[PROPOSAL] Budget Request - Schelling Point & Eth Denver 2025

TL:DR We are requesting $78,994 (USD equivalent in GTC) to fund activations for the 2025 Gitcoin event activations at Eth Denver (including our Schelling Point event) from the Gitcoin Treasury in line with our 2025 Grants Lab, and Gitcoin Grants Strategies. The overall costs have been offset by shared payments with Allo and sponsorships for the event.

Introduction

We’re excited to announce our plans for ETHDenver 2025—our biggest event of the year and a pivotal opportunity to solidify Gitcoin’s brand narrative and market positioning. This proposal outlines the event overview, a detailed breakdown of planned activations, and the associated budget, including allocations for merchandise and travel.

Goals at ETHDenver:

Reinforce Gitcoin’s Evolution: Highlight our transition toward providing cutting-edge grants technology and services for large ecosystems. Establish Industry Leadership: Position Gitcoin as the go-to leader in grants management and decentralized funding. Grow Conviction Among Builders: Demonstrate the power of Allo to developers through hands-on activations that drive conviction in our tools and onboard new builders. Strengthen Strategic Patnerships: Deepen relationships with key partners and showcase impactful collaborations that spotlight Gitcoin’s contributions. Gitcoin at ETH Denver (2/23/25-3/2/25)

Activations

Below are our scheduled events for the week:

Sunday, Feb 23 to Tuesday, Feb 25:** Arrivals and setup, Gitcoin Contributor team check-in, preparation, and in-person collaboration

Wednesday, Feb 26: Allo Summoning Event (venue booked) Thursday, Feb 27: Schelling Point at Number 38 (venue booked) Thursday, Feb 27: Gitcoin Grants Happy Hour (venue booked) Unscheduled: Grants F*ck Up Night (private evening event) Unscheduled: Additional partner sponsored events and activations NOTE: We will be co-sponsoring Schelling Point and events at the Gitcoin + Allo House (including splitting costs) with Allo Capital.

Schelling Point Overview

Schelling Point is our flagship event and is evolving this year to reflect Gitcoin’s shifting focus. While public goods funding remains close to our hearts and the ongoing focus of Gitcoin Grants, the broader organizational focus has shifted towards enabling builders through a plurality of mechanisms and access to funding from large ecosystems.

Reflecting this shift, the Schelling Point theme has been established as “Scaling Builder Success: A Multi-Mechanism Future”. Through partnership in the form of sponsorships from forward-thinking ecosystems, we will showcase and collaborate on innovative approaches to enabling builder success. Programming will be co-created with our sponsors and speakers. Below are a few examples of the topics that might be included:

Growth across the builder lifecycle: How to leverage a plurality of mechanisms to support builders across every step – from onboarding to retention and growth. How verifiable impact drives sustainable growth: Learn the latest about how top ecosystems are allocating capital with a focus on outcomes and ROI Retro done right: The evolution and impact of retro funding, and how to get it right. Workshop with Gitcoin: Assess your program with Gitcoin’s Grants Maturity Framework and gain actionable tips to evolve your program to the next level. Mechanism Design: What are the key elements of a successful mechanism - everything from allocation strategy to applicant and evaluator UX, and much more. Access through design: Exploring how to leverage mechanism design to drive greater financial inclusion We are targeting an attendance of 400 people at the event, with participation from ecosystem leaders, grants program managers, key builders and Web3 thought leaders. We are prioritizing sponsorship from our top partners, with the opportunity to spotlight innovations in grants design that Gitcoin supported over the past year.

Total Budget

We have estimated a total budget of approximately $157,987 for the ETHDenver activation. Any surplus funds raised beyond the final expenses will be returned to the treasury.

Fund Allocation (detailed breakdown below)

Event Venues: $25,237

Schelling Point at Number 38 (400 capacity): $25,237 for the event space (including food and beverage; A/V)

Team Travel: $30,000

Other Event Expenses: $76,300

Schelling Point: $74,300 Grants F*ck Up Night: $2,000

Weeklong Costs (Merch, Security, Insurance, etc.): $26,450

Here is a detailed breakdown of our estimated costs:

Sponsorships

We are currently issuing contracts for $62k in sponsorships and are negotiating an additional $35k to support Schelling Point and other relevant costs. Other conversations are in earlier phases, and overall we aim to secure $80-100k in sponsorships. All sponsorship funds raised will go directly toward offsetting these costs and any surplus will be deposited back into the DAO treasury.

Return of Funds

We will deliver a comprehensive expense report following the event, accompanied by a recap of the week that includes ROI insights and key performance metrics. We are confident that event expenses will remain below budget and our cost estimates have been purposefully rounded up to ensure we have flexibility to handle any unexpected costs, which are typically the case with large-scale events. The team is dedicated to being responsible with spending, ensuring the DAO’s treasury is used efficiently and for essential, mission-driven needs. Any surplus funds from the activation budget or sponsorships will be returned to the Gitcoin treasury.

Last Year’s Numbers

(NOTE: Schelling Point Sessions was a small, intimate event that took place at the Gitcoin House, hence the price difference)

TLDR (2024) - GCP Linked [Here]: ([Proposal] Budget Request for ETHDenver Activation - #14 by CoachJonathan) https://gov.gitcoin.co/t/proposal-budget-request-for-ethdenver-activation/17424/14

Original request = $71,750 Total expenditures = $75,248 Total sponsorships = $31,000 Total cost to Gitcoin = $44,248 Amount returned to Gitcoin = $27,502

2025 Budget Request

We are requesting $78,994 to cover ETHDenver travel, events, and activations this year (half of the total as we are splitting with Allo). As outlined below, we expect that most of these funds will be returned to the DAO after sponsorships come through. We are requesting above the amount that we need because our vendors often require payments before sponsorship funds clear.

Total projected expenditures = $157,987 Target sponsorships = $100,000 Projected amount to be returned = $50,000 (split with Allo) Total projected cost to DAO = $28,994 Voting Options

Yes: Fund half of the costs for our ETHDenver activation for $78,994. No: Do not fund the ETHDenver activation. Abstain: Choose not to vote on the funding proposal.