Meetup Bounty Report
The Meetup Bounty was launched as a rapid solution to support Polkadot meetups when the Event Bounty was inactive and under restructuring. Proposed on February 28, 2024, here. It went live on March 24, 2024, with an initial fund of 5,000 DOT (approximately $50,000), making it the smallest bounty in the Polkadot ecosystem. The bounty’s objective is to support Polkadot meetups globally, with a maximum funding cap of $1,000 per meetup.
A curator fee of 10% was set aside, amounting to 500 DOT, to compensate curators for their work in reviewing proposals, assessing reports, communicating with organizers, and awarding child bounties. For example, if a meetup reimbursement is $1,000, a $100 curator fee is applied.
Over the past eight months, curators have successfully managed the funds, reimbursing meetups globally. Out of the initial 5,000 DOT, approximately 4879.06 DOT has been used for reimbursements including the 10% curator’s fees and resources to ensure the smooth operation of the bounty program.
Overview of Fund Allocation
- Initial Funds: 5,000 DOT
- The approximate average cost per meetup is around $823.22 USD
- Curator Fees: 10% (500 DOT), covering proposal review, organizer communication, and event evaluation.
- Current Bounty Balance: ≈ 452.24 DOT
Curators have efficiently managed and distributed the funds, supporting numerous meetups worldwide and reimbursing organizers per their submissions.
Global Reach of Meetups Funded
We have successfully supported meetups worldwide, enhancing Polkadot’s visibility and community engagement across various regions. Below is a comprehensive list of all locations where funded meetups were held:
Asia-Pacific:
- Malaysia: Road to Sub0 - Kuala Lumpur Meetup
- Thailand: Road to Sub0 Meetup, Pudgy Penguin TH Meetup
- Vietnam: Road To SUB0 Ho Chi Minh Meetup, PizzaPolkaDOT - w3x, Anemoia Workshop DOT Wallet Hanoi Meetup, Polkadot meetups in Ha Noi, Vietnam Meetup - Ha Noi - Workshop with PBA Graduates, Web3 X Meetup - Ha Noi
- Philippines: Rust Programming Workshop and Road to Sub0, Web3 Bulacan x Polkadot Meetup, XCode meetup Cebu, Coffee Talk on How Web3 Impacts GenZ
North America:
- Canada: DOToronto Meetup, Pizza Future - Toronto, Blockchain Futurist Toronto
- Mexico: POLKADOT HACKATHON @NERDCONF
Africa:
- Nigeria: Dot Connect Kano, The Core Blockspace x Polkadot Lagos, Institute of Management and Tech Enugu Meetup, Nigerian Business School Meetup, University of Nigeria Nsukka Meetup, Polkadot Meetup in Northern Nigeria
- Rwanda: Polkadot Coffee Hangout - Kigali
- Ghana: Polkadot Kumasi Meetup, University of Education Winnebai Meetup
- Uganda: Envisioning Web3 - Gulu City, Web3 and Polkadot Meetup, Kampala DOT Meetup
- Kenya: Polkadot Meetup - Nairobi
Europe:
- Germany: Polkadot Web3 Cybersecurity Training, Web3 Summit - Berlin
- Spain: Web3 Enterprise Solutions with NTT DATA, Polkadot Oportunidades en Web3
- Portugal: Polkabusiness Lisbon, Polkapizza Lisbon
- Belgium: Women of Polkadot Brunch - Brussels
- Bratislava, Slovakia: Crypto Meetup at FIIT
South America:
- Argentina: SaltaTech 2024 Meetup
- Brazil: Polkadot Day - Arca HUB (Rio de Janeiro)
- Chile: Insular.web3 – Polkadot in Lemuy
The organizers supporting the Meetups Bounty represent a vibrant and diverse mix from across the Polkadot ecosystem, including prominent community members, ambassadors, developers, and organizations. This strong representation ensures credibility and reach across various regions. The organizers come from a variety of backgrounds, with affiliations to key ecosystem players such as Parity, KodaDot, Xode, The Kusamarian, Talisman, Feooh, PizzaDAO, The Cosmic Block, NTT Data, and OpenGuild.
