2022 Brigade Congress Travel Support Guidelines for Network Volunteers
We strive to make sure as many Network volunteers as possible can attend Brigade Congress. Please read below for options on travel support.
Quick and important info:
- The deadline to apply for a travel support is September 20, 2022.
- Check in: Everyone receiving travel support with hotel will have a check-in date of October 14, 2022.
- Check out: Everyone receiving travel support with hotel will have a check-out day of October 16, 2022.
- Hotels only: We will not be providing travel support for AirBnB or alternate hotels
- You must show up! If you are awarded travel support and are a no-show at the hotel your Brigade will be charged for the room. If you are traveling and your flight is delayed, please let the hotel know so that they hold your room.
- We are estimating $600 per person: Please note, there are multiple options below to help you decide what travel support option best works for you. Additionally, by being prudent and reducing cost, we are able to provide equitable travel support for those that may need more or have higher travel costs.
Attendance Goals
Our overall attendance objective is to bring together a mix of new and experienced volunteers, partners and up and coming organizers. We know you all have different resources available, some brigade having funds they can dedicate to travel while others are in survival mode. If we all aligned in trying to assemble a powerful group of civic organizers, we believe we can work together to make our resources go even further.
Ticketing
As always, Brigade Congress tickets are complimentary. While booking, there is an option to Pay What you Want. There is no obligation to pay anything for a ticket. However, if you’d like to support the event and have the means to do so, it is always appreciated.
REGISTER HERE!
Hotel
Code for America has booked a block of rooms at the Hyatt Regency Gateway Arch hotel for Network members. The cost of a hotel room is $200 per night (with tax and fees). We have reserved Friday and Saturday nights.
Any additional room costs, such as mini-bar, in-room dining, etc, will be the responsibility of the individual, and Code for America will not pay for these expenses.
Airfare
If your flight costs are above the amount available for flight reimbursement taking into account your hotel costs, you will have to pay the overage out of pocket.
If you are unable to find a flight for under the flight reimbursement amount, you may request an exception by emailing congress@codeforamerica.org once you’ve submitted your travel request.
Please let us know if buying the airline ticket upfront would cause a financial strain to you and/or your family. Code for America will make arrangements to book your ticket for you.
Travel Support Options
Code for America offers need-based travel reimbursements for Network members attending Brigade Congress. This year’s event is being held in St. Louis, MO. In an effort to keep this opportunity accessible to those who would otherwise not be able to attend, we ask that you please only apply for a travel support based on a financial need. We also kindly ask that you keep travel costs as low as possible so that we can fund the attendance of as many Network members as we can.
Opting Out
We do not wish to discourage Network members who need the travel support but would like to call out the option to opt-out of travel support. If you do not need travel support to attend the event, please consider opting out and allowing others to receive more support. We attempt to provide equitable travel support to allow more Network members to attend.
Opting In
To opt in, you can select travel support options listed below
We understand that times have changed since we had the expectation for all attendees to share a room. Therefore, we’d like to give you options with travel support.
If you are receiving travel support, Code for America will directly book and pay for the hotel. Because of this, the amount you are reimbursed for your flight to Brigade Congress is dependant on the cost of your hotel room.
Option 1: This is for those who wish to have an individual room. The cost of the room will be deducted and the remaining amount will be available for airfare/mileage support.
Hotel costs (2 nights, not sharing a room) = $400
Amount available for flight/mileage reimbursement = $200
Option 2: This is for those comfortable with sharing a room, or have someone they’d like to room with. A shared room cuts the cost of the room in half. Therefore it allows us to give you more support on airfare/mileage.
Hotel costs (2 nights, sharing a room) = $200
Amount available for flight/mileage reimbursement = $400
Option 3: This is for those who do not want to stay in the Brigade Congress Hotel and would prefer to make their own arrangements. We can support up to $600 in travel expenses. You would claim these through your normal reimbursement process.
Option 4: Opt out of travel support.
APPLY FOR TRAVEL SUPPORT HERE!
The Process
After you have applied for travel support, you can go ahead and book your flights. If you have an active expensify account with Code for America listed in your Expensify Policy, you can submit right away. If you do not, please reach out to Jillzey to be invited to Code for America’s expensify account.
You will submit one report for all reimbursable travel support. Please name your report “Brigade Congress - (your brigade or network volunteer) - (your name)”
Here are the categories that you will select:
- Category: Non-Staff Travel - Transportation, Lodging, Meals
- Attendees: (you should auto-populate here)
- Department: Programs
- Program: Network_Management
- Restriction: Unrestricted
- Funding Source: (leave blank)
- State: No_State
- Focus: No_Focus
- Description: (please leave a short description of what the expense is)
Apply for reimbursement for the appropriate amount based on the Travel Support Option you selected through Expensify.
Please apply for reimbursement by October 31st. Thank you!
What we can and can’t reimburse
Code for America has the following guidelines on what we will and won’t pay for. Here are some things you should know about the travel reimbursements Code for America is providing for Brigade Congress:
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Travel reimbursements are given up to $600 per person. The $600 cap will not be extended unless there is advance approval from the Network team in an extenuating circumstance. If the $600 cap is exceeded, Brigades can choose to reimburse members out of their Brigade’s account for excess travel and lodging.
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Travel reimbursements are for flights, trains, and hotel only, and cannot be used for any other expenses associated with the trip.
If you have any questions, please email congress@codeforamerica.org to get further details.