Assessing Section Award Funding

Darin Haudrich / L. Jane Hansen / Chris Jesse

January 2013

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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

1. Outstanding Section, 2. Career and Workforce

Development3. Communication4. Membership

5. Harry Staubs Pre-College Outreach6. Public Policy7. Young Professional Activity8. Outstanding Activity (NO Financial

Reward)

There is $28,000 allocated (5 * 7 * $800)

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Recent Award Submissions Statistics

2011-2012Award/submissions received• 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)

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)

All Categories have reasonable participation

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Award / Cat I by Region (2011 – 2012)

Region Cat I

RebateAward Money

(Award)/(Cat I Rebate)

Region I $52,673 $5,650 10.7%

Region II $23,987 $4,550 19.0%

Region III $17,055 $5,950 34.9%

Region IV $16,515 $400 2.4%

Region V $15,403 $2,000 13.0%

Region VI $51,109 $4,850 9.5%Region VII (Australia) $1,644 $2,400 146.0%

From Region to Region, the amount of award money versus Cat I rebate is relatively consistent

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Award / Cat I by Section Size (2011 – 2012)

Section SizeNumber of

AwardsCat I

RebatesSection Awards

(Award)/(Cat I Rebate)

Very Small 40.0% $ 5,723 $ 5,500 96.1%

Small 28.6% $

16,378 $ 5,850 35.7%

Medium 53.8% $

27,606 $ 5,650 20.5%

Large 45.5% $

34,618 $ 3,200 9.2%

Very Large 54.5% $

94,061 $ 5,600 6.0%

Across section sizes, the number of awards given is relatively consistentBUT

From Very Small to Very Large the “value” of the award is greatly reduced

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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

Region Membership AttendeesVery Small

Sydney VII 72 40Adelaide VII 35 120China Lake VI 52 150Delaware I 70 62Greater New Orleans II 88 43

SmallColumbus III 104 10Savannah II 106 150Utah VI 163 100Vandenberg VI 141 30Oklahoma IV 101 900

MediumCape Canaveral II 293 100Long Island I 226 35Tucson VI 295 28Twin Cities V 183 36Central Florida II 265 300

Region Membership AttendeesLarge

Albuquerque IV 394 77Atlanta II 329 33N Ohio III 450 350Phoenix VI 330 74San Fernando Pacific VI 385 35St. Louis V 351 20

Very LargeDayton Cincinnati III 745 100LA - LV VI 1159 45Mid-Atlantic I 764 53PNW VI 965 150Rocky Mountain V 990 129San Francisco VI 1055 30Hampton Roads I 853 20070National Capital I 2443 115

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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

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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

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