Fundraisers & questions

Lots of Inner Beryls talking here.

What is everyone going to do if Nic comes up with another numpty idea like the one about redesignating disabled toilets for the you-know-whos and decides to blow the £100k on it without consultation?

If it's bad for Reclaim These Streets to be opaque about what they plan to do with raised funds once the original destination is no more, it's just as bad if FPFW is.

It would be helpful if fpfw could point out where they said at the beginning how funding would be used in the event of some being left over. I'm sure they are right but I can't find it.

Sorry that you feel disgruntled OP, but caveat emptor applies here I think.

I suggest chalking it up to experience and moving on.

FFS. Are FPFW beyond criticism? The cult like responses to this thread are quite something

You've asked for people's opinions and now calling them cult-like when their opinion differs to your own.

OP, I'm starting to find your tone a bit over the top. There are damn few people willing to stick their necks out for women at the moment. If you don't agree with them or want to fund them that's your decision. But accusing other women of 'cult like' responses to those who are putting up with the endless shit and doing the stuff most of us don't have the time, skills or strength to do ourselves?

Bit strange.

It strikes me that the speed and size of the fundraising was not unrelated to the outcome. The judge would have been very aware of the strength of feeling; there was a similar thing going on when Allison Bailey's funder was prematurely closed down.

I too am happy that they won plus costs, and can now deploy my donation as they see fit in the future. I feel like whatever I gave can now help fight another battle.

FFS. Are FPFW beyond criticism? The cult like responses to this thread are quite something.

I really hope the OPs posts are in good faith.

I like the idea of a general fighting fund, but I worry anyone paid a small retainer to be the administrator would be targeted.

Having said all that, I do hope that someone at FPFW is looking at the possibility of supporting FWS, if only to rule it out.

Fpfw census crowd funder has a recent update on the funding
We raised £101,000 exactly. After Crowdfunder.co.uk deducts its fees + VAT, we received £93,985.79. As we promised when we launched the crowdfunder, any surplus will be put towards other Fair Play For Women campaigns. We are confident that the final costs award will leave us with a valuable fighting fund, although probably not enough to fight a whole new legal action if that becomes necessary. We will update with the detail once the cost assessment is complete. This is likely to be a couple of months away. In the meantime, we have already instructed our legal team to undertake the necessary evaluation work to enable us to prioritise and prepare for our next legal challenges.

I can't find where they originally said what would happen to any leftover money, but my recollection from when I chipped in was that they would use it for other fpfw legal challenges.

My personal opinion is that I gave the money for this case. It was only possible & successful because I and many others did that. I knew there was a possibility that it wouldn't be used when I chipped in and basically handed my bit of money over to fpfw, so am happy for them to use it for future campaigns. They would be wise to hold on to it until everything is settled with the census case.

On the idea of a general pot, in an ideal world that would be excellent. It's been discussed before. There was also talk of a crowd funding platform. But I remember reading from Allison bailley that though this had been mooted, for various reasons couldn't get off the ground which was why she set up her own funding web site.

I wonder if a trust to manage a pot where trustees are representatives of all the campaign groups would be a good idea. But it's alot for individuals to take on in addition to their campaign work (which is in addition to their actual jobs etc).

Has the court given an order on who should pay costs in fws Jr? I know they lost so should expect to have to pay but has the court said that?

A wedge being hammered into the successful crowdfunding of FPFW who manage on practically nothing and have many legal challenges in their sights. I for one will continue to support these many groups and I believe the idea that MN is the only place where notice of funding needs happens is a tad daft. Women from all over the place put in their money. Look at the big picture, do not go for dilution, it will kill all efforts to progress cases. These are fantastic women

Stay strong, stay focused and I for one will bloody well donate where I chose

It was very clearly stated on the Crowdfunding page that...

If any funds are left over after the legal action they will be used for other Fair Play For Women campaigns

How is this not transparent?

I am happy for them to keep my donation.

Crowdfunder takes 3% of the total pot.
I don't know what the rate is like at crowdjustice.
I have never given the extra donation to crowdjustice after the way they treated Allison Bailey and will never do so again.

I just did a rough calculation and I have donated around a grand over the last couple of years to a range of people who are standing up for the protection of Women and girls and against a pernicious ideology which harms teenage bodies and minds. I'm not rich - it's just this is how I choose to spend all my extra cash/birthday money etc at the moment. I hope I won't be supporting legal challenges forever.

While there is a part of me that hugely resents that I have to pay to make the government/civic bodies OBEY THE LAW OF THE LAND, personally, I do not want any of the money back. I have given what I can afford to 'lose'.

