Update reserves policy to better define core spending
The current reserves policy is expressed in terms of the entire cost of the Foundation workforce for 12 months. This doesn't distinguish between fixed-term staff who are working on a specific time-bounded initiative, or the core staff needed to maintain essential event, volunteer/contributor co-ordination, infrastructure and operations. It means in a "busy year" with more initiatives, together with the very conservative 12 month duration, the Foundation becomes less able to spend its reserves, acting in opposition to the idea that we could secure funding for a particular initiative and then spend it.
Old reserves policy:
The current budget policy is to ensure that we're able to run for a period of one year. To calculate this number, the ''core spending'' (comprised of administration and employee costs) is multiplied by 1.1. This is the amount of ''available funds'' that the Foundation should have available to spend (ie: not counting ''restricted funds'') at the end of the year.
Proposed New reserves policy:
The current budget policy is to ensure that we're able to run for a period of one year. To calculate this number, the ''core spending'' is multiplied by 1.1. ''Core spending'' is the staffing and associated operating and administrative costs that allows the Foundation to manage events, community management/volunteer coordination and infrastructure, in support of the GNOME Desktop and GNOME Circle. This is the amount of ''available funds'' that the Foundation should have available to spend (ie: not counting ''restricted funds'') at the end of the year.