It’s that time again, FoLCs! We’ve been super fortunate that we haven’t had to do a fundraiser almost 10 years! We have some FoLCs that have recurring donations and some that chip in what they can when they can, no matter the amount. But now the account is low again, and we pretty much only have only enough funds to get us through the end of this current year.
So, usually, that’s fundraiser time! We thought we’d float some ideas around, but we also wanted your ideas, too!
Of course, if the
account somehow magically fills up before we can decide on a fundraiser…we can just keep the ideas in our back pocket for the next time we need them.
wink wink hint winkWe need about $400 USD/year to maintain and keep everything running across the following L&C sites: these MBs, the Kerth Awards site, the nfanfic archive, and the lcficdirectory.com. This includes domain names, hosting fees, and the cost for various plugins.
Here are some ideas for fundraising:
- Fanworks auction—FoLCs offer a story or fanart in exchange for a donation, and bidding happens like a silent auction.
- A donation-based subscription to a special forum on the MBs where there would be exclusive access to a select number of stories (e.g. These 5 stories can only be read here for 6 months before they’re posted publicly). (Similar to the Fundraiser DVD back in 2007, but MBs-based.)
- FoLC Swag—creating some sort of t-shirt, keychain, etc and the proceeds go to the FoLC account.
Let’s throw ideas around and see what works best! Keep in mind that some of these ideas involve a lot of logistics and such, and while super fun if there’s big involvement, can sometimes be more effort in the long run. (Though there’s no doubt that they’re super fun when everyone’s involved!)
While we’re tossing around ideas, feel free to
donate now and help us get enough funds for next year (and we’d love to have a year’s buffer in there or more to keep us secure). I absolutely love that these boards have been around for 20 years now and that FoLCs are still here and actively using them and posting fic and socializing! FoLCdom is really amazing! Think about that trip for coffee or a night out with family or friends—how easy it is to spend $5 or $15 or $25 dollars or more on those simple pleasures—and consider what you might be able to chip in for all the enjoyment you get from the FoLC sites.
If you have any questions or concerns or ideas, we’d love to hear them!
Sara, Michael, and Annette
