Budget Sample

Introduction

The data below represent the complete budget structure and figures for Costume-Con Fifteen (CCXV). The numbers are obviously WAY out of date, given that the event took place in 1997, but the structure and reasoning behind it are still sound.

The separate sections (below) are broken out so that it’s less of a burden to read through for understanding the rationale of the structure, but be advised: Costume-Con events can top out quite large and are commercial entities (unless sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization, such as the Greater Columbia Fantasy Costumers’ Guild). The more careful you are with the money you spend and make, the better off you will be when you finish the bookkeeping, which can take up to a year AFTER the event to accomplish.

The budget summary, and the details available, were provided by Costume-Con Fifteen’s Chair, Betsy R. Marks Delaney. If you are planning (or considering running) your own Costume-Con, you should really read this entire document. It is an extremely detailed listing of CCXV’s books, how much we made, what we paid for along the way, and where we found pitfalls.

You will notice that there are comments concerning some of the figures throughout the actual budget pages. This summary will explain what these numbers should mean to you.

Note that there was no board approval of the budget line items year by year. The budget was used as a live record of income and outgo, and served as a spending guideline rather than a fixed goal. This flexibility gave us a reasonably clear picture of how much money we had to spend on the expenses as a whole and in particular. It also gave us the ability to make quick decisions concerning spending the money for unplanned expenses.

If you have questions, concerning these pages, please contact Betsy Marks Delaney and we will try to clarify. Additional Costume-Con budget samples may be made available as time and space permit.