Treasurer's Report

Abstract

I have just completed my 3 year term as the ISSCR's second treasurer, following the founding treasurer Douglas Melton. Dr. Melton's task was to get the money flowing into the ISSCR in order to facilitate the initiation of the annual meeting series, and he was very successful in this endeavor. My responsibility has been to manage the financial growth of the society and to establish cash reserves as the ISSCR continues to experience rapid expansion and take on new initiatives. In 2006, when I started as treasurer, the ISSCR had 2400 members and a $2 million budget. Three years later, we have nearly 3400 members, and a $3.5 million budget (Figure 1). Thanks to excellent execution by Executive Director Nancy Witty and her staff, the ISSCR has managed this remarkable growth without any financial missteps along the way. Importantly, we have now established significant cash reserves and a viable business model for holding annual meetings around the world.Figure 1ISSCR Cash ReservesShow full captionDevelopment of cash reserves over the last 4 years.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT) Development of cash reserves over the last 4 years. Cash reserves are critical to the operation of any society because without cash reserves, a single financially unsuccessful meeting or a significant drop in membership could bankrupt the society. The board of directors is exploring ways to diversify revenue; however, the ISSCR remains particularly susceptible as the annual meeting represents the major revenue stream of the society (Figure 2). Without cash reserves, it would be impossible to hold ISSCR meetings outside of North America as the costs, risks, and uncertainties associated with meetings in Europe, Asia, and Australia are much greater than in Canada or the United States. Cash reserves are also critical for the society to manage the risks associated with investing in new programs. According to generally accepted standards, a society such as the ISSCR should have cash reserves equivalent to at least 6 months of operating expenses, which would be at least $1.7 million this year. Indeed, many societies have cash reserves far in excess of this standard. As a young society, we have not reached this milestone, but are well on our way. In 2006, we had no formal cash reserves and little history of generating revenues that could be contributed to cash reserves. By the end of 2009, we are projecting $1 million in cash reserves and a tested business plan that will allow us to continue to grow these reserves (Figure 1). We have also created a sustainable business model for the annual meeting series that makes it possible to hold meetings in various regions around the globe despite the attendant financial challenges. Although conferences outside of North America incur much higher costs, it is critical for the society to hold meetings in Europe, Asia, and Australia. This year's ISSCR 7th Annual Meeting in Barcelona proves that a European venue can be a stunning success. In no small part, this was due to the outstanding scientific program and the generous involvement of our local organizers, the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona (CMRB) (Figure 3). Our fifth annual meeting in Australia in 2007 was also a great success. Buoyed by these highly successful meetings outside of North America, we are currently developing plans to hold our first annual meeting in Asia in 2012. The board of directors is also exploring the possibility that we will hold regional meetings outside of North America to complement our annual meeting series. These new initiatives are made possible by the business model we developed over the past 3 years and by the cash reserves created through staff's extraordinarily successful implementation of that model. I hand the treasurer position over to Sally Temple with every confidence that the financial growth and stability of the society will remain on track. I will continue to do what I can to develop the ISSCR by remaining on the board of directors and by chairing the program committee for next year's annual meeting in San Francisco. The ISSCR has an opportunity to advance science that will answer fundamental questions and save lives. It has been a privilege to be part of that effort.