Crowdfunding

[MrsK]

Have any of you used go fund me or any other crowd funding platforms? I'm raising funds for little free libraries in the common areas of our neighborhood and was thinking of using one of those platforms to collect donations from neighbors. Which are reliable? Easy to use? Inexpensive?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[rufflesanddots]

Those services usually charge a not insignificant fee for service. I used a GoFundMe for a fundraising project a few years ago. It was great because people could use their credit cards, or people from out of the area could easily donate, but again, we didn't get the full donated amount due to fees. I can't remember how much they took, but I remember being annoyed.

What about having neighbors donate skills (to build the libraries) and books instead?



Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[MrsK]

Those services usually charge a not insignificant fee for service. I used a GoFundMe for a fundraising project a few years ago. It was great because people could use their credit cards, or people from out of the area could easily donate, but again, we didn't get the full donated amount due to fees. I can't remember how much they took, but I remember being annoyed.

What about having neighbors donate skills (to build the libraries) and books instead?



Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

It's 5%

I have 2 who have volunteered carpentry skills. Not sure about the quality of said skills. The HOA will shut down the project if the boxes are sloppy, ugly, leaking. And even if they have the skills, there are materials and maintenance costs our HOA won't cover. I'm talking to our volunteer carpenters tomorrow to get an idea of their anticipated costs. If they know what they are doing it can cut down on the cost significantly.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[alotofyarn]

I have a lot of friends who have used gofundme, and they definitely take a cut. You could also set up a PayPal address to get money, but it's not quite as popular. I've done a few Booster campaigns with t-shirt proceeds going toward various causes, and those were all pretty successful.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[diggitydot]

YouCaring doesn't take a cut. It's legit.

[MrsK]

YouCaring doesn't take a cut. It's legit.

I read that they get their cut in other ways.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[MrsK]

I'm so screwed. The HOA told me the little free library was approved and to raise funds. Then I got funds and 2 volunteer carpenters (which reduced the amount of funds needed by half). Then, the HOA jerked me around on a final official approval which I thought I had before I asked for funds. This dragged out so long that the volunteer carpenters became unavailable. (One was injured and the other backed out.) Now I have money collected from neighbors and I can't get the library in the ground before it freezes. I'm fit to be tied! What do I do?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[alotofyarn]

I'm so screwed. The HOA told me the little free library was approved and to raise funds. Then I got funds and 2 volunteer carpenters (which reduced the amount of funds needed by half). Then, the HOA jerked me around on a final official approval which I thought I had before I asked for funds. This dragged out so long that the volunteer carpenters became unavailable. (One was injured and the other backed out.) Now I have money collected from neighbors and I can't get the library in the ground before it freezes. I'm fit to be tied! What do I do?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Can you update the neighbors and just let them know the situation, that you'll do it as soon as you can, but until then the funds are safe?

[MrsK]

I want to update them but I don't want to sound like I'm throwing the HOA board or our carpenters under the bus. I also don't want to broadcast the one carpenter's injury as these are his neighbors too and he might not want them to know his business. And if I just say something like "due to the passage of time," it looks like I've been slacking off. No one has any idea how backwards the HOA made me do this. If I knew I'd have to run the gauntlet to get this done, I would have waited on getting funds and volunteers until I had the final approval.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[OrionGrad]

Can you post on Nextdoor and ask if there's anyone else who'd be willing to volunteer their carpentry skills for the project?

[MrsK]

I posted a general request for volunteer carpenters on the neighborhood Facebook page. Couldn't say why I now need carpenters. No responses. I also posted on my Facebook and the only responses I got were from my smartass brothers who are not near enough to help.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[gcuthbe1]

How complex is the structure? Could it just be someone with the right tools?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[MrsK]

It's basically a big birdhouse

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Is there like a prefab thingy from Home Depot you could just buy?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JDAZ11]

Is there like a prefab thingy from Home Depot you could just buy?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Or Etsy?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk