Recruits with fundraising ideas needed!

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Elvis

Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Joined
May 22, 2000
Messages
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Location
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I'm looking for a group of people to 'brainstorm' ideas of how we can generate money to help keep the site afloat and growing.

if youre interested, please send a PM to me with BRAINSTORM as the subject, or send an email to donate@interference.com (with the same subject).

Joel
 
I posed a question in the other thread yesterday that went unanswered, I'll ask again. Is there any specific time-table you need to meet the goal by?

Thanks
 
I have an idea. Whoever donates the most gets to force Diamond not to use smileys in his threads for 6 months. And no "hoo-hawing" either. :sexywink:

Just teasing ya Dave! :D

Perhaps having auctions (or raffles_ would be a great way to keep money coming in. For example, people could donate and/or buy U2 items. Then, we could auction (raffle) these goodies, with the proceeds going to Interference. I recall on WIRE we had several auctions (back then we were raising $$ for Amnesty International) and auctions allowed us to raise THOUSANDS of $$. I'd be happy to get the donation process started too. I have several U2 posters I don't use as well as various items, like an inflatable Lemon from the POPMart tour (of course, given how much GypsyHeartGirl adores "POP" I'm sure she'll want this item all to herself ;)). I'm sure I can dig up with several other "goodies" that I can donate to this cause.

The only caution here is that auctions do require time and web space. I can help as much as possible, but I am unable to commit tons of time right now (meaning, I cannot run the auction by myself). On WIRE, we had a team working this and it ran splendidly. If a dysfunctional group like those of us on the old WIRE could make this work, I know we can do it here! :D
 
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Was wondering if I were to donate if my donation was large enouh..maybe Elvis could sport me a few extra smilies?:sexywink:

db9
 
The best way to raise funds is to create a list of possible donors. You can get this list by having each member donate a list of 5 possible contributors and then organizing a letter or donation or by simply calling them or meeting with them.

This is how political campaigns raise their funds. Probably a bunch of other groups do the same.

I would recommend getting in touch with a few advertisers that have ties to products that U2 fans may appreciate. Having a advertising link isn't as gaudy as many people think and it will save the Interference users a great deal of cash. Cash; something most of us are trying to hold onto with the slumping economy.

Charging a monthly fee is a viable option, but it is perhaps the most unpopular option. Getting rich U2 fans to donate, on-line businesses, etc is my vote.
 
Brainstorm

Ideas:

we can donate things to be auctioned off on Ebay with the proceeds going here

raffle/sweepstakes of donated prizes among Interferencers

Make and sell Interference t-shirts at a profit- PLEBA ones would go especially well;)

are we a non-profit organization eligible to sell those candy bars like the cub scouts? I am serious! Everybody buys those!

*edit sorry to copy doctorwho I just thought of some of the same ideas before I read his;)
 
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I heard a lot of Elvis songs last nigth and one has stuck with me.

So the next time the Interferencers are together and I think it would work especially well if it was a gathering of PLEBA girls (and boys), someone take a long a porta studio and you could record a version of
YOU WERE ALWAYS ON MY MIND
seems appropriate...sums this place up :sexywink:
you could decide on the b-side., or make a whole album if you get into the swing of it

Now you could go all out and make a video clip too.I think if you attached a few pics of the choir, they'd sell like the hot cakes that they are

I am kind of just kidding, but there may be some potential.

I'm glad you guys aren't relying on my input.
we'd be amused ...but poor.
Joel I am leaving you all my Elvis stuff in my will, you lucky boy.I am bundling all my U2 stuff up with a instruction sheet inside. I'd hate it all to not go to some one who cares. Not sure when that might be though.
 

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Questions for the people supporting the "donate things and auction them off at ebay" idea: Do we have enough memorabilia within our community that members will be willing to donate? Do we expect this to support the website year after year? Are we confident that member will actually want to give away their most cherished items from their favorite rock band?
 
Aren't Raffles a Wonderful Idea.. Teaching people to Gamble..

I don't quite think a 'prize'.. How many 'Melon' Remix Discs can there actually be out in the U2 world...would work... though Money would.

Mr. Rooples J. (The J is for Ivan the Terrible)
 
Sicy said:
Yeah I have them all.
me too, thanks to you! :D

i even went to one of those sites with pics of bootleg covers and printed them all out...if you didn't know, they kinda look like they're actual copies and not bootlegs. (even though the whole cd is a bootleg)
 
O.K., no raffles... but still, we could have auctions.

I'm sure there are SOME things that people don't have. Plus, it's always nice to have an actual CD as opposed to a downloaded .mp3. Some of us have the "official" boots too - which we might auction off.

I know I have extra items of a few things, that might generate some funds. Just a thought... We did this successfully on WIRE several years ago, so I figured this might work well here too.
 
Auctions and things my work, but I think there could be many issues with that.

Maybe joing a bunch of affiliate programs and having a forum that is ads and such for places to buy things, still probably not the best idea though.

First I have a question, how many registered members of interference are there and how many people use the site for either browsing or posting on a daily basis? For some reason I seem to have the idea that there are 6,000 or so members?

If I am correct than that is less than $1 per person. basically nothing. Positioning a request for funds in that manner will work a lot better than a general request. At least in my opinion. I think would give people a better idea of how little they have to donate to make this a non issue.

thats just my $0.02 for the morning. I will think of some other ideas though.
 
Okay...this MAY have been mentioned already and if so, Im sorry.

Interference is made up of many different forums nowdays. Many of these are non-U2 related but, seeing this a definate community, really do serve a purpose and are great to have. Slapping a fee onto Interference would upset some members but more importantly, discourage many new members from signing up. Therefore, maybe access to the U2 related forums could be free however, one would pay a yearly fee to use the others. So, Lemonade Stand, FYM, Zoo Confess, etc come into like a Extra Package type thing.