In fact I don't think any of it is wasted because it offers challenge to the capture. The fact that the Cabinet Office and ONS had to bring out the big guns shows that they recognised the strength of the opposing argument. And they still lost.

What I would be really interested in supporting would be a Women's fundraising platform (so donating via that rather than the big boys) so fees etc would support women's projects. Like for example, the creation of more female only refuges. Then I would cheerfully pay fees again.

I also like the idea of a charity I could give to which might offer matched funding to women's projects/crowdfunders because all these donations are missing out on potential gift aid.

I run a small charity and while we once did a crowdfunder I wouldn't do one again as the gift aid of all donations was lost to us as well as the fees charged. Lesson learned. Keeping the money in house is the key.

And, thanks to you, OP, I am off to donate to FWS again.

BUT just think about the work involved for a tiny organisation in having to discuss with each donor what they want to do... a tiny organisation of women like us who are already on their knees with exhaustion having worked so hard for success

Send an email survey to the mailing list for those who ticked update options? Not hard.

It's a large sum of money raised for a very specific purpose. Donors don't have bottomless purses. At the very least, FPFW should canvas views. It is a very patrician attitude being revealed here that Nic doesn't see any reason she should do that. Especially given it's not long since she ran a "general campaign monies plus a salary for me" crowdfund which was not well supported. So she already knows there is no general mandate.

This, I imagine, is not because Nic isn't admired or supported in a personal way: I'm sure she is. It is a reflection of the fact that ordinary women have limited resources and prioritise their donations to specific, limited campaigns or specific court cases.

This money was given to fight capture by ONS wrt the census. Now it is not needed for that, NIc needs to realise it's not her sole decision where it should go next.

I'm not sure how it rorjsxehdn you get legal costs awarded but I doubt you get the whole £100k back?
I'm happy for them to keep my donation. It did say that any left overs would be used for further causes. I trust their judgement to use that money in a useful way.

Sometimes donations can be refunded (or not taken) depending on the situation. Whenever I donate I consider the money gone. Personally I am so HUGELY grateful to FPFW for doing this (and everything else) as I am not brave enough nor able/willing to spend so much time on this that I consider them worthy recipients of my money. Of course this could change in the future depending on what they do.

I do not feel I am in a position to make demands if all I have done is given money. That doesn't mean to say your suggestions aren't good - essentially that an 'umbrella' organisation should be set up. If it is set up I would donate to that too!

Sometimes (the Jennifer James corwdfunder springs to mind) I donate and I think the situation could have been handled better. However, I revert to the viewpoint that even if all that happens is that a few headlines mean this issue is given more 'sunlight' that is my money well spent. The cost to any woman in terms of emotional energy in running these campaigns is huge. Any monetary support I can give is irrelevant compared to that.

I very much support FPFW in all their work, am very glad for them to have a warchest in hand to keep on as all that work is very much on the same theme, and I'm very happy to have contributed to that chest.

I've had a dig today for FWS who should not be left bankrupt from trying to defend women from government paid groups they had to fund out of their own taxes. Anyone and anything currently fighting for women - and it's a vile, scary, thankless business - I am very grateful for.

I do understand but my position is I gave money to stop the ONS messing with the definition of sex. That has been achieved, the fact costs were awarded and the ONS caved is a plus. I got what I signed up for unlike some other crowdfunders I've donated to. I really don't think FPFW can be accused of avoiding accountability.

I've had the email update and I'm happy for them to redirect my donation as they see fit. As pp said, that was made clear at the time of donating.

I just hope that our regular anti-women posters won't use this thread as an opportunity to post their usual word salad of accusations about women / funding / the far right etc.

Given it's a thread of ordinary women discussing what will happen to their small donation that wouldn't seem very logical.

I contributed - and am delighted with the outcome. I'm happy to let FPFW decide where to put the remaining funds and refund some if they want to. Have you actually contacted FPFW OP and asked for a response?
I just hope that our regular anti-women posters won't use this thread as an opportunity to post their usual word salad of accusations about women / funding / the far right etc.

WtfSeriously

I would urge you to think about what you are doing - I totally understand that money is short and that you would like it back BUT just think about the work involved for a tiny organisation in having to discuss with each donor what they want to do... a tiny organisation of women like us who are already on their knees with exhaustion having worked so hard for success

Your £20 achieved that success - they could not have afforded to be as brave as they were if we had not covered their potential costs

You can now choose to do something that is worth as much - and probably far more- than your £20 ... by going online to raise the profile and understanding of what is happening for FWS and helping inspire others to give their hard-earned £20s to them

So so important - and you (and others) can be so powerful in helping them succeed