[Theforum] fundraising again.

Michele Foster michele at wordpro.on.ca
Thu Feb 28 23:57:35 CST 2002


----- Original Message -----
From: "isaac" <isaac at members.evolt.org>


|
| > What about the web hosting for meo accounts ?  Is now the time to make a
| > decision which route we want to go?  Do we want to start charging for
this
| > service?  Even a small amount would help greatly offset the costs.  What
| > about $5/month ($60/year x 1000 members = $6,000 = 6 months of hosting)
| > [Yes, I realize we will probably lose some meo account members.]
|
| Errr, 60/year x 1000 members = $60 000... = lots of hosting.
|
| 1000 members x $1/month = $1000/month = hosting cost.
|
| To cover PayPal's cut (NFI what it is), maybe we make it $15/yr up front?
|
| I think that we may have an obvious solution here.

Geeze, am I ever tired .. thanks Isaac.  (/me hangs head in shame)

And, yes, I like your idea of $15/year.  (or whatever value we decide upon)


|
| To me, the question is probably do we also seek general donations via WEO?
| To what effect would the surplus costs be used? Would they best be served
| providing more services (SEO, etc)?

Might be a good idea to define SEO .. since even I hadn't heard of it before
until the other day you mentioned it.  ;)

s.e.o. = stock.evolt.org .. as in stock photography .. evolt.org's members'
photos  (Isaac, provide more details if there are any, please)

One of the things we need cash for .. is to pre-purchase items we want for
tagwear .. pay for SSL for tagwear, printing costs for calendar/book, etc.
I don't think we'd have a hard time finding ways to spend the money which
would further evolt.org in the future.  Remember, we want *everyone* to have
a tshirt, cap and calendar, we want to keep those costs at a minimum. We
need to rely on a more concrete money-making venture in order to be
sustainable.

|
| Would soliciting donations be seen by members as a mild panic call? Could
we
| offset that by talk of cool future projects we'd be funding?

I don't think it would be a panic call .. but I do think its important that
the membership at large are reminded that there are no adverts, no company
owns us, all work is volunteer, all servers and such donated, etc.   IOW,
it's important that everyone realize evolt.org is reaching its (or has
reached?) the point of existance where it *must* generate cash in some
manner in order for it to survive.

|
|
| What about beervolt party packs -- they'd include: evolt.org business
cards
| to distribute, a cubey thing to put on your table so people know where to
| go, and a nice evolt.org sign to put on the bar door, etc. Hmm... :)
|
| "Arranging a beervolt soon? Order your party pack from the nearest
| distributor: Australasia, North and South America, Europe, Asia, etc."
|

This is a very good idea.


Mich





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