TIP: Council Organisational Cost Analysis - Trello & Slack
Abstract
This proposal evaluates the organisational costs and efficiencies of adopting Trello and Slack as the primary coordination tools for the Telcoin Association Councils. Trello enables structured task and project management through Kanban-style boards, while Slack provides secure, real-time communication and collaboration. Together, they create a cost-effective, scalable, and AI-enhanced infrastructure tailored to the Association’s governance needs.
The cost analysis is calculated for 28 council seats, with the expectation that future growth may require additional access for expansion of council approved users, entities or tools. To ensure long-term efficiency and avoid repetitive administrative processes, this proposal also establishes a standing framework for annual renewals:
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Annual costs will remain covered under general operational expenses provided they do not increase beyond a 15% inflationary variance per user, year-on-year.
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Additional seats for new council members or entities are also included within this 15% per-user variance, giving the council flexibility to scale council approved access without requiring further proposals.
The Association has been approved for Non-Profit Organisation rates with Trello, which will reduce the baseline costings presented in this proposal. We are still awaiting confirmation from Slack regarding the application of equivalent non-profit rates.
This proposal will be funded via Platform Council safe under the TIP General Improvements: General purpose improvements, To be included in yearly budget and cancellable via TIP.
Motivation
The Association’s councils manage strategic, treasury, and technical oversight. Current communication methods—fragmented email chains, ad-hoc documents, and inconsistent reporting—create inefficiencies and silos.
Key pain points:
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No unified system for all in one tracking achievements, milestones and general updates for proposals, votes, and deliverables.
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Dispersed information across multiple platforms and tools.
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Growing complexity with increasing council size and proposal volume.
Trello and Slack address these issues directly:
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Slack: Real-time governance discussions, secure channels, file sharing, integrated notifications.
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Trello: TIP/TELIP lifecycle tracking, milestones, and task allocation.
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AI Automations: Trello cards can trigger updates across Slack and Discord, ensuring visibility across councils and the wider Association.
This combination enhances clarity, accountability, and efficiency, without incurring enterprise-grade platform costs.
Specification
Option 1: Standard Combination — Trello Standard + Slack Pro
Annual Cost (28 seats): ~$4,116
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Trello: $5 × 28 × 12 = $1,680
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Slack: $7.25 × 28 × 12 ≈ $2,436
Features: Unlimited boards, custom fields, simple automations (Trello). Unlimited message history, channels, 10GB storage/user (Slack).
Best Fit: Low-cost foundation for efficient governance.
Option 2: Enhanced Combination — Trello Premium + Slack Pro
Annual Cost (28 seats): ~$5,796
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Trello: $10 × 28 × 12 = $3,360
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Slack: $7.25 × 28 × 12 ≈ $2,436
Features: Timeline, dashboard, calendar, reporting, advanced admin controls (Trello). Full message history, AI summarisation, huddles (Slack).
Best Fit: Balanced visibility and governance oversight at moderate cost.
Option 3: Professional Combination — Trello Premium + Slack Business+
Annual Cost (28 seats): ~$7,560
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Trello: $10 × 28 × 12 = $3,360
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Slack: $12.50 × 28 × 12 = $4,200
Features: All Premium Trello features plus Slack Business+ with 20GB storage/user, compliance-grade reporting, and uptime guarantees.
Best Fit: Compliance-ready model for councils requiring advanced oversight.
Rationale
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Standard ($4,116): Efficient, cost-effective entry point with essential governance features.
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Enhanced ($5,796): Ideal balance of affordability and advanced visibility, with reporting and dashboards.
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Professional ($7,560): Highest-tier compliance, designed for long-term scalability.
Non-profit rates, once secured, are expected to reduce these figures further.
Future Costs:
Approval of this proposal establishes the costs as part of ongoing operational expenses. To avoid repeated proposals, renewals will proceed under the following framework:
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A 15% annual inflationary variance per user is permitted before requiring further council approval.
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Any increase in council membership or seat allocation is also covered within this 15% per-user variance. This ensures that if new council members or council entities require access, costs can be absorbed under the approved framework without further proposals.
This approach future-proofs council operations while maintaining cost discipline.
Implementation
Timeline: 1–4 weeks, depending on tier and automation complexity.
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Phase 1 (Week 1): Setup Trello boards and Slack channels; onboard council members; activate integrations.
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Phase 2 (Weeks 1–2): Automate proposal updates across Slack, Trello, and Forum; test AI summarisation and task tracking; connect Discord for wider Association updates.
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Phase 3 (Weeks 2–4): Deploy Premium dashboards (if applicable); finalise automation workflows; gather feedback; publish the first integrated governance report.
Conclusion
Adopting Trello and Slack provides the Telcoin Association with an affordable, transparent, and scalable governance infrastructure.
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Unified organisational visibility across all councils.
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Efficient communication and clarity with integrated tools.
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Future-proof budgeting through the approved 15% per-user variance for both inflation and Telcoin Association growth.
With costs ranging from $4,116–$7,560 annually for 28 seats, and non-profit rates under active review, this approach secures reliable council operations without significant treasury impact.
Recommendation: Approve this proposal as a standing operational cost, with automatic renewal unless annual per-user costs exceed a 15% variance through inflation or increased user requirements.