I remember being admonished for making 'backroom deals for votes'. But I suppose it must be okay if that backroom is slack? If this slack has become a marketplace for effort on hive going forward, it should be open to the public, given you are requesting public funds, there should be the opportunity for competition and visibility. That said, I thought this was a system of proposal for future work, not remuneration for previous efforts. Seems like if you are wishing to build some stake and be rewarded, there are enough of your advocates from slack who could step up in that department, and thus leave the 'proposal' system for propositions of possible work to the community.