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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Digest Janitor: pbabcock at hbd.org


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HBD Server Fund
PO Box 871054
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Contents:
  State of the HBD (Patrick Babcock)


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*   Beer is our obsession and we're late for therapy!   *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Home Brew Digest, Inc. is a 501(c)3 Public Charity 
[170(b)(1)(A)(vi)] All donations & gifts to the HBD are 
tax deductible under section 170 of the Internal Revenue 
Code; as are bequests, devises, transfer, or gifts under 
section 2055, 2106, or 2522 of the Code.



Financial Projection as of 03 February 2014
*** Condition: Panicking like the kid in Home Alone ***
       Projected 2013 Budget  $3,235.00
 Expended against projection  $  346.79
      Unplanned expenditures ($    0.00)
Projected Excess/(Shortfall) ($1,947.22)
HBD, Inc. is projected to be bankrupt May 2014
 
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JANITORs on duty: Pat Babcock (pbabcock at hbd dot org), Jason Henning,
                  Spencer Thomas, and Bill Pierce



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Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2014 19:45:18 -0500
From: Patrick Babcock <patrick.babcock at gmail.com>
Subject: State of the HBD

Greetings, Beerlings! Take me to your lager...

With respect to the recent note in the Digest (James Worley -
"Uh-oh"), I thought it prudent to spell out the current state of the
HBD.

Again, our monthly outlays are for hosting of our servers, and for the
electricity bill delta experienced when the Digest came home. We also
have annual filing fees within the State of Michigan (to maintain our
not-for-profit corporate status within the state), registrar fees for
our domain names, PO box rental fee. No one involved with the HBD's
administration is paid for their time.

Most of the fees we pay are updated to reflect actuals as prices and 
they change, up or down; however, we have not changed the amount the 
HBD kicks in to the electric bill since 2005, even though rates have 
literally skyrocketed since then. Wherever possible, we enter into 
multi-year contracts if doing so presents a savings to the HBD. We 
also no longer attempt to add a maintenance fund to the budget as, 
frankly, we have been literally squeaking by on the donations we've
been able to garner. Thankfully, nothing major has failed in recent
history, so, though we may be whistling past the graveyard in that
regard, we've not been "smacked down" by any major hardware failures.
(Thank you for your generosity and support over the years - you know
who you are, but if you've forgotten, see the "Donors" link on the
HBD.org web site.)

The economy sucks. People are out of work. Costs are soaring, and
there is little available to most for donating to anything. Certain 
funding avenues promised (we thought) upon regaining our 501(c)3 
status and obtaining an official letter of recognition did not 
materialize. Some folks did respond with donations as a result of Mr.
Worley's note; however, that response was only enough to push the HBD's
potential bankruptcy from March to May.

Participation in all facets of the HBD are dismally low. An effort is
being made to update the Brews and Views to new technology (paid for
via a specific fundraising effort on the B&V board last year; excess
released to the general fund last month) in the hopes that update 
software will bring back many past participants who left for more "high
tech," mobile-friendly venues; however, the HBD mailing list itself "is 
what it is", and I expect no changes significant enough to spark a 
resurgence in participation there.

In the past, I've stated that as long as my wife and I held our jobs,
I would be able to carry the HBD through bad times such as these until
such time as the economy would recover and folks would be able to
donate again to make up any deficit. Unfortunately, the first part of
that commitment fell apart in June when my wife lost her position. I
no longer have the financial buffer to carry the HBD should it go
negative, so it is time to face the very real potential of the HBD
becoming a historical footnote on the net. In the event this happens,
only the archives will be preserved, and then only as long as the mode
of preservation selected remains.

So, to Mr. Worley's point: it's decision time. Is the HBD worth
maintaining, or is it time for the old girl to slip under the waves?
Based on our incorporation and registration with the IRS, our choice
is limited to just that as the HBD domain names must be sold, and its
equipment, holdings, and proceeds must be liquidated and donated to a
501(c)3-registered "like cause" or turned over to the government upon
failure - not the anticipated result of our filing, but required by law.

The HBD's financial needs are modest. This year's budget, excluding
any maintenance or catastrophic requirements, is $3,235.00. To date, 
we've spent $ 346.79 against this amount, and $2,888.21 remains to be 
spent. Subtracting what remains in the HBD treasury currently, $1,947.22
more is needed to take the HBD to the end of 2014 (see table in the 
Digest header or on the Finance page at hbd.org) - this represents 98 
donations of $20 apiece. Further, if just 200 of our subscribers were 
willing to make a tax deductible donation of $20 annually, the Digest's 
needs would be covered - including a modest maintenance fund - and we'd
likely not need to have this particular discussion again.

We, the HBD Board of Directors, believe the HBD remains a valuable
resource and hope that enough of you do, too, to see to its needs.

Thank you, and my apologies for being the bearer of such news.

Pat Babcock
President
Home Brew Digest, Inc.

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