sections do not need and have more inherent resources

8. Our Recommendations • Reduce the prize money • 1st from $500 to $350 • 2nd from $200 to $100 • 3rd from $100 to $50 saves $300 * 5 * 7 = $10,500 • Large and Very Large section should be “honored” with the awards but not provided prize money, even the reduced value saves $800 *2 *7 = $11,200 • Make more stringent rules and create quantifiable rubrics • Section should not submit “the same” event or activity two years in a row for award consideration • Rubric allows no award to be given and justified Reduction of Section Awards CAN save $17,500