Donation Drive with gifts

[ivy]

Hello All

you know that we have a donation bar on top but still there are times we are beyond our goal and need to remind people. We aren't actively pursuing it.

I'm wondering if we should do a donation drive, basically actively promoting it, trying to raise our yearly goal in a certain amount of time - such as 45 days and so on. To make it interesting I think we can do a raffle at the end. I do have a few pepsi MJ cans, I think Gaz has some book sent by this producer of Jacksons tribute, if it's is still available we can get IJCSLY Cd single from USA and then do a raffle - basically randomly select from the people that donated and send them gifts. We can even order some custom buttons or magnets with MJJC logo on them and again randomly mail them to people

or alternatively we can do a cheap product - such as the buttons or magnets- and say that everyone donates $20 or more will get one.

Let me know what you think

 

[Angela_MJJ]

It could of course work but I think we have to keep in mind we will also get a lot of crap from people who are against the whole donation idea. People writing blogs you know what I mean. They will say we bribe our members into donating and stuff like that.

 

[Gaz]

I'm afraid I don't have the books as I didn't get to the postal office before they were returned. But to be truthful those would be the last I would be giving to fans in honour of them donating to a fan club of his. Which is also in part the reason I didn't bother to get them.

Moving forward and this is the problem we face with some of our members coming from far and wide in our world which if we are to start sending gifts we will have to increase the donation amount to cover such.

I've got to be honest that I feel it's not right we have to take out of our own pockets to keep them all happy in having a community.

There is a fact that petrarose pretty much paid for 75% of last years total costs. This is not fair and not something I am happy with as its both silly to rely on one person plus the fact all the other members see this and take for granted their free ride here. And it's so much so I've had to start subtly injecting her donations over time to try and stop this happening.

For me donations have always been the bain of my life. I just so so wish I could get sponsorship from a corporate for some advertising space then the hate would end as would the worry of me paying the bills.

 

[ivy]

I'm afraid I don't have the books as I didn't get to the postal office before they were returned. But to be truthful those would be the last I would be giving to fans in honour of them donating to a fan club of his. Which is also in part the reason I didn't bother to get them.

I'm confused, the only reason he sent us the books because we asked for them. If we didn't want them why did we ask for them?

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for the donation I think we have 3 choices

- leave it as it is and hope that the donations would be enough and timely

- be more active in donation campaigning in any way we agree

- make some parts accessible to paying members only

the reason I suggested the active campaign was that because we know from previous "2000 watts for donators", it had been problematic and we are experiencing close calls of not having enough money for the monthly costs.

if we are to start sending gifts we will have to increase the donation amount to cover such.

Imagine a MJJC magnet a 7.5 cm round magnet is 98 cents (smaller sizes are cheaper) and USA international stamp is $1.05. so for example if we send a magnet to the people that donate $20 , it leaves with a $18 net donation.

or imagine a raffle / contest , imagine that we make a donation drive and say that 10 people randomly get a magnet, the cost of that prizes would be $20, it would be an insignificant cost if we can raise $3000

I didn't suggest high cost items, I suggested minor cost items or limited number of items given by a contest.

 

[Gaz]

At first I thought it was ok, then I was like what the hell am I thinking, these guy is a fly by night wanting to profit, let alone what on earth wants me to read this crap, he and is book for one is certainly not how I want to go forward Michael wise.

 

[Gaz]

Regarding costs, your saying you could make a custom MJJC magnet and send to anywhere in Europe the Far East and asia's for $2.00, which in GBP is around £1.20.

If you can that would be very interesting to know, here in London as its the rip of capital of the world you would have no chance.

 

[ivy]

In USA anything that fits to an envelope (no thicker than 1.9 cm and not heavier than 28 grams) can be mailed to any country with an international stamp - that is $1.05 to all countries with the exception of Mexico and Canada being 85 cents, within USA is 45 cents.

I'm thinking something small as a magnet or a button would fit to this limitations (both will fit to an envelope and obviously the magnet would be heavier than a button but we can check the weights)

So it's doable IMO but the more important question is will that be something to motivate people to donate or to donate more. If people would be like "naah I don't want that" then it'll be a useless attempt.