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Update for Unity Commitee – AdHoc Budget & Interpretation meeting notes

Unity AdHoc Budget & Interpretation Committee Meeting

Sunday, 25th January 2026 

10.30am pst/ 1.30pm est/ 3.30pm Chile,Rio/ 6.30pm UK/ 2030h CET

 

Adhoc Committee Members: Jen H, Joe R, Bleu, Bartollo, Maria Jose and Carlos D.  

Apologies: Blandine, Jeff, Lurdes

Interpretation: Meilisa, Spanish

 

Documentation – please see Interpretation Research & Discussion document uploaded separately

Meeting Summary notes from transcript…

  • Meeting Objective: Review alternative interpretation options and revise budget.
  • Wordly Issues: Incompatible with Zoom, requiring separate devices and posing accessibility challenges, especially for members in Latin America, Asia, etc. who primarily use phones and limited internet access.
  • Budgetary Concerns: High cost of Wordly and the overall hours required for the convention ($180,000)  notwithstanding the hours required for committee meetings and OIAA events – necessitate a clean budget presentation to the assembly.
  • Convention Duration: Considering a shorter convention (one or two days) based on feedback, but also aiming to maintain the best possible accessibility for our non-English speaking members.
  • Interpretation Cost Management: Showing a lower interpretation cost to address the Assembly’s concerns.
  • Cost Estimation: Determining hourly rates for U.S. companies and exploring language schools in Spain.
  • Project Scope: Clarification needed on the number of hours and specific languages required, which the new proposed budget addresses.
  • Budget Deadline: Revised budget due by the beginning of February for the Finance Committee.
  • Subscription Wordly Model and Pricing: The service operates on a subscription model with hourly charges and offers a negligible discount. The pricing is considered expensive, with the “Enterprise” plan being too costly and the higher-tier plan unaffordable.
  • Software Trial and Usage: The free trial is inadequate for real-time meeting evaluation. Last year’s convention usage of 179 hours suggests a need for a higher usage tier.
  • Unity Committee Budget: Jen H presented a revised budget for the Unity Committee, including twice-monthly meetings with three interpreters and allowances for ad hoc meetings and administrative support, totalling £5,360 per year.
  • Unity Committee Budget: Remains at the same for each proposal.
  • Convention Budget Reduction: Reduced from $17,700 to $16,700 by streamlining hospitality room support.
  • Interpretation Cost: £45 per hour, totalling £13,500 for approximately 97 hours per day across 8 languages in 4 rooms (based on a 5 room convention).
  • Final Budget: Estimated at $28,887, similar to last year’s budget.
  • Cost Reduction considerations: Reducing the event from 3 days to 2 days and using 5 Zoom rooms.
  • Interpretation Cost: Calculated based on the number of rooms and hours required.  The interpretation cost for the three rooms requiring it is $10,463.
  • Committee’s Focus: The committee’s primary focus is on interpretation and translation, not on exploring the reasons behind the issue.
  • Limited Actionable Data: The team can only act on the specific figure of $10,463 and not on other numbers.
  • Budget Reduction: Jen H 🌻 reduced the overall budget from $39k to $29k.
  • Interpretation Cost Reduction: Reducing the number of rooms from 5 to 4 would lower interpretation costs without impacting accessibility.
  • Event Logistics: The event will be 3 days long and initially planned for 5 rooms.
  • Interpretation Cost Options: Wordley costs are $120 per hour compared to $45 per interpreter/per hour, with live, simultaneous interpretation.
  • Project Budget: 170 hours for the actual convention last year and over $2,000 allocated to subgroups like tech, hospitality, and scheduling.
  • Meeting Cost & Rate: The meeting cost is $2,025 for 15 subgroup service meetings at a rate of $135 per hour with three interpreters.
  • Interpreter Payment & Meeting Frequency: The payment of $135 per meeting will be split among three interpreters, and meetings are scheduled twice a month.
  • Proposal Justification & Budget Strategy: The team will propose the option that aligns with the assembly’s instructions, is more defensible, and explores budget reduction strategies without compromising accessibility.
  • Budget Projection: The budget for ad hoc committees remains consistent with the 2025 convention and slightly surpasses the 2024 budget, with an anticipated rise in Tradition 7 contributions.
  • Registration Fee Proposal: Jen H 🌻 suggests considering a registration fee of $8 per registration for the 2027 convention to promote self-sufficiency, potentially generating $20,000 based on 2,500 registrations.
  • Financial Accessibility: The group is committed to ensuring that financial limitations do not hinder anyone’s attendance at the event and would propose a financial sponsorship option for members.
  • Registration Fee Proposal: The committee is considering implementing a registration fee for future conventions.
  • Next Steps: Jen H will present the proposal of Option 2 to the Unity Committee on February 7th, to the Finance Committee on February 14th and then to the Board in March ahead of the Assembly.
  • Interpreter Rate Discussion: Carlos D justifies their $45/hour rate, while Jen H notes that actual freelancer rates vary based on location and cost of living.
  • Convention Funding: The Hispanic Convention is self-supporting, relying on member contributions and not seeking external funding.  Held at a venue provided by a 12-step community, with minimal expenses and volunteer support.  No zooms fees, interpretation costs, etc.
  • Meeting Decision: The group decided to proceed with option two and present it to the committee.

 


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