Does that make sense? I am tired so it could sound like jibberish!
 
i'm not sure whether or not that makes sense.....i'm still not awake and it's 4:00 pm here!!!
we could have bring and buy sales....ummmm....yep.....that is my big idea.......
i think making people pay a monthly fee would be a really bad idea, it would just put most people off (especially those with no money!!) when another.com started to charge for an email account everyine left to go to yahoo or hotmail and if you charbged then most users would just go and find another U2 forum.
 
Well, I was going to post about the t-shirts but I see that has already been done.

I definitely think that shirts (esp PLEBA) shirts would really sell. Possibly car stickers (bumper or otherwise) would work too and they are REALLY cheap to make.

You could sell them for like, $5 and profit probably $4.50/piece if you bought in bulk.

Maybe an Interference gathering would be cool too. All you would have to pay for is a conference room or something in a hotel for a night and the members would pay their own way to get there, obviously. You could charge an entry fee and pocket that cash.

You could have 3 or 4 different locations (New York, Chicago, LA, and Dallas) or something in the states and have the international members meet elsewhere.

Just random thoughts.

:yawn:
 
baker6621 said:
How could it possibly cost 5,000 to run this place? Does the server have gold lining?

Baker,

You apparently do not realize that bandwidth costs alot of money. Obviously we would not ask for donations that would exceed what is actually needed.

Please do not ruin another thread, just because you have gripes about signature regulations. Those are petty greivances, and you should consider this fair warning. If you dislike Interference so much, perhaps you could use another U2 fan forum.
 
$5000 is the price it costs to run it for a year and the last few months. This is not even including the years before it that Elvis paid for the site out of his pocket.
 
umm...i haev another fantastic idea...we could wash cars....ermm...yep you can probably tell i'm not very imaginative!!!

or
we could go to our local boot sales and sell everything we don't need!!!
 
Again, I feel that censoring certain parts of the forum to only paid members will constitute a "business," and, hence, subject this site to state and federal taxation. Plus, I think it will definitely stifle the forum that's for sure.

My suggestion is to perhaps put a multifaceted approach to this. We already have online ways to contribute, but I think that there should be an "offline" way; perhaps post an address / P.O. Box that one could send a check / money order to. I know that for many people that they may not have a credit card or are reluctant, due to security concerns, about using an online method.

Secondly, rather than take things away from non-contributing members, how about giving things to contributing members? It doesn't necessarily have to be something tremendous. Perhaps let these members define their own status and give them a permanent e-mail address that they can use for forwarding to another account?

I think what also might be detrimental to this site, currently, is that it is *only* a forum. If the main site to Interference.com is ever set back up, maybe you can include exclusive content that only paid subscribers can access, such as rare MP3s and other exclusive downloads. Of course, it has been said to never judge a book by its cover, but, with advertising, the cover is pretty much all we have. Again, though, I fear that this would constitute a business...

If there is anything I can do to perhaps help make any of this a reality, ask me.

Melon
 
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melon said:
I think that there should be an "offline" way; perhaps post an address / P.O. Box that one could send a check / money order to.
there already is. :)

i agree with the rest of your post, too. i can vouch about that if it became pay-only, it probably would count as a business. there's another forum i go to, where running it is this guy's job. it's super busy as hell, so he wouldn't have time for another job anyway, but i'm sure he pays taxes.

i agree about adding stuff for paying people. or, perhaps there's an alternate idea. going on your suggestion about custom titles, people could pay to get theirs changed to something else. hell, you could even have people pay to change others' custom titles. (of course, rules and stuff could be set so someone couldn't change it to "you asshole" or something offensive, since only admins can change them, they'd be up for approval anyway.)

with the way some people beg for custom titles around here, it wouldn't be a bad idea. :wink:
 
KhanadaRhodes said:

there already is. :)

lol...what is it?

i agree about adding stuff for paying people. or, perhaps there's an alternate idea. going on your suggestion about custom titles, people could pay to get theirs changed to something else. hell, you could even have people pay to change others' custom titles. (of course, rules and stuff could be set so someone couldn't change it to "you asshole" or something offensive, since only admins can change them, they'd be up for approval anyway.)

I would only agree with the latter *only* if the other member *approved* the custom title. I think that would certainly be intrusive and kind of insulting to the other member if someone else could change their custom title without their permission.

Melon
 
melon said:
lol...what is it?

I would only agree with the latter *only* if the other member *approved* the custom title. I think that would certainly be intrusive and kind of insulting to the other member if someone else could change their custom title without their permission.
you have to e-mail mailto:donate@interference.com for the address. i had to reformat my comp and i don't even have the old e-mail i got with the address. :( lucky me i already sent in my check! :laugh:

and yeah, i agree about the approval also from the other person. this way, we wouldn't have any offensive titles, as i'm sure would happen to *any* forum if no approvals were necessary.
 
Now that I think about it, paid exclusive content and anything paid about this site will get this site in trouble. What is different about this site versus other paid sites is the issue of original content. Like it or not, all the content here is the property of U2 and Vivendi Universal, and the only way to be able to do paid *anything* legally would be able to get their permission. Is that likely to happen? Not bloody likely.

I think the only thing that can happen may be to offer what a donation-based service that can offer what Elvis *does* own, and that involves accessory services like custom titles and e-mail addresses that have nothing to do with copyrighted U2 material. This is going to have to be a delicate balance, because there are several options that are obvious to us at first glance that are immediately closed off to us, due to the issue of copyright.

Melon
 
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