The following individuals have played key roles as organizers: Jay Chrawna, Armielyn Obinguar, @aleskypol, Cartier Ha Nguyen, dgreatanda, Just_Luuuu, Isabel, Simon Leon, dev_bekka, Joab Niwagaba, Malize Fred, Chidi Olisa, Ahimbisibwe Brian, Francisco Albornoz, @abdulbee, Kian Paimani & Soraia, Sunrise Onuoha, Cynthia Ibegbu, Anemoia, @yipclouds, and JoabP.
Each event they coordinated has been instrumental in educating local communities about Polkadot, establishing regional partnerships, and fostering a global network of Polkadot enthusiasts. Their contributions have significantly enhanced Polkadot’s presence and engagement worldwide.
More pictures can be found in the report section on our notion page here
Meetup Summary
- Total Meetup Submissions Received: 44
- Meetups Awarded: 30
- Meetups Rejected: 9
- Canceled by Organizer: 1
- Currently Under Review: 4
Experience with the Bounty
The Meetups Bounty has offered an invaluable experience in community-building. Curators have :
- Vetted organizers and proposals thoroughly, ensuring legitimacy by verifying documentation, vendor sources, and Polkadot-specific content.
- Supported organizers with feedback, offering insights to improve proposal quality.
- Managed post-event verification processes, including reviewing photos, social media posts, and official invites.
Challenges and Reasons for Rejections
- Rejections were based on criteria such as :
- Incomplete or unclear documentation.
- Non-responsiveness from organizers.
- Lack of alignment with Polkadot’s goals (e.g., insufficient Polkadot-focused content).
- Suspected non-legitimate invoices or unverifiable vendors.
- Insufficient visibility of event outcomes, such as photos or attendance data.
Current Status and Plans
The bounty currently has four proposals under review. Due to limited funds, new submissions will be placed on a waitlist until the treasury approves additional funding. While the project began with 17 curators, the team now operates efficiently with five dedicated members, meeting bi-weekly to maintain a streamlined process. This structure has enabled us to uphold a strong commitment to quality, alignment with Polkadot’s vision, and consistency in curation.
With a current bounty balance of approximately 452.24 DOT, the available funds are nearly exhausted. To continue fueling the momentum of global Polkadot meetups and supporting community-driven events, we seek a top-up of funds. This additional support is essential to maintain Polkadot’s visibility and sustain the enthusiastic community engagement we have built.
An injection of new funds will ensure we can:
- Enable ongoing and upcoming meetups to keep expanding Polkadot’s reach.
- Provide adequate resources to maintain event quality and organizer support.
- Retain our streamlined and effective curation process, allowing the community to connect, innovate, and grow together.
- Recognizing the growing workload and commitment required to sustain and improve the bounty’s impact, we propose a monthly compensation of $1,000 USD for each curator.
Proposed Enhancements with Additional Funding
To uphold the high standards and extend the global reach of the Meetups Bounty, we are proposing new enhancements with a top-up to further the bounty’s impact and sustainability. Over time, the curation team has assumed extensive, time-intensive responsibilities that are essential to the program’s growth.
Curator Roles and Responsibilities
Our curators take on diverse roles that demand significant attention to detail, planning, and community communication. Key responsibilities include:
- Reporting and Document Management
- Bounty Management: Administering daily operations, budget tracking
- Social Media and Outreach Campaigns: Engaging the community, promoting meetups & expanding reach to new organizers and regions.
- Financial Oversight (Accountant Role): Verifying financial records & preventing fraud through diligent checks.
- Campaign Planning and Execution: Creating initiatives to expand regional meetups and incentivize top organizers.
- Meetup Proposal Review: Evaluating proposals for alignment with Polkadot’s objectives, providing feedback
- Bounty Quality and User Experience Enhancements: Refining applicant experience and strengthening community
Future Plans and Objectives
With this support in place, curators will aim to:
- Expand Polkadot’s presence to regions with little or no previous activity.
- Increase bounty visibility through new campaign strategies.
- Strengthen community trust by improving transparency and report quality.