[Theforum] sponsorships

[aardvark]

> From: "Daniel J. Cody" <djc at members.evolt.org>
>
> i dont mind it no, if i did, i wouldn't pony up. i hardly feel like
> we're begging for donations either. i also don't feel like we're on

based on your push last month, i thought we *were* begging for
donations... hence the paypal, mouse pads, and other chatter about
funding...  if that's not the case, why are we even bothering?

what if you don't like the new structure we're all creating here?
then do you keep paying every month to fund something you don't like?

eggs, basket...

> the virge of dying, or anywhere near it, or that we're too proud to
> accept money. i'm just afraid of what we may have to give up to get
> some cash from certain companies that we're not in dire need of.
> personally, i trust people more than i trust companies and i'm not
> trying to be a stickinthemud, but imagine the following scenerio:

if we were in dire need of cash, we'd be screwed anyway, because
simple sponsorhips probably wouldn't save us, we'd need to be more
aggressive... i'd like us to not be there...

> macromedia starts shooting us $350 a month or free hosting for all of
> evolt or X. we become dependant on that and start shying away from
> individual help or self-sustaining things. six months later, MM says
> to us, 'run this review from our marketing dept on your website which
> we host/contribute to/X or else we yank our help.'

then we'd be idiots to let it get that far... the point is, it can
alleviate the stress... dean's created a nice common sense list of
what *not* to allow sponsors to do...

[...]
> i'm seriously trying to get us self sustaining adrian, and i think
> thats evident, and a first step with these mousepads. i *KNOW* its not
> the final answer, but its a step in the right direction.

so, how many steps are we going to take?  how much of our time
creating and managing these little enterprises that aren't driven by
real market demand?  people aren't buying mouse pads because they
need or even want mouse pads, they're buying them because they expect
the money will go to support evolt.org...

right now, the money goes to reimburse you...  i want you to be clear
of the financial obligation, donations handling the meat of it, and
the merchandising to be gravy to support other needs...

> if the 85 people on this list *alone* all just give $10 a month, we're
> self-sustaining _period_ and you can tell me to get lost if thats all
> i'm good for, which i'd like to think i'm not ;) as it is, and i
> disappointed to report, only like six people have donated financially
> in the last two months. (and thats not to say everyone else is evil or
> doesn't love evolt, just some perspective) it also fills my heart with
> joy to see someone like hugh (not to point anyone out) blair willing
> to throw $100 for hardware/hosting.

two responses to this...

- recognizing donations by individual people does exactly what you
want to avoid with corp sponsorships -- giving preferential
treatment... it also *does* create some reliance, people may expect
hugh to pony up again... if we truly want donations to be altruistic,
they should be anonymous and we shouldn't track who sends in what...

- some of us don't do the financial donation because we give plenty
already... i give a few hours a day to the community, which at my
hourly rates is a hella lot... you listed your contributions to
evolt.org in another email, and mine can easily be as long...  i've
also been working my arse off trying to find another way to get money
in *without* relying on my wallet, or yours... *that's* my
contribution... if you're going to guilt *anyone* about donating (by
saying you're disappointed and then saying your heart is filled with
joy by hugh's donation, and this isn't just me talking), you can
stick it up your arse because you are creating *exactly* the kind of
environment you claim you want to avoid...

which brings us back to the first point...

IOW, you're already walking down the path you want to avoid, even if
you don't see it... you're just doing it with people instead of
corps, which, in case you haven't noticed by the threads of the last
week or so, can be a problematic thing...

> there are a *ton* of things we can do before we start relying on
> corporate sponsorship to make us self-suffiecent.

i'm doing what i can, but i see corporate sponsorships as a viable
source of revenue... hell, even hardware or software...

i'd rather not summarily dismiss them, and so far, i've only heard
one voice suggesting that be the case...

so, what are our options?
- dan
- merchandise
- sponsorships

what else do we see?
--
Read the evolt.org case study
Usability: The Site Speaks for Itself
http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1904151035/
ISBN: 1904151035