Matchpointer Online
(Serving Tournament Bridge players in A.C.B.L. Unit 430:
Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Sunshine Coast)

Unit 430 Subsidy Policy

Following is the current text of the Unit Subsidy Policy, updated at the Unit Board's December 2008 meeting.  A summary of the changes is below.

Note: new changes coming for 2010...

UNIT 430 SUBSIDY POLICY (2008 version)

Unit 430's subsidy policy was first adopted in the 1980s and revised many times since, most recently in 2008. The purposes of the policy are:

• to provide financial support for players who attend national championship events at North American Bridge Championships and at the Canadian Bridge Championships (formerly known as CBF Bridge Week) each year
• to encourage participation in these events by its support for our local players at all levels
• to set out a clear method by which funds are raised and given out, so that subsidies do not depend on the whim of the Unit Board, but on the established rules.

This extensive revision addresses recent ACBL District 19 and Canadian Bridge Federation (CBF) changes that have resulted in no further Unit and Zone Finals in any of the events. The lack of Unit and Zone Finals to raise funds for subsidies has forced the Unit to find another method of raising funds for subsidies: the Spring and Fall Fundraising Events. We intend these events to be fun events for all, a challenging top-flight team game for the Unit's best players, and a simultaneous second bracket team game for all other players. Even players who do not intend to play at the national event finals may participate in these Fundraising Events and by doing so they will help support local players at all levels who have qualified for the national finals.

A further change has been to provide smaller subsidy amounts than in the past, but to broaden the number of recipients by providing for some amount of subsidy for all players who attend and participate in the National Finals of the most important events. This will result in smaller dollar subsidy amounts when many players from Unit 430 attend the National finals (usually when they are nearby), and larger amounts when fewer players attend (when the National finals are farther away).

The amount of money in each fund will be made public in the Matchpointer and on the Unit Web Page as soon as it is known, and the amounts payable to each recipient will also be published after all recipients have been identified. There will also be an overall limit (initially $400 for all events, but subject to annual review) to the amounts payable to any one individual for each attendance at the Canadian Bridge Championships, the NAP National Finals and the GNT National Finals.

The objective is to encourage players to participate in national finals when they are able to do so, either by qualifying through District Finals (NAP and GNT events) or by entering one or more major CBF event finals at the Canadian Bridge Championships.

1. SUBSIDY FUNDS
   
   Unit 430 will establish a General Subsidy Fund, and specific event subsidy funds for:
   1. the North American Pairs (NAP),
   2. the Grand National Teams (GNT),
   3. the Canadian Open Pairs Championship (COPC),
   4. the Canadian National Team Championship Flight A (CNTC - A)
   5. the Canadian National Team Championship Flight B (CNTC - B), and
   6. the Canadian Women’s Team Championship (CWTC).


2. ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS
   
   Two Fundraising Events will be held each year, using the Unit’s surplus of Unit Championship sanctions: a Spring Fundraiser (for the COPC, CNTC-A, CNTC-B and CWTC subsidy funds), held if at all possible at least two weeks before the Canadian Bridge Championships; and a Fall Fundraiser (for the NAP and GNT subsidy funds), held if at all possible before the District Final of the NAP.
   
   Fundraising Games will be two-session team games, and will be scheduled to result in a minimum of conflicts with other significant bridge competitions. All players (including players from outside Unit 430) are eligible to play in the Fundraising Events, regardless of whether they have qualified for the events that the Fundraising Event is intended for, or the status of their ACBL or CBF membership. The results of the Fundraising Events have no bearing on the distribution of the subsidy monies raised. However, attendance at the relevant Fundraising Event (or a donation to Event revenues at least equal to the entry fee), plus current ACBL and/or CBF membership at the time of the Fundraising Event is required in order for a player to be eligible for a Unit 430 subsidy.


3. SUBSIDY FUND MANAGEMENT
   
   Subsidies for an event are limited to the amount in that event’s subsidy fund when the national final of the event begins. The general and specific event subsidy funds are handled under these rules:
   1. After July 15 of each year, once the Unit finances from the previous year are finalized, the General Subsidy Fund will be credited with:
      1. the net proceeds of the previous year's IMP League,
      2. the net proceeds from the previous fiscal year's sale of Entertainment Books, and
      3. any amounts donated to or raised specifically for the General Subsidy Fund, including 50-50 draws at Sectional tournaments.
   2. At the first meeting of the Unit Board of Directors following July 15, but at no other time, the Unit Board may elect to make a donation from general Unit funds to the General Subsidy Fund. Following this meeting, the Unit Treasurer will redistribute the money in the General Subsidy Fund and specific event subsidy funds as follows:
      1. for each of the six event subsidy funds (the GNT, COPC, CNTC-A, CNTC-B, CWTC, and NAP), the Unit Treasurer shall determine if a subsidy was paid to at least one Unit 430 member during the previous fiscal year,
      2. for all event funds where no subsidy was paid out during the previous fiscal year, 75% of the balance in that event’s subsidy fund shall be returned to the General Subsidy Fund, and then
      3. the total amount in the General Subsidy Fund shall be allocated to the six events as follows: GNT 15%; COPC 10%; CNTC-A 25%; CNTC-B 10%; CWTC 25%; NAP 15%,
      4. finally, any money received or donated for a specific event but held for the following year will be added to that event's subsidy fund.
   3. The Unit Board may adjust the cap (described in section 6c) on individual subsidies for CBF events, NAP and GNT separately, but this must be done after the end of the National Final, and at least 30 days before the corresponding Fundraising Game.
   4. Net profits from the Fall Fundraising Event shall be allocated to the GNT Subsidy Fund and the NAP Subsidy Fund on a 50-50 basis as soon as possible once the net profit from the event is calculated.
   5. Net profits from the Spring Fundraising Event shall be allocated to the COPC Subsidy Fund (20%), the CNTC-A Subsidy Fund (35%), the CNTC-B Subsidy Fund (15%) and the CWTC Subsidy Fund (30%), as soon as possible once the net profit from the event is calculated.
   6. In the event that the Fall or Spring Fundraising Event incurs a net loss, the loss will be paid for from general Unit revenue, not from the General Subsidy Fund.
   7. Funds received by the Unit from the CBF, ACBL, or from any fundraising event not sponsored by the Unit, intended for the subsidy fund or the specific funds for an event or events, shall be immediately transferred to the subsidy fund for the intended event or events, in the proportions intended by the donor.
   8. Accumulation of funds for each event stops once the National Final for that event begins. Any extra funds received for the event thereafter are held until July 15 and are added to the following year's fund.


