Results of 1st Qtr Donation Drive

[SteveColes]

Our 1st quarter donation drive was very successful. We net'd almost $1400. On behalf on North Carolina Woodworker, Inc. I would like to thank you all very much for your support.

 

[Mike Davis]

Is the 1st quarter over?

What is your fiscal year?

I plan to donate but it ain't happening now. :rotflm:

 

[JackLeg]

What was the original "goal" to keep the site solvent? :icon_scra

And, like Mike, what is the fiscal year? :eusa_thin

Thanx.

:wsmile:

 

[ashley_phil]

I think they were planning to run the drive for the first month of each quarter.

 

[kenger22]

Pardon me for asking, cause I'm still really new but what do you guys use the funds for? the lunches and raffles?

 

[gator]

Pardon me for asking, cause I'm still really new but what do you guys use the funds for? the lunches and raffles?

Check here

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/index.php?page=donate

George

 

[Glennbear]

Just to clarify, NCWW lunches are not funded by NCWW Inc. however the picnic is. For years the picnic was funded by our founder himself but that has become an unreasonable and unwarranted burden on Steve and his wife. The lunches and brunches are paid for by the individual attending woodworkers. We are in the process of becoming self supporting. :wsmile:

 

[TracyP]

WOW! That is a great achievement. Thanks to all of you that made up that number. :eusa_danc:eusa_danc

 

[flatheadfisher]

One site I frequented several years ago would distinguish the donors by placing a badge under their avatar. I remember the amount of the donations they received increased drastically once they started doing that. I can see good and bad reasons for having such a distinguishment. It may be something you all want to consider - if you haven't already.

 

[DaveO]

One site I frequented several years ago would distinguish the donors by placing a badge under their avatar. I remember the amount of the donations they received increased drastically once they started doing that. I can see good and bad reasons for having such a distinguishment. It may be something you all want to consider - if you haven't already.

That is something that has been considered. But we didn't like the idea of creating different classes of users. It might help to get more donations if members were publicly recognized for their contributions. But it also would alienate those members who might not be able to contribute.
This site has always been free for all users and the desire is for it to remain that way. If you can help with the funding of the site great, if you can't you are still welcome to enjoy it.
We are very thankful that there are members out there that can contribute to help fund to operations of this site. Until recently it has been almost entirely funded by SteveColes. It is time for him to step back and for this site to be able to function on it's own. Between donations and other fund raising events like raffles I think that we are on our way to getting to this point.
THANK-YOU to all that are able to contribute. And to those that couldn't, you still can. Be active on this site and give it your all. Wealth comes in many forms, not all monetarily. And this site will benefit from all kinds of member's wealth.

Dave

 

[DaveO]

Pardon me for asking, cause I'm still really new but what do you guys use the funds for? the lunches and raffles?

Steve, the funds primarily go for the operation of the site. The hosting costs, advertising costs, and promotional costs. It costs about $8000 a year to run this site in the form that it is. Some of the funds can go to hosting the Spring Picnic and other promotional costs that helps bring the members together as a group of friends.

Dave

 

[CrealBilly]

Just to clarify, NCWW lunches are not funded by NCWW Inc. however the picnic is. For years the picnic was funded by our founder himself but that has become an unreasonable and unwarranted burden on Steve and his wife. The lunches and brunches are paid for by the individual attending woodworkers. We are in the process of becoming self supporting. :wsmile:

Glenn - that's right It's time to get pushed out of the next or [strike]get weened of the nipple[/strike] - isn't it? yuck... that conjures up some bad images - could be border line I think I'll strike it (Self Moderate)

 

[flatheadfisher]

That is something that has been considered. But we didn't like the idea of creating different classes of users. It might help to get more donations if members were publicly recognized for their contributions. But it also would alienate those members who might not be able to contribute.
This site has always been free for all users and the desire is for it to remain that way. If you can help with the funding of the site great, if you can't you are still welcome to enjoy it.

I agree with that thinking!

 

[JimmyC]

Just to clarify, NCWW lunches are not funded by NCWW Inc. however the picnic is. For years the picnic was funded by our founder himself but that has become an unreasonable and unwarranted burden on Steve and his wife. The lunches and brunches are paid for by the individual attending woodworkers. We are in the process of becoming self supporting. :wsmile:

We do pay for the lunches and I do believe we should also pay for the picnic, as they say "pay to play". It would be easier than asking for people to bring half of the food and utensils, and no one person would have to fund it, the site would only have to cover any shortages if ther was a problem. Well run, the picnic could possibly turn a small profit which could go towards the next years picnic fund. Donations in my belief should not support a large percentage of the picnic costs, a small percentage attend and should pay their way. I personally have no problem with that.

That being said, anything other than running site itself, such as the calendar and any other contests, should also be self supporting. If prizes for anything aren't donated then they should be paid for out of proceeds from something other than the donations that go toward keeping the site running.

Just my two cents worth.

 

[SteveColes]

Just some clarifications.

Fiscal year = July 1 - June 30

So technically this was the 3rd Qtr Donation drive.:gar-Bi BUT, it was the 1st Qtr that we did this.:eusa_danc

When this site was first founded, we did not accept advertisements or donations. Those were the good old days:rotflm:
About a year after we were running, there was some concern about what would happen if I no longer wanted to fund or run the site. So slowly, I have been trying to create a structure that would allow the site to run without me. In june of 2008, I accepted the first donations. In July, I incorporated North Carolina Woodworker, Inc. as a North Carolina Non-Profit Corporation. The corporation in turn runs the website as an educational activity. In addition, the corporation provides demonstration and teaching activities. (so far this has been limited to things done in conjunction with klingspor)

The donations and other income go to the corporation. The current sources of income include:

Donations
Advertising
Special Fundraisers (only one so far, the raffle)
We will add to that Website Hosting.

 

[merrill77]

Advertising costs? Does NCWoodworker advertise itself somewhere...or did I miss-understand that?

Also, are the financials available for review?

 

[DaveO]

Advertising costs? Does NCWoodworker advertise itself somewhere...or did I miss-understand that?

Also, are the financials available for review?

Yes, we advertise on Google You can really see the membership increase when the ads are running.
As far as the financial records are concerned, we are on our way to being incorporated and run by a BOD, soon that information will be to the point of being posted.

Dave

 

[SteveColes]

Yes, we advertise on Google You can really see the membership increase when the ads are running.
As far as the financial records are concerned, we are on our way to being incorporated and run by a BOD, soon that information will be to the point of being posted.

Dave

Also, are the financials available for review?[/quote]

Dave my apologies I sometimes forget to keep the staff up to date on certain things.:embaresse:embaresse

Actually, we used to advertise. But we haven't for a while becuase we seemed to have reached a critical mass point. However, we might do it again every once in a while if new memberships were to decrease drastically.
To clarify about the corporation. We are already a North Carolina Non-Profit corporation.That was done last July. It is already run by a board of directors. The "Corporate Members" elected them in sept 08. Currently there is only one Corporate Member, myself.

The goal which is what Dave is referring to, is that there will be many Corporate Members, taken primarily from the ranks of "active users of this site." Then at the spring Picnic, we hold the first "Members Meeting" and elect a new board of Directors. That board will choose Corporate Officers who in turn will select the website staff.

Finanicals of the Corporation. We have not yet operated as a coporation for a whole year, so the financials do no yet mean much in specific, for a variety of reasons. But closer to that members meeting in May, I will probably publish a preliminary report.