4. ELIGIBILITY FOR SUBSIDIES
   1. To be eligible for a subsidy, a player must be a paid-up member of the ACBL (including Life Master Service Fees) at the end of the Fundraising Event preceding the National Final of the event, and a member of Unit 430. The responsibility for establishing membership in Unit 430, or establishing that dues are paid, rests with the player.
   2. To be eligible for a subsidy for the CNTC-A, CNTC-B, CWTC, or COPC, a player must also be a paid-up member of the CBF at the end of the Spring Fundraising Event.
   3. To be eligible for a subsidy, a player must either:
      1. play at the corresponding Fundraising Event, or
      2. make a direct donation of at least the value of a two-session entry, into event revenues, on or before the date of the corresponding Fundraising Event.
   4. A player must actually play in (and if necessary, qualify for) the National Final of the event to be eligible for a subsidy.


5. EXPENSES COVERED BY SUBSIDIES
   1. Players eligible for a subsidy must apply by notifying the Unit Treasurer or the Unit Special Events Coordinator. In most cases, the Unit Special Events Coordinator will contact players eligible for subsidy once the entries for the national finals of each event are finalized by the CBF or by ACBL District 19. If a player is missed due to an error by the Unit Special Events Coordinator, the deadline for applying is four weeks after the end of the Canadian Bridge Championships for CBF events, or two weeks after the end of the District Final (or, in cases where the winners of the District Final decide not to compete in the National Final, the announcement of the District Representative) for ACBL events.
   2. The maximum subsidy a player can receive is never higher than:
      1. that player’s equal share of the cardfees to play in the National Final,
      2. plus that player’s travel expenses (the lower of the actual amount paid and an amount which would permit direct travel to the tournament site by the least expensive reasonable air flights) to the tournament site,
      3. plus that player’s accommodation expenses (at the lower of the actual amount paid and one more night than the scheduled length of the national final event at one half the double room rate at the least expensive host hotel),
      4. minus the player’s portion of any subsidies received from the ACBL, District 19, or the CBF.
   3. The Unit Treasurer may ask eligible players to provide information on outside subsidies received, and expected costs of travel, accommodation, and cardfees, if it seems possible that the subsidy given to a player may exceed the maximum subsidy. The Unit Treasurer may advance an estimated amount of the subsidy that the player is due, under the condition that the player pays back the difference if the amount advanced is more than the actual subsidy.


6. PAYMENT OF SUBSIDIES
   1. A player who does not play in or is disqualified from the National Final loses his or her eligibility for subsidy for that event. A player unable to play in the National Final through no fault of his or her own remains eligible for subsidy, but only for expenses actually incurred.
   2. The initial amount payable to each player eligible for a subsidy from the subsidy fund for that event is the same, determined by dividing the total amount in that Subsidy Fund by the number of eligible players. However, this amount may be augmented by sections 6c, 6d, and 6f.
   3. If a player is eligible for a single subsidy greater than the expenses under section 5b above, the excess amount is returned to that event's subsidy fund, to be divided among the remaining players who are eligible for a subsidy from that fund.
   4. If a player is eligible for multiple subsidies for Canadian Bridge Championship events, amounting to more than the total expenses under section 5b above, the excess amount is deducted from the total payable to the player. The excess is returned to each of the subsidy funds involved, in the same proportion as the amounts originally payable from each subsidy fund bear to each other. These returned amounts are then divided equally among the remaining players eligible for subsidy for each event.
   5. A cap is set on individual subsidies which can be adjusted by the Unit annually, from the end of the National Final for that event to 30 days before the Fundraiser for that event. Initial caps are:
      1. For Canadian Bridge Championship subsidies: $400.
      2. For Grand National Teams subsidies: $400.
      3. For North American Pairs subsidies: $400.
      4. The maximum amount an individual can earn in subsidies annually is equal to the sum of the three caps above.
   6. If a player is eligible for a subsidy (or one or more subsidies for Canadian Bridge Championship events) and the total payable to the player exceeds the cap set in section 6e, the amount payable which is in excess of the cap is returned to each of the subsidy funds involved, in the same proportion as the amounts originally payable from each subsidy fund bear to each other. These returned amounts are then divided equally among the remaining players eligible for subsidy for each event. The process of removing excess and reapplying it to other eligible players may have to be repeated if the additional funds put other players over the cap. Any funds that cannot be allocated without putting a player over the cap are left in the subsidy fund for that event.


7. DISPUTES
   
   In the event of a dispute about the interpretation of these rules, the Unit Board’s decision is final.